Label
Panic Records & Tapes
Chicago-based experimental music label active 1987-1990, releasing avant-garde work on cassette and vinyl formats.
About
Panic Records & Tapes was an independent record label active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, based in Chicago and dedicated to experimental and underground music. Operating during the height of the cassette era, the label demonstrated a commitment to both tape and vinyl formats, releasing works primarily on cassette with occasional LP editions. The label's catalog reflects a focus on avant-garde and experimental sound practices, evidenced by releases such as "What is Truth? Volume One" (1987) and "Chicago's Sound Collage Ensembles: Recorded Live" (1989), which highlighted the city's vibrant experimental music scene. Panic Records & Tapes served as an important outlet for local artists exploring unconventional compositional and recording approaches during a period when cassettes remained vital to underground music distribution. The label's modest but significant discography positioned it as a minor but notable contributor to Chicago's experimental music infrastructure, documenting innovative work that might otherwise have remained undocumented. The label's emphasis on live recordings and conceptual series, such as the "What is Truth?" volumes, underscored its commitment to capturing and preserving experimental music practices beyond mainstream commercial channels.