Cassette
Another deep-cut uncovering from the obscure-hunters over at Infinite Expanse with this reissue of Delta-Sleep-Inducing-Peptide's (catchy, that one) Evil, first issued back in 1992. The German duo of Dieter Mauson and Siegmar were an extremely productive outfit, releasing over 25 cassettes across numerous underground institutions during their six year lifecycle that first ran between '89 and '95 (it seems they were to reform in 2012, though to what effect i do not know). Infinite Expanse aren't the only ones to realise the value in their work, with a lengthy albeit hard to source vinyl retrospective having surfaced a few years back. Still, Evil is useful as it doesn't rely on someone else's curation to get a sense of what DSIP were aiming for, presenting the tape as was (and you can argue that there's something inherently sacred in the original form that's worth preserving). This is essentially post Berlin School electronics in the shadow of post-industrial experimentalism that makes gestures towards the prevalent DIY dance culture of the day, opener Take Care Dear a typical case in point, while also expressing something a little more idiosyncratic, occupying some space between the outsider musings of Die Welttraumforscher and the self-determining exploration of Asmus Tietchens (see the Linea tape on Korm) and/or Werkbund. And look, if we're being straight, these lads definitely listened to Kraftwerk, but then again, why wouldn't you! They describe their interest as "mind-cinema of the subconscious", a term, had he been around to hear it, i'm sure Freud would be kicking himself for having not thought up first, but absurd as it sounds, does kind of fit the mildly nightmarish uncanniness that the pair work up on the second side in particular. It's the kind of unique collection that remains characteristic of underground cassette culture of the era, probably made for just two sets of ears but imagining a much larger, wider universe.
