Contact-Exchange-Document: The Story of ND

DIY passion, artistic discovery, and the power of community. This is a story of the kind friendly networking that typified the cassette scene and it shines through in this episode.

We dive into the fascinating history of the ND fanzine and influential label, founded by Daniel Plunkett in Austin, Texas.

ND became a hub for the international mail art and cassette culture scenes, connecting artists from around the world through its fanzine, events, cassette, vinyl and CD releases.

Through his early correspondence with artist, Phillip Johnson in the UK, Dan got backstage to hang out with Mark E. Smith and The Fall. Moving on to becoming a stop over for European artists looking for a local Texas gig, he promoted performances by artists like Bee Queen/Frans de Waard and staged “Undercurrents” a Mail Art exhibition at the Mexi-Arte Museum (https://mexic-artemuseum.org/).

The ND label published releases by Jeff Greinke, PBK, Vidna Obmana, Maeror Tri, Alio Die among others.

N D 11 was a project which featured work filmed and submitted from 1986 to 1991. Michael Northam mastered and edited the material in Bloomington IN Sept 1991. Included material originally sent and shown at Mexic-Arte Museum in October 1988. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIjpg9a1IuU

Dan now runs the End Of An Ear record store in Austin, Texas and goes out of his way to stock significant obscure recordings even if he knows they won't sell in large numbers.

Episode hosted by Martin Franklin
Theme music: ”This Is Concrete” The Happy Citizen

VIDEO
You can find video of some of the fanzines and cassette releases we discuss in this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CassetteCulturePodcast

Music

Phillip Johnson “Helmetpoofy” 0714, Year Zero Records

Phillip Johnson Tracks from “Heartache’s Worst Assistants Versus the Genius With the Secret of Making Gold Into Dynamite!”. Year Zero Records

ND 7 “Performance In A Staircase” Haupunkt Fix (Cassette Issue)

ND11 Lon Speigelman, Lon Spiegelman (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

ND7 “Psychotic” Die Form (Cassette Issue)

Maeror Tri “Desiderium” Myein ND CD008
Now available from Infinite Fog Productions

Jeff Grienke - ND Fragment 01

Links

End Of An Ear
(https://endofanear.com/)

Year Zero Records/Phillip Johnson
(https://year-zero-records.blogspot.com/p/ohilip-johnson.html)

Infinite Fog Productions
(https://infinitefog.bandcamp.com/)

"Premonitions: Underground Cassette Network 1989​-​90" SoundImage Tapes cassette reissue, Infinite Expanse, 2024
https://infiniteexpanse.bandcamp.com

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

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