Rephonic
Artwork for Cassette Culture
Cassette Culture
Cold Spring Records
Satori
British Library
Mail System Communication
Post-Punk Culture
DIY Music
Omega Ensemble
Fanzines
Freak Beat
ND Fanzine
Underground Artists
Copy This Cassette
Experimental Music
Underground Music Scene
Thatcher Era UK
Electronic Music
Mail Art
1980s Music Scene
Soundimage Tapes

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 artwork – all under the radar of mainstream media. Taking the DIY message of Punk as a jumping off point, ... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes26Founded2 years ago
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Artwork for Cassette Culture

Latest Episodes

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... more

YouTube

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 fledglin... more

YouTube

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 fo... more

YouTube

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 cassette... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Genesis P. Orridge
Artist and co-founder of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV
Throbbing Gristle / Industrial Records
Episode: Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People
Cosey Fanni Tutti
Artist, musician, and collaborator with Genesis P. Orridge
Cosey Fanni Tutti / Psychic TV / TG
Episode: Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People
Val Denham
Artist and collaborator in TG-associated projects
Val Denham
Episode: Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People
Philip Sanderson
Collaborator and member of Storm Bugs
Storm Bugs / Snatch Tapes
Episode: Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People
Richard Rupenus
Artist involved in the underground cassette scene
Funeral Dance Party / Storm Bugs
Episode: Tapes Received: Industrial Music for Industrial People
Keith Dobson
Drummer and key figure behind Fuck Off Records and Street Level Recording Studio
Fuck Off Records; Street Level Recording Studio
Episode: Under the Westway: 1979 Portobello Punks
Mark Automaton
Guest: key figure and interviewee discussing the Deleted Funtime compilation and related acts
Episode: Deleted Funtime Rewind
Gary Levermore
Founder/owner at Third Mind Tapes
Third Mind Tapes
Episode: Integrated Circuits: Colin Potter, ICR and the Cassette Network
Jonathan Coleclough
Collaborator and artist mentioned in the episode
Independent Music/Underground Electronics
Episode: Integrated Circuits: Colin Potter, ICR and the Cassette Network

Host

Martin Franklin
Host of Cassette Culture; central narrator and facilitator of interviews and historical context.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 14 ratings
  • Materials Obscure and Marvelous

    Extremely well produced and informative deep dives into the strangest corners of 1980s cassette DIY culture, and associated scenes like zines and mail-art etc. When you hear some of this stuff you will be amazed at the strange magic and daring of the era. The interviews are inspiring and filled with an ethos of creation totally alien to commercial conformity. Such an eye-opener! Some of the best insights come with regards to the way distribution and information networks got formed and how they o... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mindape
    Canada10 months ago
  • I’m loving the journey

    I published a zine called GAJOOB about cassette culture during the time covered here and it’s cool hearing from loads of people I encountered along the way. This podcast captures the story of people behind all the mail crisscrossing its way around the worldwide underground cassette network. Well done, fellows.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Briyan Frederick
    United Statesa year ago
  • EVOLUTION OF NOISE : THE 40 YEAR JOURNEY OF SATORI

    The best episode so far in the series. Cassette Culture podcast just keeps growing in strength with each new episode. It is so good that this time (80’s - 90’s) in underground music is receiving the much deserved attention and reaching wider audience through this captivating podcast. I was hooked from episode 1 and it is so good to see how this podcast is developing into what should be essential listenings for the already initiated and for those whom are having their world opened to what was ach... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fliss Maycock
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Excellent uncovering of lost underground music

    Unique voices and weird music from the 80’s is uncovered in this entertaining podcast. Recommended.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RubyThurs
    Australiaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Excellent uncovering of lost underground music with unique voices and insights.
Very well produced and informative deep dives into the strangest corners of 1980s cassette DIY culture, and related scenes like zines and mail-art.
Essential listening for those exploring the 80s–90s underground; genuinely captures the evolution of cassette culture into wider audiences.
Loving the journey and the way it surfaces connections across the network of tape trading and publishing.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Third Mind, Fourth Dimension
Q: So when you started off Third Mind, you just had all these really significant artists ready to do releases. How did you tap into that level of artists?
It came from knowing what I liked, building relationships through fanzines and gigs, and leveraging the network of friends and contacts I'd made. It wasn't a formal plan—more a natural accretion of connections that allowed certain bands to flow onto the releases.
Inside the Zine: Copy This Cassette with Blake Werts
Q: How's the next Copy This Cassette issue coming along?
Blake discusses the churn of submissions, interview snags, and the plan to release roughly three issues per year, with continued emphasis on concise, 200-word reviews and a diverse set of voices.
Inside the Zine: Copy This Cassette with Blake Werts
Q: Could you give us like a sort of beginner's guide to the world of mini comics?
Blake explains the New Wave era of mini comics and how self-publishing allowed outsider artists to create and distribute their work when traditional publishing channels were closed to them; he highlights the DIY mindset, the evolution of formats, and the social networks that kept the scene alive.
Chance Connections - He Got Talking To This Guy In The Record Store
Q: How did you come to that point of deciding, okay, we're going to become a label?
Steve Gears explains that they named their label after their inspirations from the band Chrome and their desire to express their new sound.
Chance Connections - He Got Talking To This Guy In The Record Store
Q: What was your entry point into the Cassette network? When did you first come across it?
Steve Gears discusses submitting a track for the 'Premonitions' compilation and how it influenced their own label, Pharoah Chromium Sound.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Cassette Culture

What is Cassette Culture about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep look into the global underground cassette culture that flourished in the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on the networks of mail exchanges, DIY labels, zines, and art collaborations that connected artists across the world. Episodes explore how tapes, artwork, and independent distribution built resilient communities beyond mainstream outlets, with stories from key figures behind seminal labels, collectives, and scenes. A standout strength is the oral-history approach, weaving technical details, venue anecdotes, and archival hunts into a cohesive narrative that highlights how a decentralized, collaborative ethos shaped experimental music and related art forms. Listeners who crave historical context, tactile publishing, and insider perspectiv... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Cassette Culture?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Cassette Culture:

1. Acid Horizon
2. Transmissions
3. Weird Studies
4. Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov
5. Life of the Record

How many episodes of Cassette Culture are there?

Cassette Culture launched 2 years ago and published 26 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Cassette Culture?

Recent guests on Cassette Culture include:

1. Genesis P. Orridge
2. Cosey Fanni Tutti
3. Val Denham
4. Philip Sanderson
5. Richard Rupenus
6. Keith Dobson
7. Mark Automaton
8. Gary Levermore

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