Cassette Culture

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 DISCOVER THE VIDEOYou can find videos of cassette tapes, artefacts and unboxings from the cassette underground on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast   VOICESRichard “Richo” JohnsonGary LevermoreDave HendersonMartin 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 Recordshttps://www.discogs.com/label/2746-Third-Mind-Records Fourth Dimension Recordshttps://www.youtube.com/@FDRecords2023fourthdimensionrecords.bigcartel.com Dave Hendersonhttps://23ears.co.uk/ Attritionhttps://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, 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com *Cassette Culture* is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio. (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)    Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee 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 HENDERSONA 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 FranklinTheme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen. DISCOVER THE VIDEOYou can find videos of cassette tapes, artefacts and unboxings from the cassette underground on our YouTube channel: 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/ MUSIC23 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 TableKonstruktivits “Andropov 84, The Elephant TableCabaret Voltaire “Voice Of America”, Live Granada TV 1980Cabaret Voltaire “Seconds Too Late” Berkeley Keystone 25.10.80Einsturzende Neubauten, Live ICA unreleased cassette (1984)   "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)    Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee 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 FranklinTheme music: ”This Is Concrete” The Happy Citizen DISCOVER THE VIDEOYou can find videos of cassette tapes, artefacts and unboxings from the cassette underground on our YouTube channel: 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 Recordshttps://coldspring.co.uk/https://coldspring.bandcamp.com/ Rabbits Wear Bootshttps://rabbitswearboots.bandcamp.com/ Hybrydshttps://hybrydsmusic.bandcamp.com/   "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989 - 90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com Podcast produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/)  Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee 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. 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 drill sounds.  Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham.VIDEOYou 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/) LinksCold Spring Recordshttps://coldspring.co.uk/ Satorihttps://satori-industrial.bandcamp.com/Mindscan Tapeshttps://www.discogs.com/label/18022-Mindscan-Tapes "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989​-​90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com   Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee 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.VIDEOYou can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcastGuests: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”, PuinhoopBlackhumour “Weeds in Barren Soil”, PoetryJohn Hudak “The Talk”, BrainboxArcane Device “Live at the Clocktower 27 04 1989” SixIos Smoulders “Composition Nr121”, Abstract ArtBig 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 LinksVital 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, 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com     Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)    Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Spring label. Discogs stalker, Internet Detective and Infinite Expanse founder, Tom Gibbs makes progress in his contemporary search for the elusive Omega Ensemble members. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham. Guests: Sandy Nys/HybrydsRob Maycock/Mindscan TapesTom Gibbs/Infinite Expanse Featured Music: Remarimba "B Bag" (Cordelia Records Sampler 4th Ed.) 1989Omega Ensemble "Piece 1" (Demo) 1988"Intro" (Aural Augasm #7)Attrition "Beast Of Burden" (International Audio Communication Vol#1) 1983Satori "23 Voodoo" (Mindscan Tapes) 1988   "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989​-​90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com Podcast Produced by Martin Franklin/East Coast Studio (http://eastcoaststudio.com.au)Help keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 TapesDon Campau/No PidgeonholesSandy Nys/HybrydsRichard Talbot/Marconi UnionRob Maycock/Mindscan Tapes Featured Music: "This is Concrete" by The Happy Citizen (A Tender Tension, Pharoah Chromium Sound, 1990)"Untitled" by Vitamin B12 (Premonitions, SoundImage Tapes, 1990)"Piece 6" by The Omega Ensemble (Omega Ensemble)"Sahara" by Richard Talbot (Devices & Desires, SoundImage Tapes 1991) "Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989​-​90" cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse 2024https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.comHelp keep Cassette Culture alive - Become a Supporter: https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.