BURGER RECORDS REBIRTH OF THE CASSETTE TAPE IN FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA
The rebirth of the cassette tape is well and truly underway in Fullerton, California, where independent record label Burger Records has sold more than 100,000 cassettes since launching in 2007.
Founders Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard started the label as a way of releasing their own music and began putting out cassettes after the band AM released a song on tape. The sound quality they say was so good, and the packaging so unique, that they decided this was the way forward to setting up their own business in the city where Leo Fender made his groundbreaking Fender Telecaster.
Borhman, a former member of pop bands The Noise and Thee Makeout Party, says he no longer makes music and is now completely devoted to his record label and music store. “I work on Burger 24/7: it’s my life,” says the 31-year-old.
This involves courting bands and artists, releasing records, launching a TV station and organising events such as Burgerama, the Burger Bands Tour of the US and Canada and international shows in Paris, Stockholm, Milan, Melbourne and Tel Aviv. “[The international events] came about as a stoned 3am idea,” says Borhman, confirming his round-the-clock dedication. “We sell cassettes all over the world, so I’d say it’s pretty popular all over, and we sell a lot in the US just ‘cause that’s where us and a lot of our bands are from.”
It has been fifty years since the first compact cassettes were rolled out, superseding vinyl, but began to fall out of favour in the 90s with the emergence of the CD.
But Burger Records have worked with hundreds of bands who have taken to the concept of having their music released on tapes when everyone else around them is embracing digital formats. “All the bands are stoked to have their music released in a physical format and have it listened to by fans of music, young and old,” says Borhman. Artists include Brian Jonestown Massacre, Devon Williams, Hunx and His Punx, and The Go and the label has also collaborated with rock legend David Grohl and artists such as Ty Segall, to which Borhman attributes to, ‘pure luck.’
“Tapes were part of my childhood and we have a cassette player in our van and we wanted to listen to all the new jams in it,” he says.
“I would define the music we release as ‘good’ music, we don’t wanna be pigeonholed with a genre, we love all types of music and we release all types of music.”
The total percentage of the music that Burger Records have released on tape is 85 per cent.
“We have [probably] released around 550 cassettes and we’ve done anywhere from 100 to 2,000 for a first pressing. For King Tuff we’ve probably sold over 5,000 cassettes since 2008.
“I’m not interested in owning other people’s music. I’m interested in getting it heard by as many people as possible.”
Burger Records, however, are far from being behind the curve and have a strong online presence and started making videos last year under the name BRGRTV.
“It’s very important to have this mix,” says Borhman. “It’s cool to introduce fans to the people behind the music with BRGRTV.”
Adrian Murphy
