'76 Inspired By Punk

The Instant Automatons

Colin Potter Cassette Inspiration

DIY Instruments

The Instant Automatons  “Scared To Be Alone”

Deleted Records founded

Kif Kif and F.O. Records

Bad Music Festival

Danny & The Dressmakers

Jonathan "JB" Barnett, F.O. Records

Zounds, The Mob, The Astronauts

John Peel Show 17 June 1980

"Radio Silence" Rejected By Stiff

Deleted Bulletin & Cassette Survival

Deleted Funtime compilation

“Disillusion”  The Instant Automatons

Hand Numbered and Indexed

Protag Moves To London

Rough Trade Shop

“Journey To The West” The Mystic Umbrellas

Credits

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 almost no resources, built a national community through shared idealism, cheap technology, and an unstoppable desire to create.

Finding their tribe with the Labroke Grove hippie-punks circulating around the Here & Now/Frestonia/free festival scene and building their community under the Westway. 

Here & Now drummer, Kif Kif Le Batteur made his sentiment about the established record industry clear when he named his cassette label F.O. Records. Recognising that the Instant Automatons and their label Deleted Records got it too, they connected to collaborate on cassette and vinyl releases, gigs and tours. And in doing, forged a template that was adopted and amplified from there on.

 

Hosted by Martin Franklin.
Theme music “This Is Concrete” by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz

VIDEO
You can find videos of some of the amazing fanzines and cassette releases that drop through our letterbox on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

IN THIS EPISODE

VOICES
Martin Franklin
Jerry Kranitz
Mark Lancaster
Colin Potter
Jonathan Barnett
…and John Peel

MUSIC
Duo Electronica (except), Deleted Funtime (Deleted 009)
The Instant Automatons “ Routine Habit” We Couldn’t Agree On A Title (Integrated Circuit Records ICR 001)
Colin Potter “The Last Train” The Scythe (ICR)
The Instant Automatons  “Scared To Be Alone” Peter Paints His Fence EP (Deleted)
Instant Automatons “Too Big” Not So Deep As A Well (Waterden WDCD002)
Danny & The Dressmakers “God Puts A Stop To The Silver Paper Monster” 39 Golden Grates (Fuck Off Records)

Archive audio: “Johns Vacuum Cleaner” John Peel Show 17 June 1980, BBC Radio 1

“Pre Natal Counselling” The Midnight Circus
“Chemical Solutions” Missing Persons,
“Disillusion”  The Instant Automatons
“Journey To The West”  The Mystic Umbrellas 
All from the Deleted Funtime compilation (Deleted 009)

Many thanks to Jonny Zhivago and the invaluable resource for underground music that is Die Or DIY (https://dieordiy2.blogspot.com/)

PROTAG 
We would like to dedicate this episode to the memory of Martin "Protag" Neish, who passed away in February 2014. We were too late to meet him, but found his footprints through some of the episodes in this season of Cassette Culture. We are proud to be able to tell at least a small part of his story.
(https://louderthanwar.com/northern-punk-scene-mourns-martin-protag-neish/ )

FIND US
https://cassetteculturepodcast.com

SUPPORTERS
This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who gift a small monthly contribution toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at:
https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe

 

Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (https://eastcoaststudio.com.au)

 

