Don Campau – Interview
Below is an email interview with Don Campau. All interviews are published unedited.
- You have begun a massive project – cataloging and writing about the early days of ‘Mail Art”, "DIY Recording" and the "Cassette Culture" scenes of the 1970’s, 80’s, 90’s and beyond, would you give us a little insight into the project and explain a little about what you are doing?
For years I have been thinking about my role in cassette culture/underground music. How could I contribute my experiences to the history of this narrow but important do-it-yourself movement? Finally it came to me. Instead of trying to do some kind of comprehensive history of this scene I could only give my experiences and my perspective. Of course I have enlisted other people to help me and chip in with their thoughts and that has been revealing and interesting to me. This is not about me, but it is mainly from my viewpoint.
- How do you think Internet networks compare with the postal networks of back then? (ref. MySpace et al.)
The biggest difference to me is immediacy and effort. Then,I had to write a letter, post it and wait for a response and maybe get a tape in trade.This could take days, weeks or months. This became second nature to me though and part of my schedule then. It also made me consider my responses perhaps a bit more. And, as everyone knows, it is efficient, easy and immediate now. That’s a good thing I’d say although sometimes I wonder if the spirit is the same. It seems more superficial somehow to me and less of a community.Maybe that’s just me.