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.

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.

N D 11 was a project which featured work filmed and submitted from 1986 to 1991. Michael Northam mastered and edited the material in Bloomington IN Sept 1991. Included material originally sent and shown at Mexic-Arte Museum in October 1988.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIjpg9a1IuU

Dan now runs the End Of An Ear record store in Austin, Texasand goes out of his way to stock significant obscure recordings even if he knows they won’t sell in large numbers.

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

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
Now available from Infinite Fog Productions

Jeff Grienke – ND Fragment 01

Links

End Of An Ear
(https://endofanear.com/)

Year Zero Records/Phillip Johnson
(https://year-zero-records.blogspot.com/p/ohilip-johnson.html)

Infinite Fog Productions
(https://infinitefog.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.

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.

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 sample library of road drill sounds. His early meeting with Justin Mitchell of Cold Spring Records led to his music finding a worldwide audience.

Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham.

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:

“Pressing Down” Satori, The Woods (Cold Spring Records)
‘The Kill”
“Post Mortem”
“Heavy Sadist” Psychopath, The Final Bow

“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
Cold Spring Records
https://coldspring.co.uk/

Satori
https://satori-industrial.bandcamp.com/

Mindscan Tapes
https://www.discogs.com/label/18022-Mindscan-Tapes

“Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989​-​90” cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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

Guests:
Frans de Waard (Vital/Korm Plastics)
Tom Gibbs (Infinite Expanse)

Theme Music: “This Is Concrete” The Happy Citizen

Featured Music:

The Haters, “Performance 12 01 1989”, Puinhoop
Blackhumour “Weeds in Barren Soil”, Poetry
John Hudak “The Talk”, Brainbox
Arcane Device “Live at the Clocktower 27 04 1989” Six
Ios Smoulders “Composition Nr121”, Abstract Art
Big City Orchestra “The Smart Thing”, Everyman is a Volume.

All music released on cassette by Korm Plastics (https://www.kormplastics.nl/)

“Piece 2” by the Omega Ensemble, Sil Lim Tao

Links
Vital Weekly (https://www.vitalweekly.net/)
Vital: The Complete Collection book (https://www.kormplastics.nl/vital-the-complete-collection-1987-1995/)

“Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989​-​90” cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.