Label
Handshake Editions
Independent label specializing in experimental and underground music through cassettes and alternative formats, active 1985-1994.
About
Handshake Editions is an independent record label specializing in experimental and underground music, active from at least the mid-1980s through the 1990s. The label's catalog reflects a commitment to avant-garde and experimental sound practices, evidenced by its diverse release formats including cassettes, reels, and vinyl. The label's output includes the "Cassette Gazette" series, suggesting an archival or documentation-focused approach to underground music dissemination. With releases spanning from 1985 to 1994, Handshake Editions positioned itself within the broader DIY and cassette culture that flourished in the experimental music underground during this period. The label's preference for cassette and reel formats aligns with the aesthetic and economic priorities of independent experimental music communities, where these media served as accessible alternatives to mainstream distribution. Handshake Editions' modest but deliberate catalog represents an important node in the networks of experimental music documentation and distribution that characterized underground music culture in the 1980s and early 1990s.