News
The Deep Dive: Michael Cassette
After 14 years in the shadows, Michael Cassette returns to Anjunadeep with the ‘Knight Rider EP’ - a collection of tracks that showcase the sound we’ve been hooked on for nearly two decades. There’s 18 years of history here, so sit back, relax and let’s dive into the world of this man of mystery, ‘80s obsessive and all-around Anjuna legend…
The Michael Cassette journey began in the early 2000s, when Finnish musicians Erkka Lempiäinen and Matti Heininen combined their talents. With Matti’s classical training and Erkka’s technical brilliance, the duo released music under several aliases, but it was Michael Cassette that truly defined their legacy.
In 2007, the synthwave genre had taken off with artists like Kavinsky, College and Lifelike all making waves. Anjunadeep had just released the first double A-side (‘Zeppelin / David’) from an enigmatic artist called Michael Cassette, and invited him to play at our winter takeover of former London haunt Turnmills.
The next year, an exciting track called ‘Shadows Movement’ landed on James Grant’s desk. Slower and more melodic than Anjuna’s typical releases, it caught immediate attention (James even joked he’d quit if it wasn’t signed). Thankfully, it didn’t come to that, and the single gained traction in electronic and prog scenes, partly thanks to a feature on SOS’s acclaimed Balance 013 mix. ‘Shadows Movement’ proved to be a bit of a turning point and Michael Cassette quickly made his mark, with support from legends like Eric Prydz and Laurent Garnier.
A particularly notable fan of Michael Cassette in this period was deadmau5, and his admiration led to an official remix of ‘Raise Your Weapon’ in 2014. Michael Cassette also unofficially reworked ‘Faxing Berlin’, an edit beloved by James Grant, who has happy memories of mashing it up with Lane 8’s ‘Diamonds’ at #ABGT350. Some fans would go so far as to say that Michael Cassette left a lasting impression on deadmau5’s productions - listen to ‘Suckfest9001’ and see what you think.
The 2010 debut album ‘Temporarity’ became a cult classic for Anjuna fans, featuring tracks like ‘Crockett’s Theme’ and ‘Ghost In The Machine’. But while the buzz grew, Michael Cassette’s anonymity created intrigue. To protect Matti’s growing career in classical music, the duo had crafted a fictional identity for the act, even sending Anjuna’s designer Andy to stand in for a DJ Mag photoshoot holding a toy cassette player in front of his face.
After this album, the pair decided to take different paths - Matti pursuing award-winning classical compositions, and Erkka continuing to release “timeless bangers” (James Grant) under his own name. We strongly recommend checking some of these out - highlights include ‘Air Conditioner’ and the ‘Museme EP’.
We marked the tenth anniversary of ‘Temporarity’ in 2020 with a vinyl release, and new remixes from Jody Wisternoff and 16BL. Now though, we’re excited to release all-new music from this unforgettable act: four tracks that sees Michael Cassette revisit their retro-futuristic roots. Welcome back, Michael Cassette!
Listen to the ‘Knight Rider EP’ now on the platform of your choice.
Written by Claire Murgatroyd and Dom Donnelly