Trainspottle
Shall we play a game trainspotting crew?

22 Jul 2022

[on continuumizm] sounds

While enjoying the viral game sensation Heardle, guessing its myriad of pop tunes from the ages, one couldn't help but think it could have some more tunes from our dance music continuum. After all...why not? Shortly after discovering the code for a clone of the game had been made available and the creative juices started flowing for a title and direction, a fun little side-project was born here at Continuumizm. Shall we play a game?

Heardle started as a side-project some developers made for friends inspired by the word-based daily online smash Wordle. Heardle opted to focus on music intros as its main challenge. As the masses discovered it's pretty fun and it's been pumping out daily rounds for players around the world for a number of months now (and somewhat unexpectedly even got acquired by Spotify recently!)

Presenting our version: Trainspottle. Focusing on classic jungle/drum'n'bass/hardcore and other classic basslines and beats the daily rounds ask the question: do you fancy your trainspotting skills?

Trainspotting is of course a favourite pastime of ravers, chin-stroking music anoraks and fellow-djs alike: the act of peering over the shoulders of djs to see what records they are spinning (the term originating from the British phenomenon of actual train geeks waiting on platforms with notebooks scribbling down bits about trains coming into stations). And not just the latest records but with many genres' roots in soundsystem cultures, the freshest dubplates, unreleased tunes and white label promos also, upping the challenge for the humble 'spotter. Seemed like a perfect match for a Heardle-type game of this sort!

The game is a lot like those electronicBeatsTV Blind Test sessions that had Fabio, Bailey and friends entertaining us awhile back. Of course we're not trying to make it super difficult and stocking some obscure unreleased one-off that no one but the most VIP underground head would know.... you'll find plenty of big tunes, old skool classics you've not heard in awhile and a few lost gems for good measure too. There's a billion tunes out there after more than 30 years of rave music so don't hate the selectah. Will mix in some more eras and genre mutations as things go along too. In true Continuumizm fashion, don't be surprised if some classic house/techno/rave roots music pop into there also! All in all, a fun distraction and also a fun little project to put together!

Check it out at https://trainspottle.continuumizm.com and visit daily to see how fast you can 'spot the tunes!

Screenshot of the Trainspottle website open to its start page with Heardle-inspired musical intro guess boxes, skip button and a fun thinking raver logo with yellow dubplate envelope colour scheme.