Cassette Culture Podcast

The stories of the global underground movement that shaped experimental music and culture, told by the artists that were there…

For two decades the international mail system fostered a network of underground artists, exchanging cassette tapes of music and homemade artwork – all under the radar of mainstream media. Taking the DIY message of Punk as a jumping off point, we travel through the network to find the creators of the fanzines, the music, the labels and events.

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Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People

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…

Snatch Tapes

Snatch Tapes & The Storm Bugs

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…

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Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records published a "Tapes Received" list from 1978 to 1980 -- a document of the bedroom experimentalists who sent cassettes to TG, and what became of them. Featuring Val Denham, Philip Sanderson of Storm Bugs, and Richard Rupenus of Funeral Dance Party. 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? 01:23-02:50 Coum Transmissions mail art 02:51-04:01 Prostitution, ICA, London 04:02-05:13 Val Denham contacts Genesis 05:14-07:07 "Swimming" Val Denham 07:08-09:15 Philip Sanderson, Storm Bugs/Snatch Tapes 09:16-09:37 The Audience Meets Itself 09:38-10:11 Richard Rupenus, Funeral Danceparty 10:12-13:32 "Untitled" Funeral Danceparty 13:33-14:22 Val Denham Tape Experiments 14:23-17:08 "Time Is Money" Val Denham 17:09-20:49 Death & Beauty Foundation 20:50-22:17 Marc Almond Album Cover 22:18-23:40 Philip Sanderson Tapes 23:41-24:00 Where Are The Tapes? 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.  Theme music "This Is Concrete" by The Happy Citizen. DISCOVER THE VIDEO You can find videos of cassette tapes, artefacts and unboxings from the cassette underground on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast (https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast) IN THIS EPISODE THANKS We have benefited from the extensive knowledge of Richard Rupenus for the theme and many factual ingredients in this episode. Jerry Kranitz co-hosts all interviews recorded for the series. VOICES Martin Franklin Richard Rupenus Philip Sanderson Val Denham Genesis P Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti recording from the “Other, Link Me” COUM Transmissions documentary, (BBC Television) Richard Rupenus, read by Tim Nice. MUSIC “Untitled” Funeral Danceparty, Quertyuiop (self released cassette) BBC Newsbeat Radio Special, 1976, 23 Drifts To Guestling, (Iham Productions)“Swimming” Val Denham, “Solely From” Storm Bugs, A Safe Substitute “Untitled” Funeral Danceparty, Quertyuiop  (self released cassette) “Time Is Money” Val Denham “Blue Red Sky” Death And Beauty Foundation (Vinyl On Demand) “Make customers Matter” Storm bugs, Table Matters “Untitled” Funeral Danceparty, A Celebration of iDeath (Vinyl On Demand) LINKS Industrial Records: http://www.throbbing-gristle.com/industrialrecords/ Snatch Tapes/Philip Sanderson: https://snatchtapes.bandcamp.com/ Available from Vinyl On Demand: Funeral Danceparty 'A Celebration of iDEATH' Recordings 1979-82 (2Lp/7inch) https://vod-records.com/-1-18-500.htm Val Denham Box Set incl Silverstar Amoeba, Counterdance and Death & Beauty Foundation https://vod-records.com/-1-18-749.htm FIND US https://cassetteculturepodcast.com (https://cassetteculturepodcast.com/) SUPPORTERS Help us keep Cassette Culture alive! This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who contribute toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People
In 1980, Throbbing Gristle performed at Oundle School, one of the most notorious concerts in industrial music history. Cosey Fanni Tutti and Nigel Jacklin recall what happened. This is a clip from our documentary episode No Words, No Titles, No Meaning: The World Of Alien Brains, telling the story of Nigel Jacklin's DIY cassette art project, the early 1980s UK cassette underground, and the experimental music network that connected them. Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/0Wz4w7u0oVw?si=l1K5F8B4Z86EgSIL ==== WWW: https://www.cassetteculturepodcast.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cassette-culture/id1780079136?mt=2&ls=1 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0T3DlOy6YV8rhgAxQmDhjO?si=501028dceeca4b92 POCKET CASTS: https://pca.st/4374tdpg SUPPORTERS Help us keep Cassette Culture alive! This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who contribute toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Throbbing Gristle at Oundle School: The Concert That Shocked a Generation
