This is my favorite batch of tapes from 2025. I probably bought less tapes than in past years. It seemed like more than a few labels dropped out or scaled back. I can't say I blame them. My listening tastes were mostly tunes composed on synthesizers and a little bit of weird noise. This has not changed much, although you sometimes end up at the mercy of what is being released during the year.
I capped any label at two tapes for the sake of variety.
Alone In The Dark 3 is a fantastic collection of various artists making spooky noises and haunting darkwave. Hot Releases puts one of these out every so often at Halloween and AITD3 might be the best so far.
Leslie Keffer explored the ethereal plant realm on her Apothecary tape. Secret Places Of The Lion goes on a sprawling mystic journey with High Gardens. Pamela& Her Sons crafted some airy and spacious sounds on Waverider that are similar to old Aphex Twin. The Ohio trio that is Anteater displayed some synth wizardry reminiscent of Philadelphia's Nightcrawlers.
100% Silk celebrated 15 years with a compilation of assorted techno strains from some of their regulars. Akasha System moved from Oregon to Florida and continued discovering new natural sonic territory on Sun Archive.
Cringe Fantasy pieced together a cassette single of discordant no wave pop songs. Walnut Brain used a guitar and a single string diddley bow to make a tape that lived up to the name of Weird Wire. Liz Meredith's Forth is a blast of squelching electronics and viola.
As always any tape had to be released in the calendar year and I had to listen to it a lot. And if you are one of those types who needs a definitive cassette of the year, then that honor goes to the self-titled debut by Vengeance des Fleurs on Not Not Fun. Vengeance des Fleurs is the duo of Anastasia Mikhaleva and Vladimir L. They created a luminous and luxurious collection of sounds with synthesizers and flute that harkens back to the earlier days of Krautrock and electronic music.
The list goes band/album/label for those with questions of that nature.
01. Akasha System - Sun Archive - 100% Silk
02. v/a - Alone In The Dark 3 - Hot Releases
03. Anteater - Endangered - Unifactor
04. Cringe Fantasy - Pop Music - Decoherence
05. Secret Places Of The Lion - High Gardens - Not Not Fun
06. Leslie Keffer - Apothecary - CBC
07. Liz Meredith - Forth - Spleen Coffin
08. Pamela& Her Sons - Waverider - Crude Tapes
09. Vengeance des Fleurs - s/t - Not Not Fun
10. Walnut Brain - Weird Wire - Petty Bunco
11. v/a - Late Shift Silk - 100% Silk
