Explore every episode of the podcast Cassette Culture
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analog Connections - Join The Cassette Network | 16 Nov 2024 | 00:02:12 | |
Taking the DIY message of Punk as a jumping off point, our travel through the underground cassette network departs from the bleak 1980's Thatcher-era UK, community radio and fanzines, and all points in a journey to a thriving self sustaining culture. Communication was valued over commerce. For two decades the international mail system fostered a network of underground artists, exchanging cassette tapes of music and homemade artwork under the radar of main stream media. We track down some key figures in the cassette scene, and follow the web of connections outward from the UK around the world, mapping the impacts and their ongoing effects. We speak with musicians, label runners, and fanzine writers, who share their experiences of connecting through the mail system and its ongoing effects on their lives. Notes: AVAILABLE NOW: The project that started it all Podcast produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Find The Others | 25 Nov 2024 | 00:18:48 | |
A decade before the widespread adoption of the internet, a group of artists and musicians established an underground network to share their work with kindred spirits via the mail system. Starting our story from a dark, isolated UK in the late 1980's, with mass youth unemployment. We take a journey with some key figures from the Cassette Scene, who provide a firsthand account of the collaborative spirit and sense of discovery that permeated the cassette culture scene. Guests: Martin Franklin/SoundImage Tapes Featured Music: "This is Concrete" by The Happy Citizen (A Tender Tension, Pharoah Chromium Sound, 1990) "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse 2024 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Chance Connections - He Got Talking To This Guy In The Record Store | 09 Dec 2024 | 00:21:57 | |
Steve Gears (Pharoah Chromium Sound/The Happy Citizen), Richard Talbot (Marconi Union) and Tom Gibbs, (Infinite Expanse) take us further down the rabbit hole in this episode. We even got hold of some archive radio recording from “On The Wire” on BBC Radio Lancashire in 1989. Cassette-era music comes from: Sirius B, Basie V. Webster, Marconi Union, Richter Band and Omega Ensemble First, we talk to Steve Gears, the founder of the Pharoah Chromium Sound label, who shares how he stumbled upon this vibrant community and the thrill of receiving contributions from like-minded artists through the mail. Gears recounts the collaborative spirit that fuelled the creation of his own projects, like Happy Citizen, Richard Talbot, one half of the acclaimed group Marconi Union, reveals how his chance connections in the cassette network ultimately led to the formation of the band, demonstrating the serendipitous nature of these underground musical relationships. Infinite Expanse label founder Tom Gibbs, takes us on his journey from beginning his label as a YouTube channel. Gibbs' passion for unearthing these forgotten gems leads to his quest to find the remaining members of lo-fi improvisors, the Omega Ensemble. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham. Guests: Steve Gears/Pharoah Chromium Sound Richard Talbot/Marconi Union Tom Gibbs/Infinite Expanse Featured Music: Sirius B "Incision" A Tender Tension (Pharoah Chrome Sound) 1989 Basie V. Webster "Untitled" A Tender Tension (Pharoah Chrome Sound) 1989 Marconi Union "The Contact" Under Wires And Searchlights (Self Released) 2003 Richter Band "Čínský Potůček / Poloviční Chytání" Smetana (Infinite Expanse) 2024 Omega Ensemble "Piece 6" Sil Lim Tao (Self Released) 1988 "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| The Package From Steve Arrives | 28 Dec 2024 | 00:26:59 | |
Unboxing a Cassette Time Capsule sent to us from Steve Gears in the UK. We find a treasure trove of rare cassette culture artifacts from the 1980s and 90s. From handmade fanzines and photocopied flyers to quirky cassette releases, this episode transports you back to the DIY underground music scene of the pre-digital era. Martin and Hudson unpack the goodies sent from The Happy Citizen's Steve Gears in Manchester UK and talk through the flyers, tapes and letters inside this amazing time capsule. This is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by music history and the evolution of independent music distribution. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham. Featured Music: "Incision" Sirius B, (Steve's compilation cassette) "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
Podcast produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Cassettes On The Radio: Underground Broadcasting | 23 Dec 2024 | 00:25:03 | |
