The compact cassette was revolutionary. Its size and packaging made it ideal for on-the-go listening, but the convenience of cassettes didn’t stop there. Cassette recorders empowered artists to record and duplicate their own work, eliminating the need for expensive recording sessions and record label support.

Introduced in 1963, the compact cassette was originally designed for dictation. By 1968, high-fidelity versions of cassettes were being introduced and the potential for recording music was realized. In the early ‘70s, artists used tapes to record and distribute poetry and sound art, with some contributing to the mail art movement.

Often referred to as the godfather of home recording, musician R. Stevie Moore began to release his DIY recordings on compact cassette tapes as early as 1973. This eventually led to hundreds of self-released albums and his own mail-order service known as the R. Stevie Moore Cassette Club.

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