Compilation Review: 80s Underground Cassette Culture - Volume 2

80s Underground Cassette Culture Vol. 2 
17th October (Contort Yourself)
History re-beats itself

If ‘Bump Beat’ or ‘Französisch’ surfaced amidst a glossy modern techno set, it would take a discerning ear to notice something was awry. In fact, it might be only when trawling for a track ID that one might discover they are unearthed cassette recordings from the 1980s, compiled lovingly by Glaswegian industrial label Contort Yourself into a global odyssey of the decades’ tape underground. High on wanton abandonment and waxy DIY ambition, the compilation rattles through siren synths and low-frequency drops in a fitting ode to analog’s most fragile format. Sluik and Years On Earth’s tracks are machine-cranked diatribes, infused with mangled siren synths and political malaise, while standout UPM’s ‘Ansalt’ sees modulated sound design and eerie oohs conjure a minimal-wave Edgar Allen Poe. It’s a goody bag of surprise precursors and archive odd-bods, breathed back into life in the streaming era. Olivia Stock