Fennesz this week releases Szampler, a new two-sided cassette release for The Tapeworm.

Cassette culture has been enjoying a resurgence over the past couple of years, if indeed it ever went way. While most cassette labels favour a lo-fi approach that borders on the careless, the UK’s own Tapeworm goes out about its operations with wit, attention to detail and editorial acumen, and without losing any of the homespun, DIY intimacy that can be one of the medium’s strongest assets. Previous Tapeworm transmissions include an experimental outing from Berlin techno producer Stefan Goldmann (Haven’t I Seen You Before), a reading of Jean Baudrillard’s Le Xerox Et l’Infini, interviews with Derek Jarman (In Conversation, 1979-80) and original material from Simon Fisher Turner (De Dentro Hacia Afuera), Sunn O))’s Stephen O’Malley (Petite Geante) and Philip Jeck (Spool).

Limited to 500 copies and featuring artwork by SavX, Fennesz’s Szampler is already sold out at source, but there are still some available here. The Austrian musician, best known for his 2001 LP Endless Summer (one of FACT’s albums of the 2000s) and collaborations with the likes of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jim O’Rourke and Peter Rehberg, serves up just under an hour of music for the release, which is described by the label as follows:

“Here Christian Fennesz opens his magic box to reveal a plethora of samples from his old Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus and ASR-10 samplers which he used for his recordings from 1989 to 1996. For those of you familiar with his work, you will recognise some of them… from noise to dub and blasts of sheared electronics with his familiar patina, a palette of extraordinary energy and spirit is made manifest. An exciting and invigorating collection, with great wit and flair, this cassette is the perfect accompaniment to his wonderful albums.”

Tracklist:
A: Part One – 28m41s
B: Part Two – 28m23s