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Cassette Culture

by Cassette Culture & DIY Music · English · Music

The stories of the global underground movement that shaped experimental music and culture, told by the artists that were there… For two decades during the '80's and '90's, the international mail system fostered a network of underground artists, exchanging cassette tapes of music and homemade artw

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 27 min
Latest: 23 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

23 Sep 2026 · 28 min

Mind Bomb: The The & Eyeless In Gaza

Our Industrial News "tapes received" trail reaches into the early 80s, and attention turns to quality. Robert H. King leads us into this episode, where we speak with Matt Johnson (The The) and Martyn Bates (Eyeless In Gaza) . Martyn Bates of Eyeless In Gaza picks up the thread. As Migraine Inducers he sent the Dissonance tape into the network and landed in Industrial News issue four. Name check for an early Portobello Rd label ID Cassettes , by Mark Perry (Alternative TV/Deptford Fun City). Ambivalent Scale , Martyn’s own label with Pete Becker, was a container for all of their early…

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Earlier episodes 28 most recent

S2 · E8 · 30 Jul 2026 · 29 min
Let The Tribe Grow: Chris Connelly Receives The Gospel Of DIY
Searching for connection and community; we track the story of Chris Connelly ( Fini Tribe, Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pigface ) discovering Throbbing Gristle via the John Peel Radio show and getting in touch. Meanwhile, Joe Strummer of The Clash spreads the DIY gospel to a young Robert H. King after a gig at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow, resulting in formation of the Pleasantly Surprised cassette label. When the two come together a few years later, the Fini Tribe contribution to " You Bet We've Got Something Against You " on King's new Cathexis Recordings label, followed by the " Let The…
S2 · E7 · 25 Jun 2026 · 30 min
Tapes Received: The Factory Connection
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…
S2 · E6 · 28 May 2026 · 26 min
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 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…
S2 · E5 · 5 Apr 2026 · 29 min
No Words, No Titles, No Meaning - The World Of Alien Brains
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…
S2 · E4 · 6 Mar 2026 · 30 min
Evolution of 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 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…
S2 · E3 · 26 Jan 2026 · 27 min
Under the Westway: 1979 Portobello Punks
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…
S2 · E1 · 28 Dec 2025 · 1 hr
Deleted Funtime Rewind
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…
S2 · E2 · 23 Dec 2025 · 28 min
Integrated Circuits: Colin Potter, ICR and the Cassette Network
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…
S2 · E1 · 27 Nov 2025 · 28 min
Deleted Records & The Instant Automatons
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…
S2 · 9 Nov 2025 · 5 min
Season 2 - DIY Revolution: Owning The Means Of Production
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…
S1 · E15 · 28 Aug 2025 · 24 min
Checkpoint Staalplaat: Revisiting Radical Sound, with Geert-jan Hobijn
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…
S1 · E14 · 8 Aug 2025 · 26 min
Copy This Mix
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 DISCOVER THE VIDEO You can find videos of cassettes, artefacts and unboxings from the cassette underground on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast LINKS Joshua James Amberson/Antiquated Future ( https://www.antiquatedfuture.com/) Copy This Cassette (…
S1 · E13 · 24 Jul 2025 · 29 min
Inside the Zine: Copy This Cassette with Blake Werts
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…
S1 · E12 · 13 Jun 2025 · 27 min
Underground Goes Overground: Freakbeat, & Planet Dog
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…
S1 · E11 · 29 May 2025 · 33 min
Third Mind, Fourth Dimension
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…
S1 · E10 · 20 Apr 2025 · 27 min
Post-Punk Publishing, with Attrition and Adventures In Reality
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…
S1 · E9 · 4 Apr 2025 · 25 min
Wild Planet 1983: The World Gets Weirder
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…
S1 · E8 · 27 Mar 2025 · 15 min
Erotic Art, CDr's and a Mystery Device from Hybryds
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,…
S1 · E8 · 18 Mar 2025 · 28 min
Universe Of The Wyrd: The Cold Spring Story
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…
S1 · E7 · 4 Mar 2025 · 21 min
Contact-Exchange-Document: The Story of ND
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.…
S1 · E6 · 18 Feb 2025 · 20 min
Evolution of Noise: The 40 Year Journey of Satori
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…
S1 · E5 · 9 Feb 2025 · 11 min
The British Library Sound Archive Calls
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 14 nocturnal tracks of ambient,…
S1 · E4 · 9 Jan 2025 · 25 min
Underground 'Zines And The Hunt For Lost Music
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…
S1 · 28 Dec 2024 · 27 min
The Package From Steve Arrives
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…
S1 · E3 · 23 Dec 2024 · 25 min
Cassettes On The Radio: Underground Broadcasting
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…
S1 · E2 · 9 Dec 2024 · 22 min
Chance Connections - He Got Talking To This Guy In The Record Store
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…
S1 · E1 · 25 Nov 2024 · 19 min
Find The Others
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 Don Campau/No Pidgeonholes Sandy Nys/Hybryds Richard Talbot/Marconi Union Rob…
S1 · 16 Nov 2024 · 2 min
Analog Connections - Join The Cassette Network
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…

About Cassette Culture

Cassette Culture is a English music podcast from Cassette Culture & DIY Music. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Cassette Culture & DIY Music
Language: English
Category: Music
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 27 min
Latest episode: 23 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1780079136
Rights: 2026 Martin Franklin | East Coast Studio

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