This October sees the release of a record that very nearly never existed. In July 2013, Chris Austin — the songwriter and driving force behind Tape Error — died from heart failure at the age of 36, just one day after learning he had cancer. The album he had been working towards was shelved. The band disbanded. And a singular voice fell silent before most people had had the chance to hear it.
Tape Error came out of the Medway towns in Kent, a part of England with a remarkable track record of producing unconventional musical talent — Billy Childish, Lupen Crook and Kid Harpoon among those who emerged from the same fertile, overlooked scene. Austin’s songwriting sat in that tradition without sounding like any of it. Brimming with raw honesty, Tape Error’s sound was lo-fi and acoustic at its core, built outward with vocal harmonies and drums, recorded with the discipline and intimacy of a single microphone. They built a cult following quietly, the way the best bands do.
On the tenth anniversary of Austin’s death, the album that was meant to be his breakthrough is finally getting the release it deserves. Dancing Turtle Records is proud to be putting it out. It is a record that stands as the culmination of a life’s work and a lasting testament to one of the Medway towns’ most gifted and under appreciated musicians.
Tape Error’s self-titled debut album is released on 6th October. Pre-order now via the Dancing Turtle shop.