1980’s cassette networking branched out into independent radio shows, physical meet ups and gigs. For 14 years Sandy Nys ran his radio show on Antwerp's Radio Centraal, amplifying and connecting the scene. Through these connections, he ran his 3RioArt label, launched Belgian EBM influencers, The Klinik and later, electronic ritual collective, Hybryds. Mindscan Tapes label owner Rob Maycock talks about quickly building international networks and collaborations with Treble King in the USA and Nostalgia Eternelle in France, plus his connection to a 1988 release on the fledgling Cold Spring label. Discogs stalker, Internet Detective and Infinite Expanse founder, Tom Gibbs makes progress in his contemporary search for the elusive Omega Ensemble members. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham. Guests: Sandy Nys/Hybryds Featured Music: Remarimba "B Bag" (Cordelia Records Sampler 4th Ed.) 1989
"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024 Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Underground 'Zines And The Hunt For Lost Music | 09 Jan 2025 | 00:25:10 | |
The Vital fanzine evolved from hand typed, xeroxed pages to pioneering online distribution, and connected artists from the USA and Europe. We dive into an interview with Frans de Waard, creator of the Dutch fanzine Vital and the Korm Plastics label to talk about his journey of collaboration in the underground cassette scene. Covering his early zine projects like Nul Nul, growing his label network, work with renowned record store and experimental music label, Staalplaat, and steps into authoring books about experimental music and zines. Our final segment follows the next steps of Discogs Detective, Tom Gibbs as he travels the UK South Coast to track down members of enigmatic ’80’s improvisors, Omega Ensemble. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham. Featured Music: The Haters, “Performance 12 01 1989”, Puinhoop All music released on cassette by Korm Plastics (https://www.kormplastics.nl/) “Piece 2” by the Omega Ensemble, Sil Lim Tao Links "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Evolution of Noise: The 40 Year Journey of Satori | 18 Feb 2025 | 00:19:36 | |
With a pile of scrap metal and a disused railway tunnel nearby, unemployed youths Dave Kirby and Rob Maycock began recording sounds that they’d use as material for their Throbbing Gristle-inspired noise project, Psychopath. His early meeting with Justin Mitchell of Cold Spring Records led to his music finding a worldwide audience. Forty years later, on the eve of his international tour we speak with Dave about his early cassette scene releases and continued artistic evolution in Satori. Touching on his motivations, artistic confidence… and his extensive sample library of road drill sounds. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham. Music: “Pressing Down” Satori, The Woods (Cold Spring Records) “The Entity” Satori, Kanishibari (Cold Spring Records) ”This Is Concrete” The Happy Citizen The recording "How things used to be in Margate" at 0:51 used by kind permission of Stuart Fowkes/Cities And Memory. (https://citiesandmemory.com/) Links Satori "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| The British Library Sound Archive Calls | 09 Feb 2025 | 00:10:57 | |
We share the news of the preservation of the Cassette Culture podcast by the British Library Sound Archive and talk about some upcoming interviews. Coming Next: Psychedelia in the Home Counties with Richard Allen of Delerium Records, and Texas' ND fanzine and label with Daniel Plunkett, plus the evolution of experimental/Industrial music with Davie Kirby of Satori. Our new "Cassette Culture" stickers get unboxed ready for distribution to anywhere we can get them. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham Links "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989-90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Contact-Exchange-Document: The Story of ND | 04 Mar 2025 | 00:21:28 | |
DIY passion, artistic discovery, and the power of community. This is a story of the kind friendly networking that typified the cassette scene and it shines through in this episode. We dive into the fascinating history of the ND fanzine and influential label, founded by Daniel Plunkett in Austin, Texas. ND became a hub for the international mail art and cassette culture scenes, connecting artists from around the world through its fanzine, events, cassette, vinyl and CD releases. Through his early correspondence with artist, Phillip Johnson in the UK, Dan got backstage to hang out with Mark E. Smith and The Fall. Moving on to becoming a stop over for European artists looking for a local Texas gig, he promoted performances by artists like Bee Queen/Frans de Waard and staged “Undercurrents” a Mail Art exhibition at the Mexi-Arte Museum (https://mexic-artemuseum.org/). The ND label published releases by Jeff Greinke, PBK, Vidna Obmana, Maeror Tri, Alio Die among others. Episode hosted by Martin Franklin Music Phillip Johnson “Helmetpoofy” 0714, Year Zero Records Phillip Johnson Tracks from “Heartache’s Worst Assistants Versus the Genius With the Secret of Making Gold Into Dynamite!”. Year Zero Records ND 7 “Performance In A Staircase” Haupunkt Fix (Cassette Issue) ND11 Lon Speigelman, Lon Spiegelman (Los Angeles, CA, USA) ND7 “Psychotic” Die Form (Cassette Issue) Maeror Tri “Desiderium” Myein ND CD008 Jeff Grienke - ND Fragment 01
