Some of the most surprising and revealing connections surface in this episode. Two worlds that rarely get mentioned in the same breath: Throbbing Gristle’s Industrial Records, and Manchester’s Factory Records. At the centre are two more names from the Industrial News “tapes received” list; Paul Wiggin of Section 25 and Robbie MacDonald of Crawling Chaos offshoot, Zyklon B Zombies. Both aspiring musicians who connected with TG’s Industrial News zine by sending cassettes of their music.
Paul describes experiencing the crushing, low-frequency weight of the early Throbbing Gristle gigs which stunned a generation of post-punk audiences with the “sonic warfare” that the band were waging.
Later, a direct-to-tape demo sent to Industrial Records came back with an invitation from Genesis P-Orridge to London, and a glimpse of TG’s world via a Cosey Fanni Tutti performance.
Section 25’s support slot for Joy Division, followed with Ian Curtis’s word was enough to secure a deal with Factory Records. Setting them off on recordings sessions with Martin Hannett at Cargo, and Pink Floyd’s old Britannia Row studio.
Over in Newcastle, Robbie MacDonald was working behind the scenes for The Crawling Chaos, creating sleeves, booking gigs, and supporting their own label, Foetus Products. Ahead of a gig at Whitley Bay’s Rex Hotel, word went round that Throbbing Gristle themselves might turn up under an alias: Zyklon B Zombies. The backing tape built for the hoax made its way to Industrial Records as something of a joke at the band’s own expense and, whatever became of any reply, it landed the Zyklon B Zombies in the “Tapes Received” list regardless.
Two Factory scouts in that night’s crowd left far more taken with The Crawling Chaos than with the prank, leading to a clandestine meet up withTony Wilson, and the eventual release on Factory Benelux of FAC 17.
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
IN THIS EPISODE
THANKS
Jerry Kranitz, co-host for all interviews recorded in the series.
Richard Rupenus, for research and series advice.
VOICES
Martin Franklin
Paul Wiggin
Robbie MacDonald
MUSIC
“Fallen Monument” Section 25, Illuminus Illumina (self-released cassette)
“Live” Throbbing Gristle at the Ajanta Cinema, Derby, 1979
“Life” Side A, Zyklon B Zombies backing tape
“You” Section 25, Jams From The Bardo
“Red Voice” Section 25, Blackpool Rox EP
“Rose Apple Island” Section 25, Jams From The Bardo
“New Horizon” Section 25
“Death” Side B, Zyklon B Zombies backing tape
“Sex Machine” Crawling Chaos (demo)
LINKS
Section 25: https://section25.com/
Crawling Chaos: https://crawlingchaos.co.uk/
Factory Records archive: https://factoryrecords.org/
Section 25 “Jams From The Bardo” is available on Klanggalerie.
https://klanggalerie.bandcamp.com/album/jams-from-the-bardo
FIND US
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