Related Research Articles
The cassette culture refers to the practices associated with amateur production and distribution of music and sound art on compact cassette that emerged in the mid-1970s. The cassette was used by fine artists and poets for the independent distribution of new work. This article focuses on the independent music scene associated with the cassette that burgeoned internationally in the second half of the 1970s.
Noise music is a genre of music that is characterised by the expressive use of noise. This type of music tends to challenge the distinction that is made in conventional musical practices between musical and non-musical sound. Noise music includes a wide range of musical styles and sound-based creative practices that feature noise as a primary aspect.
PBK is a composer that works in the genres of Noise, Drone and/or Ambient music.
Hearts of Space is an American weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient, new-age and electronic genres, while also including classical, world, Celtic, experimental, and other music selections. For many years, the show's producer and presenter, Stephen Hill, has applied the term "space music" to the music broadcast on the show, irrespective of genre. It is the longest-running radio program of its type in the world. Each episode ends with Hill gently saying, "Safe journeys, space fans ... wherever you are."
Lo-fi is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The standards of sound quality (fidelity) and music production have evolved over the decades, meaning that some older examples of lo-fi may not have been originally recognized as such. Lo-fi began to be recognized as a style of popular music in the 1990s, when it became alternately referred to as DIY music. Some subsets of lo-fi music have become popular for their perceived nostalgic and/or relaxing qualities, which originate from the imperfections that define the genre.
Sub Rosa is a record label based in Brussels specializing in avant-garde music, electronic music, world music and noise music. Directed by Guy-Marc Hinant and Frédéric Walheer, Sub Rosa has released over 250 titles of experimental, drone music, noise music, Musique concrète, ritual music and film music. The label has released archival material related to prominent twentieth-century avant-garde figures such as Marcel Duchamp, William S. Burroughs, James Joyce, and Kurt Schwitters. Sub Rosa also releases material from a number of important electronic music composers, such as ; and traditional music from around the world in anthologies of Inuit sound, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, Tibetan music and Bhutanese music, recorded by John Levy)
Sound of Pig was a cassette culture label started in 1984 by Al Margolis in New York City. The label released hundreds of original cassettes between 1984 and 1990. It featured Margolis' own audio art projects that he recorded under the name of If, Bwana plus a large number of national and international noise music artists.
The early dark wave band Browning Mummery began in Sydney in 1983, formed by Australian electronic musician Andrew Lonsdale, as both a collaborative and solo entity for electronic sound works.
Launched from the Lower East Side, Manhattan in 1983 as a subscription only bimonthly publication, the Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine utilized the audio cassette medium to distribute no wave downtown music and audio art and was in activity for the ten years of 1983–1993.
Noise Fest was an influential festival of no wave noise music performances curated by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth at the New York City art space White Columns in June 1981. Sonic Youth made their first live appearances at this show.
Merzbow is a Japanese noise project started in 1979 by Masami Akita, best known for a style of harsh, confrontational noise. Since 1980, Akita has released over 500 recordings and collaborated with numerous artists.
Randy Greif is a noise music composer who often incorporates electronic music and musique concrete collage with spoken word and field recordings.
James Ferraro is an American experimental musician, producer, composer and contemporary artist. He has been credited as a pioneer of the 21st century genres hypnagogic pop and vaporwave, with his work exploring themes related to hyperreality and consumer culture. His music has drawn on diverse styles such as 1980s electronic music, easy listening, drone, lo-fi, sound collage, and R&B.
Stanley Keith Bowsza, better known by the pseudonym Minóy, was an American electronic musician and sound artist. He was a major figure in the DIY noise music and homemade independent cassette culture scene of the 1980s. He released over 100 compositions.
Electronic Cottage was a printed magazine that championed and examined DIY cassette culture phenomenon, including reviewers of sound collage, noise music, electronic music and other forms of experimental music. There were six issue produced between the years 1989 to 1991. The first issue was published in April 1989. Hal McGee was the magazine's editor and publisher. The magazine was based in Apollo Beach, Florida. It has since been revived as an online community, emphasizing experimental music and its creators.
Generator Sound Art was an experimental arts and culture organization based in New York City, co-owned by the sound artists Gen Ken Montgomery and Scott Konzelmann. It focused upon the work of dedicated Sound Artists, and was an umbrella organization that facilitated the activities of the Generator Gallery / exhibition space, the Generations Unlimited audio recording label, and a second, eponymous audio recording label. Generator as a physical gallery / exhibition space existed in the East Village and then in Chelsea from 1989 to 1992.
Fabrica Records is a Brooklyn based independent record label, started in 2010 by Joao Da Silva of Redencion 911, which releases limited edition cassettes, vinyl records and compact discs by experimental music, contemporary, drone (music), and noise (music) musicians. Fabrica Records has released music by Insect Factory, Robert Turman, Rambutan, Lazurite, Hakobune, Derek Rogers, Unicorn, Public Speaking, The Tobacconists, among others.
International Sound Communication was a series of compilation cassettes, compiled and distributed as a mail art project by Andi Xport from Peterborough, England, in the mid-1980s. Fifteen volumes were issued, and it was one of the largest and most versatile series of its kind.
Walls of Genius is an American avant-garde music ensemble from Colorado. They participated in the 1980s Cassette Culture and experimented with psychedelic improvisations, free-jazz, punk-rock, uninhibited and manic deconstructions of pop, jazz and country-western standards to musique concrète, industrial noise and sound collages. Walls Of Genius was both reviled and loved by the Cassette Culture. Walls Of Genius was active from 1982-1985 and revived in 2014.
Romain Perrot, better known by his stage name Vomir, is a French noise music artist based in Paris. Since beginning his career in 1996, Vomir has appeared in over 300 releases, including singles, albums and collaborations with other noise artists. The majority of his albums were produced by his own independent label, Decimation Sociale. Vomir positions his approach to music as an "anti-" approach, with a radical and nihilist stance. He spearheads the harsh noise wall movement, an extreme subgenre of noise music which he describes as "no ideas, no change, no development, no entertainment, no remorse".
References
- Paul Hegarty, Noise/Music: A History (2007) Continuum International Publishing Group
- Thurston Moore, Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture (2004) Universe