Once upon a time, before computers and synthesizers became portable, tape music concerts were the only way composers who were writing music on computers and electronic instruments could get their works out to the public. As the audience sat facing a pair of speakers, a tape recorder played the compositions behind them. In essence, the recorder became the performer, and the speakers the instruments. This weekend, the Society for the Activation of Social Space Through Art and Sound — more affectionately known as SASSAS — brings back the tape concert with “sound.at the Schindler House: Tape Music,” a mini-marathon of rare reel-to-reel tapes of both historic and recent works by 20th- and 21st-century composers. For six hours, the four studios of the Schindler House will become individual listening spaces, where you can hear noise artist John Wiese's installation Magical Crystal Blah (2005/2012); William Basinski's live performance of Vivian and Ondine; Pauline Oliveros' Bye Bye Butterfly (1965) and I of IV (1965/1966); Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw's Tape Collage (1975); Shaw's solo work, Guitar Tape Loop (1975); and selections from Gary Todd's now defunct Cortical Foundation label, Organ of Corti. So is it the instrument that's the performer? Or the performer that's the instrument? You decide. Schindler House, 835 N. King's Road, W. Hlywd.; Sat., Aug. 25, 2-8 p.m.; $12 advance, $15 door. (323) 960-5723, sassas.org.

Sat., Aug. 25, 2-8 p.m., 2012

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.