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.

Technical Details:
Format: Audio documentary
Focus: Independent music scene, DIY music production
Era: Late 1970s to early 1980s

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

MUSIC
"Headphonics (VPRO Version)" Ryoji Ikeda, Mort Aux Vaches (Staalplaat, 2020)
"Zealot" Muslimgauze (flexi-postcard 2025)
"A1" Muslimgauze, Tape 13 (cassette 2025)
"Live At The Clocktower, New York City (27 April 89)" Arcane Device, SIX (Korm Plastics D, cassette 2025)

LINKS
Staalplaat Label
https://staalplaatlabel.bandcamp.com/

Muslimgauze
https://muslimgauze.bandcamp.com/

Korm Plastics D
https://kormplasticsd.bandcamp.com/

 

Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Theme music "Hesatative" Jack Hertz

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

LINKS
Joshua James Amberson/Antiquated Future (https://www.antiquatedfuture.com/)
Copy This Cassette (https://copythis.bandcamp.com/)

MUSIC
Other Worlders "Hidden Energy Positive Light" Aural Canyon
https://auralcanyonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-energy-positive-light

Machine Go Boom "When We're Ghosts" Just Because Records
https://justbecauserecords.bandcamp.com/album/when-were-ghosts

Zeiss Ikon "Cybernetic Anarchy" 2025 Reissue, Magrit Records
https://zeissikon.bandcamp.com/album/cybernetic-anarchy

Big Fat Head "BoBo Rising" Clean Demon Records
https://cleandemonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bobo-rising

Charles Rice Goff III "Language For Unstated Thoughts" Taped Rugs
https://archive.org/details/LanguageForUnstatedThoughts/

Cody Brant - Carl Kruger "Smoke Detail" Copy This 2025
https://codybrantcarlkruger.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-detail

Yaara Valey "our liberation is" Antiquated Futures
https://antiquatedfuture.bandcamp.com/album/our-liberation-is

Guidon Bear "Internal Systems" Antiquated Future
https://antiquatedfuture.bandcamp.com/album/internal-systems

THANKS
Immense thanks to Joshua James Amberson for curating this mix,
(https://www.antiquatedfuture.com/)  and to the artists for use of their tracks.

 

Produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

MUSIC
”Step On Me” Hydrone - Live at Nelsonville 2022 (Clean Demon Records)
 “n-0”, Kozo Inada,  Kozo Inada & Frans de Waard (temporary mountain)
“Post Surgical Blues” Versioning, Cloud Plateau (Ingrown Records)
“Alamogordo” FUZZ UNLIMITED, Journey To The Seventh Planet (Illuminated Paths)
“Hippie” Versioning, Cloud Plateau (Ingrown Records)
“Under Garbage” Cody Brant - Carl Kruger, Smoke Detail (Copy This)

LINKS
Copy This
https://copythis.bandcamp.com/

Clean Demon Records
https://cleandemonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-nelsonville-2022

temporary mountain
temporarymountain.bandcamp.com/

Ingrown Records
ingrown.bandcamp.com/

Illuminated Paths
illuminatedpaths.bandcamp.com/

Basic Paper Airplane
www.antiquatedfuture.com/zines/basic-paper-airplane-13-the-cassette-tape-issue/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
Theme music: “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz.

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

FEATURING:

Richard Allen
Michael Dog

MUSIC

“Operation Apricot” Ring, O De Dun Dun (Self released cassette)
“What Do You Turn On When You Turn On” Timothy Leary, You Can Be Anyone This Time Around

From Psychedelic Psauna (Delerium Records):
“Black Ferris Wheel” The Coloured Plank,
“Mind Train Jam” Sun Dial,
“Erp Riff ’83” Ozric Tentacles

“Nothing Can Stop Us Now” Webcore, The Great Unfolding (A Real Kavoom)“
Nodens Ictus, Live At Club Dog (Woof Distribution)
“Medicine Wheel” Eat Static, Prepare Your Spirit (self released cassette)
“Nightmare” Treatment, Psychedelic Psauna (Delerium Records)

LINKS

Planet Dog Records http://www.planetdogrecords.com/
Club Dog Memories https://www.pooterland.com/looking_glass_dead_dog.html

Delerium: https://www.discogs.com/label/3338-Delerium-Records

AVAILABLE NOW
"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

*Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

VOICES
Richard “Richo” Johnson
Gary Levermore
Dave Henderson
Martin Bowes

MUSIC
“Mansonik No 1” Konstruktivists, Psyko-Genetika, Third Mind Records 1983
“Song Of The Flame” Tone Death, Rising From the Red Sand Third Mind Tapes 1983
“Love Is….” Legendary Pink Dots, Basilisk, Third Mind Tapes 1984
“Page After Page” I’m Dead, Grim Humour#3 7” Flexi, Fourth Dimension Records
“Gdansk” Test Dept, Rising From The Red Sand, Third Mind Tapes 1983
“Onslaught” Attrition, Onslaught, Third Mind Tapes 1983
“At Set Points” Ian Boddy, Visions, Third Mind Tapes 1983
“Strange Play Of The Mouth” Nurse With Wound, Rising From The Red Sand, Third Mind Tapes 1983
“Grow Dark In The Sun”  Mummies & Madmen, Winter Hill Recordings 2024
“Not Me” Thurston Moore w/Tom Surgal, 10” EP, Fourth Dimension
“Film-o-sonik” Konstruktivists, Psyko-Genetika, Third Mind records 1983
“Bite My Head” Portion Control, Rising From The Red Sand, Third Mind Tapes 1983