Links End Of An Ear Year Zero Records/Phillip Johnson Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)
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| Universe Of The Wyrd: The Cold Spring Story | 18 Mar 2025 | 00:27:58 | |
At the forefront of Industrial and dark electronic music since the 1980s, Cold Spring Records emerged from the cassette underground to become a significant independent record label. We unpack the story of label founder Justin Mitchell, an underground music dot connector who started in the UK tape trading and mail art networks, and working within the influential Temple Of Psychic Youth. Cold Spring stayed close to it’s underground ethos to become a respected purveyor of the strange and the obscure, championing artists like Genesis P.Orridge, Psychic TV, Coil, Satori, and taking in releases by giant talents like William Burroughs, Lull, Merzbow, Mark Almond, British Electronic Foundation along the way. Along the way, we explore the label's transition from cassettes to vinyl and CD, the importance of context and curation in their releases, and the organic way in which Cold Spring has connected the dots to create a universe of the wyrd. Episode hosted by Martin Franklin DISCOVER THE VIDEO MUSIC Rabbits Wear Boots “Why are you here?” Trans-Human Dystopia, 3Rio Art Hybryds “Wanderers without destinations” Mythopia, 3Rio Art Psychic TV “Unclean” Live, INRI, Cold Spring cassette (CS 001) Angels Ov Light and Thee Angry Love Orchestra "VI” (CS002) William Burroughs, Brian Gysin, Genesis P. Orridge, extract from “Interview & Readings” Cold Spring (CS006) cassette The Hafler Trio & Willem de Ridder “Report”, ...And The Wolf Shall Lick The Jewels From Your Belly… Cold Spring (CSR 1LP) Sandor Kalios “Northern Tale” ANS Electronic Music, Cold Spring Sleep Research Facility “B Deck” Nostromo, Cold Spring The Horses Of The Gods “John Barleycorn”, John Barleycorn Reborn, Cold Spring The Sea Of Wires “The Nightmare continues”, The Sea Of Wires, Cold Spring
LINKS Cold Spring Records Rabbits Wear Boots Hybryds
"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024 Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)
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| Erotic Art, CDr's and a Mystery Device from Hybryds | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:15:28 | |
Amazing artworks, CDr's and a mystery device. The full unboxing experience of the package sent to us from Belgium by Sandy from the Hybryds. This is the Bonus version of the recordings which opened Episode 8 "Universe Of The Wyrd: The Cold Spring Story" - just for our curious listeners who want to hear more. Episode contains these tracks from CD: After the recording session we asked Sandy what the mysterious object was and he let us know that it was indeed a cool mini USB bank card-style device, with a fold out connection to put in a USB port. Like this: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Wild Planet 1983: The World Gets Weirder | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:25:04 | |
From the provocative performances of Throbbing Gristle at the Lyceum to Einstürzende Neubauten's infamous stage-demolishing concert at the ICA, this episode captures the moment when musical boundaries were not just pushed, but completely obliterated. The Wild Planet column, written by Dave Henderson started as a cut-out-and-keep centre feature in Sounds, the UK’s biggest music weekly, but soon became a focus for the new breed of cassette artists and labels across Europe. Guitars were OUT, Synths were IN, sunglasses got darker, and the music became.… weirder. Music journalist, curator and label runner, Dave Henderson takes us out on the streets of London in the days when you could bump in to a leather clad Cabaret Voltaire, or find Test Dept. in full force playing an underground station. More than just a music column, Wild Planet became a cultural conduit for artists working outside traditional music industry constraints. Henderson's narrative reveals a vibrant ecosystem of bedroom musicians, experimental performers, and avant-garde creators who were reimagining what music could be. A must-listen for music historians, cultural enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the raw, uncompromising spirit of artistic innovation. DAVE HENDERSON Hosted by Martin Franklin DISCOVER THE VIDEO THANKS TO: Our old chums at SoundArt Radio 102.5FM for digitising services. MUSIC
"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024 Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Post-Punk Publishing, with Attrition and Adventures In Reality | 20 Apr 2025 | 00:27:07 | |