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&nbsp; bedrooms to West London squats, from hand-dubbed tapes to Rough Trade shelves. It&rsquo;s the story of how a handful of young people, with almost no resources, built a national community through shared idealism, cheap technology, and an unstoppable desire to create.
Finding their tribe with the Labroke Grove hippie-punks circulating around the Here &amp; Now/Frestonia/free festival scene and building their community under the Westway.&nbsp;
Here &amp; Now drummer, Kif Kif Le Batteur made his sentiment about the established record industry clear when he named his cassette label F.O. Records. Recognising that the Instant Automatons and their label Deleted Records got it too, they connected to collaborate on cassette and vinyl releases, gigs and tours. And in doing, forged a template that was adopted and amplified from there on.
&nbsp;
Hosted by Martin Franklin. Theme music &ldquo;This Is Concrete&rdquo; by The Happy Citizen/"Hesatative" Jack Hertz
VIDEO You can find videos of some of the amazing fanzines and cassette releases that drop through our letterbox on our YouTube channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast">youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast</a>
IN THIS EPISODE
VOICES Martin Franklin Jerry Kranitz Mark Lancaster Colin Potter Jonathan Barnett &hellip;and John Peel
MUSIC Duo Electronica (except), Deleted Funtime (Deleted 009) The Instant Automatons &ldquo; Routine Habit&rdquo; We Couldn&rsquo;t Agree On A Title (Integrated Circuit Records ICR 001) Colin Potter &ldquo;The Last Train&rdquo; The Scythe (ICR) The Instant Automatons&nbsp; &ldquo;Scared To Be Alone&rdquo; Peter Paints His Fence EP (Deleted) Instant Automatons &ldquo;Too Big&rdquo; Not So Deep As A Well (Waterden WDCD002) Danny &amp; The Dressmakers &ldquo;God Puts A Stop To The Silver Paper Monster&rdquo; 39 Golden Grates (Fuck Off Records)
Archive audio: &ldquo;Johns Vacuum Cleaner&rdquo; John Peel Show 17 June 1980, BBC Radio 1
&ldquo;Pre Natal Counselling&rdquo; The Midnight Circus &ldquo;Chemical Solutions&rdquo; Missing Persons, &ldquo;Disillusion&rdquo;&nbsp; The Instant Automatons &ldquo;Journey To The West&rdquo;&nbsp; The Mystic Umbrellas All from the Deleted Funtime compilation (Deleted 009)
Many thanks to Jonny Zhivago and the invaluable resource for underground music that is Die Or DIY (<a href="https://dieordiy2.blogspot.com/)">https://dieordiy2.blogspot.com/)</a>
PROTAG&nbsp; We would like to dedicate this episode to the memory of Martin "Protag" Neish, who passed away in February 2014. We were too late to meet him, but found his footprints through some of the episodes in this season of Cassette Culture. We are proud to be able to tell at least a small part of his story. <a href="https://louderthanwar.com/northern-punk-scene-mourns-martin-protag-neish/">(https://louderthanwar.com/northern-punk-scene-mourns-martin-protag-neish/</a> )
FIND US <a href="https://cassetteculturepodcast.com">https://cassetteculturepodcast.com</a>
SUPPORTERS This podcast is enabled by generous supporters who gift a small monthly contribution toward the costs of researching, producing and publishing each episode. You can become one of them at: <a href="https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe">https://cassetteculturepodcast.bandcamp.com/subscribe</a>
&nbsp;
Cassette Culture is produced by Martin Franklin for East Coast Studio (<a href="https://eastcoaststudio.com.au">https://eastcoaststudio.com.au</a>)
&nbsp;

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, we travel through the network to find the creators of the fanzines, the music, the labels and events.

The stories of the global underground movement that shaped experimental music and culture, told by the artists that were there&hellip;
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 &ndash; all under the radar of mainstream media. Taking the DIY message of Punk as a jumping off point, we travel through the network to find the creators of the fanzines, the music, the labels and events.

Cassette Culture

The stories of the global underground movement that shaped experimental music and culture, told by the artists that were there...

For two decades the international mail system fostered a network of underground artists, exchanging cassette tapes of music and homemade artwork - all 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 world, mapping the impacts and their ongoing effects.

We speak with musicians, label runners, and fanzine writers, who share their experiences of connecting through the mail system and its ongoing effects on their lives.

Hosted by Martin Franklin & Hudson Graham | Podcast produced by East Coast Studio

Find us on www.cassetteculturepodcast.com

The stories of the global underground movement that shaped experimental music and culture, told by the artists that were there...
For two decades the international mail system fostered a network of underground artists, exchanging cassette tapes of music and homemade artwork - all 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 world, mapping the impacts and their ongoing effects.
We speak with musicians, label runners, and fanzine writers, who share their experiences of connecting through the mail system and its ongoing effects on their lives.
Hosted by Martin Franklin &amp; Hudson Graham | Podcast produced by <a href="https://eastcoaststudio.com.au/">East Coast Studio</a>
Find us on <a href="https://www.cassetteculturepodcast.com">www.cassetteculturepodcast.com</a>