Calypso Now was part of the cassette culture movement. Calypso Now was founded in 1983 by the Swiss musician and concert promoter Hotcha[1] (alias Rudi Tüscher),[2] located in Biel/Bienne. Up to 1989, about 200 cassette releases were produced, mainly from Switzerland, Germany, UK, USA and Canada. The label was reactivated in autumn 2010, with reissues and new cassette releases.[1]
Calypso Now followed a licensing policy and often copied the cassettes on demand from master tapes of foreign labels, thus keeping the investment low.[3] There were also bigger productions, mainly compilations of Swiss indie bands, targeted at record shops, with printed covers in the LP-sized 12" format Examples are This Is Guitar Town[4] with bands from Geneva, Chart Attack,[5] or a series of cassingles.[6] Calypso Now also compiled tapes with Swiss underground artists for release by another label: Der Politische Katholizismus (1985)[7] was released simultaneously in Japan, Germany and the USA; Sonique Suisse[8] was initiated and released in 1988 by Carl Howard (at - Audiofile Tapes) in the US, and the Starspot Compilation[9] was made in 1989 for Bi-Joopiter in the UK.
