The Cassette Mythos (MP3s)

The Cassette Mythos is an anthology on homemade cassette culture, curated by Robin James, published in book form in 1990 by Autonomedia, now available for free on the Internet. I urge you to go to the website, read Robin's account of the history of the Cassette Mythos project, and check out the articles. Contributors include Eugene Chadbourne, John Trubee, Amy Denio, John Oswald, Chris Cutler, WFMU's own Dave Mandl, and many more people who were actually involved in the making of cassettes at the time.

Accompanying the release of the book was a CD Audio Alchemy: The Cassette Mythos Compilation, which (in the words of Robin James) "started off as a comprehensive, democratic, and historical survey of the international cassette swapping underground scene, but wound up being what it is, twenty-one innovative sonic-arts geniuses that could be your neighbors". Is the hype justified? I'd say yes, but listen for yourself. Here it is, the whole album in MP3 format:

1. Heather Perkins - What you want to happen, will
2. Ric E. Braden - Columbus Ave. 10PM
3. Jim Steele - Splatter Experience of the Green Gods
4. Daniel Johnston - Grievances
5. John Wiggins - Timbre=Melody
6. YXIMALLOO - China-Pong
7. Qubais Ghazala - Delphian Oracle
8. Fredrick Lonberg-Holm - The Second Minuet
9. Costes - Oh Fortuna
10. Kitchen Table Ensemble - Exploded Views
11. Solomonoff & Von Hoffmanstahl - Banzai Noir
12. Vosch - Tunnel at Dawn
13. Philip Perkins - Remoting (excerpt from Berkeley Remote)
14. Minoy - Sspress
15. Triptic of a Pastel Fern - Shiny Things
16. Gregory Whitehead - It makes me blush...
17. Mystery Laboratory - Excerpt from V. T.
18. Bat Lenny - Delphi [Delta Phi]
    
19. Collapse/Relapse - Webs
20. Hope Organ - Sneaky
21. tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - Drying clothes made entirely of zippers (partial cycle)
    

Comments

[just john]

If you follow the cassette mythos link, and then Kevyn Dymond's link from there, you'll run into the name of the amazing Dino DiMuro. He did over a dozen cassettes, and continues to produce good music.

I mention him because he's kindly consented for me to host several of his albums here: http://just-john.com/DinoDimuro

(And me? I never got into large-scale cassette distribution, but now my stuff's available on the web and on CD. http://just-john.com/ )

[Krys O.]

There are two key mentions of FMU alum R. Stevie Moore in dere: Here and Here

[Jerry Killingsworth]

CHUCK tapes to trade, share, anyone?

[china manufacturing]

The Cassette Mythos Compilation, which (in the words of Robin James) "started off as a comprehensive, democratic, and historical survey of the international cassette swapping underground scene, but wound up being what it is, twenty-one innovative sonic-arts geniuses that could be your neighbors".