Tales of handmade 'zines and the cassette underground with two key figures: Martin Bowes of the electronic-industrial band Attrition, and Alan Rider of the Adventures In Reality label and fanzine. We trace their trajectory from the early days, as local Coventry fanzines "Alternative Sounds" and “Adventures In Reality” evolve into bands and cassette labels and build grassroots distribution networks that span the World. Bowes and Rider reflect on how out-of-hours Art College facilities, post-punk energy, and the rise of affordable recording technology like the Tascam 4-track empowered musicians to bypass the mainstream and do it themselves. Connecting with our previous episode (EP09 Wild Planet 1983: The World Gets Weirder) with Dave Henderson, writer of the Wild Planet column in Sounds, there’s more about how *The Elephant Table" LP came together. Plus, the usual tales of copying tapes in real-time, mailing music around the globe, and even embedding ZX Spectrum programs onto music cassettes. Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO FEATURING - Martin Bowes (Attrition) MUSIC Attrition “Dead Of Night” Death House - Adventures In Reality Recordings (1981) LINKS Attrition (https://attritionuk.bandcamp.com/music) | (https://attrition.co.uk) "Adventures In Reality, The Complete Collection" book reprints all issues of the fanzine in a 500 page softbound book. Order directly from Alan Rider via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/alan.rider.161) See the ARR ZX Spectrum program from "The Last Supper" on YouTube: THANKS TO: Our old chums at SoundArt Radio 102.5FM for digitising services. AVAILABLE NOW
*Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Third Mind, Fourth Dimension | 29 May 2025 | 00:33:11 | |
Armed with fanzines, cassette tapes, and a fierce DIY spirit - two teenagers from Herne Bay helped shape the UK’s underground music scene. In this episode, host Martin Franklin traces the journey of Gary Levermore, founder of Third Mind Records, and Richard “Richo” Johnson, the force behind Grim Humour fanzine and Fourth Dimension Records. From their early days frequenting a local record shop to trading zines and music through the post, their story captures the energy of a grassroots movement that gave voice to some of the most experimental and influential acts of the 1980s. We explore how fanzines like Tone Death and Grim Humour connected a sprawling network of artists and fans, and how this evolved into Third Mind’s legendary cassette compilation “Rising from the Red Sand”—a defining moment for underground electronic and post-industrial music. The episode offers inside perspectives on artists such as Nurse With Wound, Test Dept, Attrition, and Legendary Pink Dots, while also shedding light on the support they received from key tastemakers like Rough Trade, John Peel, and Dave Henderson of Sounds. Along the way, Gary reveals the moment he turned down the newly formed Skinny Puppy, and how that decision—and others—shaped the future of Third Mind and its eventual partnership with Roadrunner Records. Richo discusses the evolving mission of Fourth Dimension and his enduring dedication to artists with a distinct sensibility, both sonically and personally. Passion, persistence, and a love of experimental sound helped two independent labels make their mark on music history—one photocopied zine and dubbed cassette at a time. Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO
VOICES MUSIC Herne Bay ambient recordings by Damon Hart-Davis used by permission. LINKS Third Mind Records Fourth Dimension Records Dave Henderson Attrition THANKS TO: AVAILABLE NOW: The project that started it all. *Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Underground Goes Overground: Freakbeat, & Planet Dog | 13 Jun 2025 | 00:26:44 | |
3D glasses at the ready, we speak with Richard Allen, editor of psychedelic magazine Freakbeat, founder of Delerium Records, and Michael Dog of Club Dog, Megadog and Planet Dog Records. Together, they helped define an era of fanzines, home-recorded cassettes, underground parties, and independent music distribution. This episode, we’re hearing the inside story of a telephone call to Timothy Leary, the artists behind Freakbeat’s unique 3d page design, Club Dog’s rare live cassette releases and the birth of Planet Dog Record’s legendary electronic compilations like Feed Your Head. This episode closes Season One of Cassette Culture—but don’t worry, Season Two is already in production. We’re working on a Bandcamp subscription offer that will give you some exclusive custom cassettes and provide a means to donate to help us keep the reels turning with the podcast. Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO
FEATURING: Richard Allen MUSIC “Operation Apricot” Ring, O De Dun Dun (Self released cassette) From Psychedelic Psauna (Delerium Records): “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” Webcore, The Great Unfolding (A Real Kavoom)“ LINKS Planet Dog Records http://www.planetdogrecords.com/ Delerium: https://www.discogs.com/label/3338-Delerium-Records AVAILABLE NOW *Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Inside the Zine: Copy This Cassette with Blake Werts | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:28:56 | |