Philip Sanderson (Storm Bugs, Snatch Tapes) on the Revox tape machine, Goldsmiths VCS3 synthesiser and the experimental tape loop techniques behind Storm Bugs and Snatch Tapes, leading to the first Snatch Tape in 1979. Watch the full documentary episode: https://youtu.be/UXKkl0BjxOQ?si=QukI1VrrbiqK1kMo More stories from the cassette underground: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com ==== WWW: https://www.cassetteculturepodcast.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cassette-culture/id1780079136?mt=2&ls=1 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0T3DlOy6YV8rhgAxQmDhjO?si=501028dceeca4b92 POCKET CASTS: https://pca.st/4374tdpg SUPPORTERS Help us keep Cassette Culture alive! This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who contribute toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe
How Snatch Tapes Was Made: VCS3, Revox and the Goldsmiths Electronic Music Studio
Philip Sanderson on the equipment and experimentation behind Storm Bugs and Snatch Tapes: a Revox reel-to-reel from a flea market, the legendary Goldsmiths Electronic Music Studio with its VCS3 synthesisers, EMS pitch-to-voltage converter and sine wave generators, and the tape loop techniques that built a futuristic sound. By early 1979, Snatch Tapes launched and it all came together with the first compilation release "Snatch 1", and the cassette network was beginning to emerge. This is a clip from our documentary podcast episode "Evolution Of Snatch Tapes & The Storm Bugs". Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/UXKkl0BjxOQ?si=-hnUrvsxcp0x2ZtG This video contains extracts of "Hangway Turning" and "Apostrophe S" Films by Philip Sanderson & Steven Ball. See more at: https://vimeo.com/sandersonball ==== WWW: https://www.cassetteculturepodcast.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cassette-culture/id1780079136?mt=2&ls=1 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0T3DlOy6YV8rhgAxQmDhjO?si=501028dceeca4b92 POCKET CASTS: https://pca.st/4374tdpg SUPPORTERS Help us keep Cassette Culture alive! This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who contribute toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe
VCS3, Revox Tape Loops and the Evolution of Snatch Tapes
In 1980, Throbbing Gristle performed at Oundle School, one of the most notorious concerts in Industrial music history. Cosey Fanni Tutti and Nigel Jacklin recall what happened. Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/0Wz4w7u0oVw?si=BaZBuLtyWNvTjkxl ==== WWW: https://www.cassetteculturepodcast.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cassette-culture/id1780079136?mt=2&ls=1 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0T3DlOy6YV8rhgAxQmDhjO?si=501028dceeca4b92 POCKET CASTS: https://pca.st/4374tdpg SUPPORTERS Help us keep Cassette Culture alive! This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who contribute toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Throbbing Gristle at Oundle School: the concert that shocked a generation | Cassette Culture Podcast
Rare Alien Brains cassettes from 1979–1985, collected on vinyl for the first time. Vinyl-On-Demand's deluxe reissue of Nigel Jacklin's legendary UK cassette underground project, VOD 123: "It's All History Now." A deluxe 4LP set plus bonus 7", collecting all seven Alien Brains cassettes alongside compilation contributions to Deleted Funtime, Snatch 3, and the Ptose Production releases. Limited to 500 numbered copies with a 12-page LP-sized booklet featuring an interview with Nigel Jacklin and a hand-numbered membership certificate. Alien Brains was the abstract non-collective initiated by Nigel Jacklin in 1979, drawing on musique concrète, industrial, drone, and field recordings, with collaborators including Mark Lancaster (Instant Automatons), Philip Sanderson (Storm Bugs / Snatch Tapes), Harold Schellinx (The Young Lions), David Jackman (Organum), and the Rupenus brothers (later The New Blockaders). Most of the original cassettes have been impossible to find for decades, making this VOD set the only practical way to hear the full Alien Brains catalogue. For the full story behind Alien Brains, watch our documentary episode: No Words, No Titles, No Meaning – The World Of Alien Brains. https://youtu.be/0Wz4w7u0oVw?si=JeuRhTvbVK--lDQO More information on the boxset from Vinyl-On-Demand: https://www.vod-records.com/-1-18-471.htm ==== WWW: https://www.cassetteculturepodcast.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cassette-culture/id1780079136?mt=2&ls=1 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0T3DlOy6YV8rhgAxQmDhjO?si=501028dceeca4b92 POCKET CASTS: https://pca.st/4374tdpg SUPPORTERS Help us keep Cassette Culture alive! This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who contribute toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Alien Brains 4LP Boxset: Rare Cassettes On Vinyl | Cassette Culture Podcast