Herne Bay ambient recordings by Damon Hart-Davis used by permission.
https://www.earth.org.uk/Herne-Bay-ambient.html

LINKS

Third Mind Records
https://www.discogs.com/label/2746-Third-Mind-Records

Fourth Dimension Records
https://www.youtube.com/@FDRecords2023
fourthdimensionrecords.bigcartel.com

Dave Henderson
https://23ears.co.uk/

Attrition
https://attritionuk.bandcamp.com/

THANKS TO:
Damon Hart-Davis for capturing the ancestral ambience, Dave Henderson & Martin Bowes for going the extra mile, Alan Rider for this months package.

AVAILABLE NOW: The project that started it all.
"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

*Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.
Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen.

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

FEATURING

- Martin Bowes (Attrition)
- Alan Rider (Adventures in Reality)
- Dave Henderson (Sounds/Wild Planet )

MUSIC

Attrition “Dead Of Night” Death House - Adventures In Reality Recordings (1981)
Hawkwind “Jam 2” UK Electronica 1983
Attrition “Mariannes Dream” In The Realm Of The Hungry Ghost - Third Mind Recordings (1986)
Attrition/Audio Leter “Talkback” Action And Reaction - CNLF (1983)
Nurse With Wound “Someone Others Garden” Rising From The Red Sand Vol #1- Third Mind (1983)
Muslimgauze “Trans Time” The Last Supper - Adventures In Reality Recordings
Attrition “Monkey In A Bin” John Peel Show - BBC Radio 1 (24 April 1984)
Legendary Pink Dots “Surprise Surprise” The Elephant Table - X Tract (1984)
Attrition “The Black Maria” The Black Maria - Two Gods (2025)

LINKS

Attrition (https://attritionuk.bandcamp.com/music) | (https://attrition.co.uk)
Adventures In Reality (https://adventuresinreality.bigcartel.com/)

"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:
https://www.journaldulapin.com/2023/01/12/last-supper-spectrum/

THANKS TO:
Steve Cammack for the “The Elephant Table” vinyl.
https://remuhmuration.blogspot.com/

Our old chums at SoundArt Radio 102.5FM for digitising services.
https://soundartradio.org.uk/

AVAILABLE NOW
"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

 

*Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
A UK based music journalist, editor, curator and label runner, Dave has a rich variety of roles within the UK music industry. These include running the New Talent stage at Glastonbury Festival, Managing director for Q, Mojo and Kerrang!, creating labels Dead Mans Curve, X Tract and currently running Cherry Red sub-label, Righteous

Hosted by Martin Franklin
Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen.

VIDEO
We'll be publishing our 'Unboxing" of a vintage copy of Sounds from May 1983 - with the original Wild Planet feature, on our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

THANKS TO:
Steve Cammack for the “The Elephant Table” vinyl.
https://remuhmuration.blogspot.com/

Our old chums at SoundArt Radio 102.5FM for digitising services.
https://soundartradio.org.uk/

MUSIC
23 Skidoo, Hacienda Live (Remix)
SPK “Despair” The Elephant Table, X Tract (1983)
Hawkwind “Phone Home, Elliot” Live at UK Electronica Festival, bootleg tape (1983)
Attrition “Dream Sleep” The Elephant Table
Konstruktivits “Andropov 84, The Elephant Table
Cabaret Voltaire “Voice Of America”, Live Granada TV 1980
Cabaret Voltaire “Seconds Too Late” Berkeley Keystone 25.10.80
Einsturzende Neubauten, Live ICA unreleased cassette (1984)

 

"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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:
"Euthanasia" Rabbits Wear Boots, No Style No Rules
"Why Are you Hear?" Rabbits Wear Boots, Trans Human Distopia (USB key)
"Once I Dreamed" In The Wake Of The Witch, Hybryds
"From The Papyrus Of Nu" I Am The Eye Of Horus, Hybyrds
"Be Mine" Mythtopia, The 7" Remix Album, Hybyrds
"Wanderers Without Destinations" Mythtopia, Hybryds (USB key)

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:
https://www.imprintnow.com.au/product/custom-usbs/credit-card-usb

More from Hybryds: 
https://hybrydsmusic.bandcamp.com/

More from Rabbits Wear Boots:
https://rabbitswearboots.bandcamp.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
Theme music: ”This Is Concrete” The Happy Citizen

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

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
https://coldspring.co.uk/
https://coldspring.bandcamp.com/

Rabbits Wear Boots
https://rabbitswearboots.bandcamp.com/

Hybryds
https://hybrydsmusic.bandcamp.com/

 

"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.