From the worlds of mini-comix to independent music, D. Blake Werts is the creative force behind the fanzine, Copy This Cassette. Martin Franklin and co-host Jerry Kranitz sit down with Blake to share the surprising story of how he discovered cassette culture only a few years ago, and how that discovery inspired him to launch a new publication devoted entirely to underground cassette releases. He explains the philosophy behind Copy This Cassette, including its tactile, analogue-first ethos and the importance of short, descriptive "snapshot reviews." We also learn about Blake's deep roots in the world of mini comics, how he taps into regional cassette scenes from the Pacific Northwest to Europe, and the editorial decisions that keep the zine focused and accessible. You can find Copy This on Bandcamp at copythis.bandcamp.com and catch our unboxing video of issue 3 on the Cassette Culture Podcast YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast Keep updated on the Second Edition of "Cassette Culture: Homemade Music and the Creative Spirit in the Pre-Internet Age" by contacting Jerry. jerrykranitzwriter.com/ Hosted by Martin Franklin & Jerry Kranitz. DISCOVER THE VIDEO MUSIC LINKS Clean Demon Records temporary mountain Ingrown Records Illuminated Paths Basic Paper Airplane See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Copy This Mix | 08 Aug 2025 | 00:25:39 | |
Music mix by Joshua James Amberson drawing on cassette releases reviewed in issue #3 of the Copy This Cassette zine. Joshua is publisher of the Basic Paper Airplane zine, and curator of the Antiquated Future store/distro and label. He is based in Portland, Oregon, USA. DISCOVER THE VIDEO LINKS Machine Go Boom "When We're Ghosts" Just Because Records Zeiss Ikon "Cybernetic Anarchy" 2025 Reissue, Magrit Records Big Fat Head "BoBo Rising" Clean Demon Records Charles Rice Goff III "Language For Unstated Thoughts" Taped Rugs Cody Brant - Carl Kruger "Smoke Detail" Copy This 2025 Yaara Valey "our liberation is" Antiquated Futures Guidon Bear "Internal Systems" Antiquated Future THANKS
Produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Checkpoint Staalplaat: Revisiting Radical Sound, with Geert-jan Hobijn | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:24:13 | |
From vinyl to cassettes and the occasional... flexi-postcard! Geert-Jan Hobijn reflects on Staalplaat’s origins as a cassette label, and some current releases. In this special interim episode of Cassette Culture, Martin Franklin and Jerry Kranitz speak with Geert-Jan Hobijn, the legendary founder of Staalplaat - the experimental music label that began in an Amsterdam squat in 1982 and went on to define an era of radical sound and design. We focus on some current activities publishing unreleased Muslimgauze recordings, reissuing classics from the Korm Plastics label - and dreaming up outlandish packaging ideas (including a cassette release that came with a pair of custom-designed socks). The conversation also touches on the challenges and joys of running a label across decades, the crossover between Staalplaat’s releases and Geert-Jan’s own Staalplaat Sound System installation work, and the philosophy of making music and art available in ways that resist the digital mainstream. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Jerry Kranitz. DISCOVER THE VIDEO
MUSIC LINKS Muslimgauze Korm Plastics D
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Deleted Records & The Instant Automatons | 27 Nov 2025 | 00:27:36 | |
Underneath the safety pins, television expletives and bondage trousers that came with Punk in 1977, there was a coded message for those ready to hear it. Resolutely independent, the Instant Automatons and their label Deleted Records tuned in from the North of England and got that message of DIY independence, creativity and confidence that followed "Here's Three Chords, Now Form A Band". We trace the birth of the UK cassette underground - from isolated bedrooms to West London squats, from hand-dubbed tapes to Rough Trade shelves. It’s the story of how a handful of young people, with almost no resources, built a national community through shared idealism, cheap technology, and an unstoppable desire to create. Finding their tribe with the Labroke Grove hippie-punks circulating around the Here & Now/Frestonia/free festival scene and building their community under the Westway. Here & Now drummer, Kif Kif Le Batteur made his sentiment about the established record industry clear when he named his cassette label F.O. Records. Recognising that the Instant Automatons and their label Deleted Records got it too, they connected to collaborate on cassette and vinyl releases, gigs and tours. And in doing, forged a template that was adopted and amplified from there on.
Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO IN THIS EPISODE VOICES MUSIC Archive audio: “Johns Vacuum Cleaner” John Peel Show 17 June 1980, BBC Radio 1 “Pre Natal Counselling” The Midnight Circus Many thanks to Jonny Zhivago and the invaluable resource for underground music that is Die Or DIY (https://dieordiy2.blogspot.com/) PROTAG FIND US SUPPORTERS
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Season 2 - DIY Revolution: Owning The Means Of Production | 09 Nov 2025 | 00:04:37 | |
The artists who made the template - In Season 2 we’re delving into the very origins of the underground cassette music scene from the late 70s and early 80s, featuring insights from key musicians who revolutionised independent music production. "We didn't think much of the establishment and capitalism, instead of demonstrating against it, we thought we'd create another world which existed outside of it." Jonathan Barnett of Fuck Off Records encapsulates the revolutionary mindset of the post-Punk movement. Mark Lancaster, Phillip Sanderson, Jonathan Barnett, Colin Potter and others share their experiences of challenging the mainstream music industry through a low key yet radical DIY approach. Snatch Tapes, Fuck Off Records, Deleted Records, Integrated Circuit Records were all part of the wave that shaped a template for what was to come. The narrative explores how musicians rejected traditional music production methods, creating an alternative world of sound and creativity. Cassettes emerged as a powerful medium of expression, offering an affordable and accessible way for artists to record and distribute their music. The episode highlights the punk-inspired ethos of independent music creation, emphasising a spirit of rebellion against established structures and the building of a community. Listeners will discover a fascinating network of musicians who connected through fanzines, music papers, and tape exchanges. The collaborative culture transcended traditional genre boundaries, with artists supporting each other's experimental sounds and independent productions. Phillip Sanderson's innovative approach of dismantling radios to create electronic noises exemplifies the creative spirit of the cassette culture. The documentary provides a deep dive into a pivotal moment in music history, showcasing how independent artists used technology and collaboration to challenge the traditional music industry. It's a testament to creativity, DIY spirit, and the power of grassroots music production. DISCOVER THE VIDEO SUPPORTERS
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| Integrated Circuits: Colin Potter, ICR and the Cassette Network | 23 Dec 2025 | 00:28:28 | |
Emerging from the same late-1970s underground that fuelled punk, DIY cassette culture, and European electronic experimentation, we explore the influence of Colin Potter - sound artist, producer, and founder of Integrated Circuit Records (ICR) From beginnings building crude oscillators and fuzz boxes to university access to an EMS Synthi A, his path reflects a generation discovering sound through curiosity rather than convention. We track the growth of ICR from a mail-order cassette operation into one of the UK’s most important underground labels of the early 1980s. Starting with cooperative compilation LPs and cassettes, Potter helped connect artists working across abstract electronics, industrial, cosmic music, and experimental sound - including The Instant Automatons, The Legendary Pink Dots, Carl Matthews, The Door and The Window, and many others. We hear how Potter’s cassette duplication service became a crucial infrastructure for labels such as Third Mind Tapes. That practical role also led to deeper artistic collaborations, most notably with Nurse With Wound, Current 93, and Steven Stapleton, where Potter’s studio became a space that hosted creative risk, sonic transformation, and unconventional production. Featuring contributions from Colin Potter, Jonathan Colclough, Gary Levermore, Mark Lancaster, this episode examines how technical generosity, and openness to experimentation helped shape the 45 years of underground electronic music released on ICR. Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO IN THIS EPISODE VOICES MUSIC “Off The Graph” Colin Potter, The Ghost Office, Mirage FIND US SUPPORTERS
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Deleted Funtime Rewind | 28 Dec 2025 | 01:00:26 | |
