Last month, Isle of Wight record label, Chalkpit Records, launched a new service aimed at encouraging people to fall back in love with music through the medium of cassette tapes.
The idea behind the Chalkpit Cassette Club is to produce limited edition, hand-numbered cassettes that showcase some of the most exciting up-and-coming artists, allowing members to “indulgence in the physical ownership of their music”.
The first release – a cassette-exclusive collection of The Howl and The Hum’s favourite tracks – sold out within a month, and the Cassette Club are back with yet another electrifying release, this time from the London-based desert-rockers The Howlers.
NME X Squarespace ReBuild Music
However, since its launch, Chalkpit Cassette Club has also been selected as one of the ten featured projects for NME X Squarespace ReBuild Music campaign.
Aiming to showcase creators and innovators from across the music industry, the campaign is all about reinvigorating the post-pandemic world of music.
Gregory: This really is a moment I’ll cherish for very long time
Silas Gregory, founder of Chalkpit Cassette Club, said,
“It’s a real honour and privilege to have our Island born project chosen out of thousands of applications by NME x Squarespace as one of their Big 10 Projects to champion and support in their newly launched Rebuild Music Project.
“To get the chance to work closely with NME in the development of the club is an unbelievable opportunity. As someone who grew up discovering new music reading the physical NME magazine, this really is a moment I’ll cherish for very long time. The aim of the Cassette Club is for people to feel and experience music physically once again, it is something you just can’t do with digital music.
“As a label we have always loved collecting music and believe digital and analogue formats need to continue to exist side by side offering different experiences and perspectives for generations to come. There is a beautiful renaissance happening for physical music on cassettes, and we are exciting to be part of it releasing some of our favourite artists on limited edition and exclusive Cassette releases.
“It’s another great opportunity to put the Isle of Wight on the map for music along with all the other incredible artists and industry based here. We feel the music scene and creativity is really coming into its own once again after such a long time out due to the pandemic.”
How to play them?
If after getting rid of your cassette player for a CD player, then getting rid of your CD player in favour of streaming, you might be wondering how you’re going to play one of the Chalkpit cassettes.
Worry not, Silas and his team have gathered together a bunch of ‘vintage’ portable cassette players, which they have for sale on the Website.
Sign me up!
To get your hands on exclusive releases, fans are invited to sign up to the Chalkpit Cassette Club Mailing List.
You’ll find lots of other info on their Website too.
Watch
Silas Gregory of Chalkpit Cassette Club explains more below about the Chalkpit Cassette Club.
