Calypso Now Explained

Calypso Now was part of the cassette culture movement. Calypso Now was founded in 1983 by the Swiss musician and concert promoter Hotcha[1] (alias Rudi Tüscher),[2] located in Biel/Bienne. Up to 1989, about 200 cassette releases were produced, mainly from Switzerland, Germany, UK, USA and Canada. The label was reactivated in autumn 2010, with reissues and new cassette releases.

Calypso Now followed a licensing policy and often copied the cassettes on demand from master tapes of foreign labels, thus keeping the investment low.[3] There were also bigger productions, mainly compilations of Swiss indie bands, targeted at record shops, with printed covers in the LP-sized 12" format Examples are This Is Guitar Town[4] with bands from Geneva, Chart Attack,[5] or a series of cassingles.[6] Calypso Now also compiled tapes with Swiss underground artists for release by another label: Der Politische Katholizismus (1985)[7] was released simultaneously in Japan, Germany and the USA; Sonique Suisse[8] was initiated and released in 1988 by Carl Howard (at - Audiofile Tapes) in the US, and the Starspot Compilation[9] was made in 1989 for Bi-Joopiter in the UK.

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.discogs.com/label/Calypso+Now Label portrait on Discogs
  2. http://www.discogs.com/artist/Hotcha Artist portrait on Discogs
  3. Web site: Interview by Don Campau (2010) . 2010-10-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110710143826/http://www.doncampau.com/livingarchiveTapeLabelsCalypsoNow.htm . 2011-07-10 . dead .
  4. http://www.discogs.com/Various-This-Is-Guitar-Town/release/2101301 This Is Guitar Town
  5. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Chart-Attack/release/2101197 Chart Attack
  6. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Splendid-The-Sound-Of-Young-Switzerland-The-1984-Cassingles-Collection/release/2109262 Cassingles collection
  7. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Der-Politische-Katholizismus/release/2118653 Der Politische Katholizismus
  8. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Sonique-Suisse-Alternative-Soundscapes-From-Switzerland/release/1009877 Sonique Suisse
  9. http://www.discogs.com/Various-Starspot/release/2009569 Starspot