Quote 1 The preeminent cassette label of the heyday of cassette culture was Sound Of Pig run by Al Margolis in New York. His label distributed hundreds of tapes in many styles with an emphasis on experimental and unusual sounds.

Quote 2 With over 200 titles offered through the Sound of Pig Cassette Mail Order Catalogue, Al Margolis has certainly earned his title as “Cassette Godfather”

Quote 3 “Cassettes, cassettes, cassettes — What do they mean? These days, everything! Who would have thought when I started getting involved with them — first through the purchase of them from the artists, and then starting to release my own — that I would become enslaved to the dreaded cassette? The need to score tapes, hear more tapes, trade for more tapes, hear from people who have more tapes — I got hooked. So now when I come home at night I start shaking, wondering “are there any little packages for me?”

I never thought that Sound of Pig music would grow into a catalog of ten releases; that I would be in contact with people all over the world; that for every compilation I do, I receive enough material for two more; that I would receive letters on fancy looking stationery addressed to “Promotional Director” or “President”. But it’s true, and that’s the beauty of the cassette revolution: anybody and everybody can get involved and be heard — there are lots of people out there who want to hear something new.” -Al Margolis 1985

Playlist
artist/ title/ label-source-year

X Ray Pop/ Le Petit Animal/ Dirty Love/ SOP cassette 1987
Gregor Jamroski/ In The Labyrinth/ Vagabondage/ SOP 1984
If Bwana/ Unconscious City/ Sex Insanity Death/ SOP 1985

RS Pearson/ Side A/ After The Crayon Rains/ SOP 1985-6?
Eric Muhs/ Untitled from Stupid Pet Tricks/ Ring Of Tape/ SOP 1986
Joseph Nechvatal/ Side A/ Reckless/ SOP 1988?

Mr Curt/ Akuhal/ Snippets/ SOP 1989
Frozen In Amber/ Je Suis Le Chat, Le Lune/ Emotional Music/ SOP 86?

If Bwana-Dog As Master/ Side A/ Untranslatable/ SOP-Cause And Effect 1988?
XTSW/ Side A/ Radio One/ SOP 1987
Adam Bohman-If Bwana/ Side A/ A Graceful And Ancient Art/ SOP 1987?

No Pigeonholes special on Sound of Pig tapes part 1 broadcasts all through December on Wednesday, Friday 00:00-01:00 Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 01:00-02:00 and Monday, Thursday, Saturday 08:00 – 09:00 Berlin time (-6 for Chester, NY and -9 for Santa Rosa, Ca)

The No Pigeonholes radio show is a result of Don’s direct involvement with the cassette culture, the vast network of home-produced cassette exchangers that anticipated the internet, its social networks and the whole shabam of netlabels and free downloadable musicians. An attempt to archive the movement is in his Living Archive of Underground Music.

Stations that broadcast No Pigeonholes:

KKUP Edition> 2nd and 4th Sundays 3-5 PM, on KKUP, 91.5FM if you are around.

European Edition> broadcast twice monthly by Radio Marabu throughout continental Europe ( and archived for the internet).

KWTF Edition> Streaming at KWTF> community radio for Sonoma County California.

No Pigeonholes EXP> broadcast and streamed live on KOWS-FM ( 1st, 3rd, 5th Thursdays 6-8 PM Pacific Time. KOWS> all experimental music.

How to submit your music

podcasts of past No Pigeonholes
podcasts of past No Pigeonholes EXP