Aswad – Live and Direct Audio Cassette (1983)

That music dealing with the issues felt by disillusioned and disenfranchised youth had such a presence in the early 1980s, says as much about today’s environment as it does about that of three decades ago. The issues are still there, but it feels today almost as if the music business has tried to fence off the disaffected as some kind of ‘worthless market’, unable to provide a sufficient return on a record company’s investment.

Emtec Sound I 90 Normal Bias Audio Cassette

An audio cassette from Emtec, which was the brand that engulfed BASF in the late 1990s. This Emtec Sound I 90 is a normal bias Type I tape, bearing the Emtec name, but an amended version of the BASF logo, with ‘EMTEC’ replacing ‘BASF’ in its top left-hand corner.

1984 BASF Chromdioxid II Audio Cassette

Perhaps the memory most quickly recalled in a discussion about early 1980s chrome audio cassettes is that of the BASF Chromdioxid II. Heavy advertising on television meant a high profile. In those days the audiences per programme were much, much higher, with no Internet, and in the UK just four TV channels competing for share. So any audio cassette with a TV ad campaign behind it was pretty much assured immense initial uptake.