GCC's Utter Talk #001 - Storm Bugs

Storm Bugs

... were formed 1978 by Philip Sanderson and Steven Ball, which used to be part of the emergeing DIY & UK cassette underground and are quoted as "the spiritual forefathers to Oval and today's Clicks & Cuts generation". The cassette culture was defined by punk aesthetics and an anything-goes-mentality, that encouraged eclecticism and diversity. 

Sophisticated cassette decks, allowed participants produce high-quality copies of their music inexpensively and the availability of multi-track (Tascam, Revox) recording equipment was becoming affordable, which reliefed artists from, spending a lot of money for visiting professinal recording studios. The price and size of electronic instruments like drum-machines and synthesizers, was steadily decreasing, bringing the possibility for musicans to create a full-fledeged home studio at reasonable cost. UK cassette culture witnessed its peak in what is known as the post-punk period, 1978-1984. Various small tape labels existed, that were operating in opposition to the capitalistic aim of maximizing profit. The first release of Storm Bugs, 'A Safe Substitute' saw the light of day, 1980 on 'Snatch Tapes', which was established in 1979 by Sanderson. The music on this cassette was defined and characterized by experimentations with the EMS Vcs3 snyth and tape loops and -delays, recorded to Revox reel to reel tape, almost entirely in the electronic music studio at Goldsmiths College, London.

 

The debut of Storm Bugs was re-released in 2011 by the british noise-avantgarde imprint Harbinger Sound on blood red vinyl, limited to 250 copies. Listen to A Safe Substitue on Bandcamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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