Checkpoint Staalplaat: Revisiting Radical Sound, with Geert-jan Hobijn

About this episode

Geert-Jan Hobijn discusses the origins and current activities of Staalplaat, the experimental music label he founded.

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 outlandish packaging ideas (including a cassette release that came with a pair of custom-designed socks). The conversation also touches on the challenges and joys of running a label across decades, the crossover between Staalplaat’s releases and Geert-Jan’s own Staalplaat Sound System installation work, and the philosophy of making music and art available in ways that resist the digital mainstream. Hosted by Martin Franklin & Jerry Kranitz. Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz DISCOVER THE VIDEO You can find videos of…

People in this episode

Hosts: Martin Franklin, Jerry Kranitz

Guest: Geert-Jan Hobijn

Topics covered

• experimental music
• cassette culture
• label management
• radical sound
• music philosophy

Keywords

• Staalplaat
• Geert-Jan Hobijn
• cassette label
• Muslimgauze
• Korm Plastics
• experimental music
• radical sound

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Staalplaat, Korm Plastics

Books & works: This Is Concrete, Hesatative, Headphonics (VPRO Version), Zealot, A1, Live At The Clocktower, New York City (27 April 89)

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