I’m back on the “podcast roundup” with a triad, as the three podcasts below stem from one production group: TANIS, RABBITS, and The Black Tapes.
First off, I’ll start with some background. Pacific Northwest Stories is a podcast production group up in Seattle with producers such as Alex Regan and Nic Silver. Each of these podcasts overlaps a bit, with common themes being the unusual, the paranormal, the unknown and an extreme commitment to the illusion of legitimacy. Oh, it seems like a great time to point out that these podcasts do a really good job at blending reality with false lore. I can’t say that the podcasts are completely fiction, but only that lines are definitely blurred.
One of my favorite things about these podcasts is that you definitely get sucked in. There are definitely moments of them going a bit too far or where it might be a difficult to follow if you’ve waited a bit too long between listening, but overall there is great storytelling involved. These podcasts are different enough that I can imagine that one generally resonates a bit more with you than the others, but I’ll go into that below.
Immediately below, you’ll see that I’ve linked all of the podcasts in iTunes and that each of the “heading” photos for each podcast has a link to their respective websites.
Please note that I’ve gone as *spoiler free* with this as possible so that 1) this post isn’t pages and pages long, and 2) so that you can enjoy with as much excitement at the twists and turns as I did.
First up – TANIS.
I first heard of this podcast via the vlogbrothers (Hank & John Green) in Hank’s video “Things That You Just Might Love.” (As a side note, I’d recommend checking out this video because he’s got a lot of great things in this video.)
Tanis is a mysterious person/place/thing that currently resides in the Pacific Northwest and is causing some raucous. Notice how vague that last sentence was? That’s about as detailed as I can honestly be without spoilers galore.
Nic Silver gets looped into researching this entity with his trusty sidekick MK (sidenote: I want to be friends with MK in real life, to be honest) and a few appearances from Alex Regan, the host of The Black Tapes. This podcast is filled with running through the woods, interviewing both friend and foe, and searching the dark web.
One of my favorite features is the show notes where the creators have put together the different items that they speak about in the show, from letters to photos.
As their slogan states, It’s Tanis. Keep Looking.
Rabbits was my second glimpse into the Pacific Northwest. Currently, this podcast has the fewest number of episodes but they have just made the official announcement that the second season is on its way*.
This podcast surrounds an ancient game that seems to hypnotize people, including the best friend of our host Carly Parker. The closest description I can give is augmented reality, but the kind where no one else knows you’re playing and figures in dark hoods are involved. While searching for her friend (Yumiko), our host realizes that she truly has to play the game too. Dun dun duuuuuuun.
She, like Nic, has a sidekick, and there are also show notes.
I’m interested to see more of this show because it’s my least favorite of the three. I couldn’t get as into the storyline as much as I have with the other two, but I’m not going to give up quite yet.
*Edit: Per the Public Radio Alliance, the second season of Rabbits is dependent on a Kickstarter.
The Black Tapes follows Alex Regan as she works alongside Dr. Strand and his quest to solve and connect all of his “black tapes.” The show’s namesake is a collection of unsolved mysteries that renowned expert Dr. Richard Strand has collected over the years and strives to solve. Are they paranormal? Alex would likely say so.
This podcast is very interesting and does a good (extreme) job at tying things together, but I do wish that this was a video podcast for the few moments that they refer to his tapes. Hearing Alex and Dr. Strand try to explain a hidden figure in a monastery in Italy can be a bit difficult. This is definitely the podcast that I have the most trouble following, as there are a dozen or so major players besides our co-hosts.
If you’re interested in looking further, check out the subreddit surrounding this grouping: Reddit’s Pacific Northwest Stories Subreddit.
According to the website, it seems like a FOURTH podcast is in production. I’m ready.
Overall, I do really enjoy these podcasts. I’ve loved having a co-worker listening also (hi Nicole) because we have our differences in what we like. My advice? Get ready to be sucked in, a bit confused, and ready to tell everyone you know about what just happened.
Do you believe? Are you playing? Keep looking.
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