After we spoke with Mark Automaton for our episode on Deleted Records and the Instant Automatons, he kindly shared his recollections of the music and bands presented on the legendary “Deleted Funtime” compilation, released by Deleted Records in 1980. Originally compiled by Martin “Protag” Naish of the Automatons, and featuring 34 tracks by various outsider musicians and misfits from across the booming cassette network in the UK. Filling a c90 cassette and in 1980, available for 60p and a self-addressed envelope direct from the band - we’ve omitted a few tracks where they were by the same band or sometimes where we had no recollections to share. The tape hiss you’ll hear on the music tracks is original, mostly due to the sometimes third generation tape copies that were the sources for the compilation. DISCOVER THE VIDEO IN THIS EPISODE VOICES MUSIC LINKS FIND US SUPPORTERS
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)
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| Under the Westway: 1979 Portobello Punks | 26 Jan 2026 | 00:26:51 | |
Emerging from the squats, free gigs and improvised studios of late-70’s Portobello Road, F*ck Off Records operated at the volatile intersection of hippie idealism and punk DIY. Active between 1979 and 1982, the label released copied-to-order cassettes alongside a small number of vinyl EPs and LPs with music by Alternative TV, The 012, Danny & The Dressmakers, Here & Now, The Instant Automatons, The Androids Of Mu and their many collaborators. Founded by Kif Kif Le Batteur and Jonathan Barnett in a period when Portobello was dense with creative possibility: vacant houses, squatted venues, free festivals and heaps of talent. We join Jonathan Barnett to trace the roots of the label through the influences of Sniffin’ Glue and Mark Perry to Here & Now’s free-music ethos and open minded approach to supporting others. Central to the label’s emergence was Street Level Studios, a low-cost recording space that allowed bands to record without compromise, and the cassette as a format that made duplication, circulation and autonomy possible. Hosted by Martin Franklin. KIF KIF (https://www.eatsdrinksandleaves.com/rip-keith-dobson-1956-2025/) DISCOVER THE VIDEO LINKS “Floating Anarchy” Here & Now documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsg8cMdYtuM) Good article on the late-70’s Punk/DIY scene by Bob Stanley: IN THIS EPISODE VOICES MUSIC “The Ballad of F*ck Off Records” The 012, Weird Noise EP (F*ck Off Records 1980) “Allez Alibaba” Planet Gong, Floating Anarchy 1977 (Charly Records 1978) “Terrified of Dogs” Alternative TV, Back To Sing For Free Again Soon compilation (F*ck Off Records 1979) “Pretty Nun” Androids of Mu, F*ck Off Demo Tape (F*ck Off Records 1979) “Too Big” The Instant Automatons “Drop Dead” / “Don’t Make Another Bass Guitar, Mr Rickenbacker” Danny and the Dressmakers, Back To Sing For Free Again Soon compilation (F*ck Off Records 1979) “Total Disregard for Greenwich Theatre” ATV/The Good Missionaries, Scars On Sunday (F*ck Off Records 1980) Fish From Tahiti — The 012, Weird Sampler (F*ck Off Records 1981) Asbestos Lead Asbestos — World Domination Enterprises, Let’s Play Domination (Product Inc 1984)
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Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Evolution of Snatch Tapes & The Storm Bugs | 06 Mar 2026 | 00:29:39 | |
A hard to imagine London of derelict warehouses and ruined public buildings birthed the short, intense life of Snatch Tapes, the late-70s cassette label founded by Philip Sanderson of Storm Bugs. Launched in 1979, Snatch Tapes became a focal point for electronic and experimental musicians pushing beyond conventional song structures and embracing the possibilities of electronics, tape loops and DIY distribution. Sanderson reflects on his early experiments with circuit-bent cassette recorders and transistor radios, the handmade oscillations that powered his duo Storm Bugs, and his time at Goldsmiths University’s Electronic Music Studio Central to the story is Sanderson’s playful subversion of identity. Through the invented electronic duo Claire Thomas and Susan Vesey, he provoked an overwhelmingly male scene and inadvertently attracted the attention of Cherry Red Records. When Cherry Red, via A&R figure Mike Alway, sought to develop the duo into a full vinyl release, the elaborate fiction began to unravel in a farcical chain of meetings and the eventual confessions. As Snatch Tapes gathered momentum, a loose but vibrant network formed around it. Contributors included Lemon Kittens, David Jackman, Nigel Jacklin, The New Blockaders, Cultural Amnesia, Beach Surgeon, N4’s, Alien Brains and more. Yet by 1981, after three intense years, Sanderson chose to step back. The label passed briefly to David Jackman before dissolving into the wider flow of 1980's cassette activity. Looking back, Sanderson identifies 1980 as both the peak of Snatch Tapes and a high-water mark for the cassette underground’s visibility. For a fleeting moment, it seemed possible that DIY cassettes might become a genuine alternative channel for direct music distribution. Featuring recollections from Philip Sanderson, Gerard Greenway and Nigel Jacklin, this episode documents a formative chapter in UK cassette culture.
Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO
LINKS IN THIS EPISODE VOICES MUSIC “Call” Orior, Snatch 3 (Snatch Tapes 1981) Many thanks to Jonny Zhivago and the invaluable resource for underground music that is Die Or DIY (https://dieordiy2.blogspot.com/) FIND US SUPPORTERS
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| No Words, No Titles, No Meaning - The World Of Alien Brains | 05 Apr 2026 | 00:29:29 | |
The strange, uncompromising world of Alien Brains, the project led by Nigel Jacklin that helped define the outer edges of the early 1980s DIY cassette underground. Emerging from a school science lab, inspired by John Cage and nurtured by the fledgling cassette network, Alien Brains rejected conventional song structures in favour of pure spontaneity, raw improvisation and a deliberate embrace of failure as an artistic possibility. The DIY cassette scene of 1979, with its “it's easy, cheap, go and do it” ethos, provided the perfect outlet for these early recordings. Mark Lancaster of The Instant Automatons and Deleted Records recalls encountering Nigel, playing an early gig with him at his school, and releasing the first Alien Brains cassette “Menial Disorders”. The story takes a notorious turn into the heart of the British public school system. As head of the Rock Society at Oundle School, Nigel invites Throbbing Gristle and Monte Cazazza to perform in the main hall, a collision of avant-garde industrial noise and traditional boarding school culture. We find a recording of Cosey Fanni Tutti sharing her memories of the shock induced by the performance - to teachers and pupils alike. For some it was an outrage; for others, a transformative experience. The concert recordings were released by Industrial Records on VHS and cassette tape. Richard Rupenus of the New Blockaders recalls finding Deleted Records via an advert in the DIY Corner column of the music paper Sounds, ordering the first Alien Brains release and eventually joining the group. He describes the strange, semi-chaotic Alien Brains performance at The Basement in Newcastle in 1982, where the band added another layer to the experience by introducing pungent smells into the venue’s heating system. Nigel picks up the thread to talk about working with non-musicians such as Neil Purvis, echoing John Cage’s belief that people without formal training can be freer of inherited constraints. He describes recordings made in unlikely spaces – a disused Second World War water tower, an out-of-tune piano in a Women’s Institute hut – and a string of performances, including a sparsely attended but historically rich show at Centro Iberico on Harrow Road in London, a squatted former school where Throbbing Gristle and Whitehouse had previously played. An excerpt from this performance would later appear on the “British Interiors” cassette, with members of Nurse With Wound among the few in the audience that night. Philip Sanderson of Storm Bugs and Snatch Tapes, recalls habits in the pre-internet era when people simply turned up at your house if they’d found your address on a tape insert. He remembers Nigel arriving at his place and joining in impromptu recording sessions that turned everyday spaces and objects – old school buildings, gas pipes, scraping furniture – into sound sources, a UK parallel to the kind of improvised noise later associated with acts like The New Blockaders. The network kept widening. A chance meeting at Rough Trade in London connected Nigel with the Dutch scene and led to a New Year's Eve concert in Amsterdam — the biggest Alien Brains ever played. Bendle of The Door and the Window became a regular collaborator, the two of them hanging microphones out of windows to capture street conversations, feeding urban collage into the Alien Brains machine. By the 1985, it was over. A final performance at the Architectural Association — a mess of equipment, wires and confusion for someone's degree show — Nigel takes a taxi home and that was the end of Alien Brains. Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO IN THIS EPISODE THANKS VOICES MUSIC The excellent Alien Brains box set "It's All History Now - Tape Works 1979-1985" is released on Vinyl On Demand (Cat. VOD123) FIND US SUPPORTERS
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||
| Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People | 28 May 2026 | 00:26:27 | |
From 1978-1980, Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records published a newsletter called Industrial News. With a philosophy of exchange and transparency, they listed attendance numbers at their concerts, future label plans, and a list of contacts who had mailed them tapes of their own music: the “Tapes Received” list. Capturing a cultural watershed moment where the bedroom bands of the DIY Punk scene gave way to something new: ambitious, experimental, abstract, industrial. Making music using the newly available technology of synthesisers, with tape media and looping as part of the creative process. In this episode of Cassette Culture we begin to unravel the story of those tapes sent to Industrial Records - what was on them, and what became of the artists who sent them? At the centre of this episode is Val Denham - painter, singer and tape experimentalist. We hear how a deliberately provocative letter to Genesis P. Orridge loaded with insider references, led to a invitation to London and the beginning of a friendship that would influence her creative life. Her early tape recordings won fans in Genesis and Peter Christopherson and almost became a release on Industrial Records. Val walks us through the London of the late 70’s, studying at the Royal College Of Art while creating striking artwork for TG gig flyers, attracting Some Bizarre Records’ Stevo and Marc Almond to her Degree Show. Then later creating album artwork for Marc & The Mambas, Psychic TV, and Throbbing Gristle. Philip Sanderson of Storm Bugs and Richard Rupenus of Funeral Dance Party offer their own stories of corresponding with TG, sending in tapes, and finding themselves part of a growing international network of like-minded artists. Richard received an encouraging letter from Genesis himself; Philip developed his own music as Vote Police, Storm Bugs and launched his label, Snatch Tapes. Years later, after the death of Genesis P. Orridge both contributed to a search for the original “tapes received” cassettes. A search that ended at the Tate Gallery archive and, ultimately, led nowhere. Hosted by Martin Franklin. DISCOVER THE VIDEO IN THIS EPISODE THANKS VOICES MUSIC LINKS Industrial Records: http://www.throbbing-gristle.com/industrialrecords/ Available from Vinyl On Demand: FIND US SUPPORTERS See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | |||