Identify a cassette (broken flag??) (added audio sample)

[locustfurnace]

Hey, looking for some help...I picked this tape up in the late 90's in a bulk trade with a Swedish guy. I had a list of everything I got at the time but over the years it went awol but I managed to identify all the others that had no labels as such. It's definatly feedback drenched noise/power electronics with a 80s feel in the early Whitehouse / Ramleh / SJ vein. The back of the inlay has "broken flag" written in pencil but checking again the Broken Flag (label) discog site yields no luck, also there was a band late-80s/early-90's called Broken Flag but they were experimental noise rock so that rules them out. What's killing me is that the music on the tape sounds like I should know it and feels so familiar :)

Here's a youtube clip with 3 x 50 second samples culled from the tape > http://youtu.be/8wNsKrClAIE

[HongKongGoolagong]

Heh, I spotted this request recently on what I guess was your tumblr site while searching like the obsessed maniac I am for yet more Broken Flag nuggets.

Absolutely no idea about this cassette I'm afraid. If you upload it somewhere as 'mystery BF cassette' maybe someone here could guess for you?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Doesn't much look the BF release?
First I thought it somehow makes me think of WHITE HAND, but going to check the infos, their tape is called "Second Edition" and is packaged in wire mesh, but don't find picture of it and currently don't seem to find any White Hand tapes from my unorganized shelves... should have some.. Picture is very familiar, and I have feeling I've seen it.

[locustfurnace]

Checked out WHITE HAND on youtube, could only find clips for the "this is fun" tape (which was later remixed as "second edition") and the sound while similiar the vocals are totally different.

I uploaded a 3 min clip there (added to main message). It reminds me of Ramleh.

[locustfurnace]

ok, a fellow left a comment on the youtube clip saying it was the RAMLEH "31/5/1962 - 1982" cassette, put on the boxset to check and it is indeed that tape.
Now the question is what is the cover from then? was it a re-released / second version or is it the cover from something else altoghter ?????
Some chap on Discogs is selling it and has this in the description - "FIRST BROKEN FLAG MC - RARE !!! HANDMADE BY GARY MUNDY (DIFFERENT COVER)" so I messaged him to see if he has a pic of the cover he has to check.

[HongKongGoolagong]

I know there were at least two different versions of cover art for the release but never seen that packaging before and have no idea whether your tape is some kind of pirate edition or one-off real thing. I certainly think it's possible Gary Mundy may have done occasional hand-made covers, whether he can even remember about it and confirm would be another matter. His handwriting is very distinctive, take a closeup of how 'Broken Flag' is written in pencil and I'd be able to tell.

Forwarded by someone even more obsessive than me: "That cover image used on the 'mystery' cassette was pulled / cut out from one of the early BF mags, poss KKK ?
Not saying it isn't a legit cassette by someone. Just that that picture was used - as a full A5 page - in a BF mag."

This makes me lean more towards accepting it as a genuine one-off BF edition, the mags were printed in very small numbers and a pirate edition creator would have less access to those than to the cassette.

[locustfurnace]

I know there were at least two different versions of cover art for the release but never seen that packaging before and have no idea whether your tape is some kind of pirate edition or one-off real thing. I certainly think it's possible Gary Mundy may have done occasional hand-made covers, whether he can even remember about it and confirm would be another matter. His handwriting is very distinctive, take a closeup of how 'Broken Flag' is written in pencil and I'd be able to tell.

Forwarded by someone even more obsessive than me: "That cover image used on the 'mystery' cassette was pulled / cut out from one of the early BF mags, poss KKK ?
Not saying it isn't a legit cassette by someone. Just that that picture was used - as a full A5 page - in a BF mag."

This makes me lean more towards accepting it as a genuine one-off BF edition, the mags were printed in very small numbers and a pirate edition creator would have less access to those than to the cassette.

here is a pic of the writing >

The trade I got it in I also got Whitehouse (come org. originals), early SPK live, a ton of Grey Wolves, Dominator, Americanoise comp & other MSNP tapes, a ton of Slaughter productions cassettes, limited edition versions of Atrax Morgue, Ne, Ne San & Ne Ni comps, early Merzbow tapes etc...I think it was close to 100 cassettes altogether...all of these were originals so I'd be inclined to say / hope it is a legit version of the Ramleh tape...

Here is the version on discogs with the hand made cover by gary mundy >

I'd be a bit dubious about the legit status of that one to be honest.

[HongKongGoolagong]

That doesn't look like Gary Mundy's handwriting on your tape, although there is always a possibility that Bob Strudwick may have made it for someone, or Debbie Thomas who actually did most of the BF mags from what I've heard.

Letraset on the discogs tape cover looks legit - actual cassette doesn't. The original early 80s Broken Flag tapes I got direct at the time were plain TDKs without any writing or stickers over the label. 

[P-K]

hehe, are all those $$$ BF tapes on discogs legit? :-) .....i would never trust sellers like "Ulixes" etc , some fellow from Japan def offers bootlegs .....

[Tommy Carlsson]

That is the cover picture from KKK #2 on the tape.

[Tommy Carlsson]

[accidental]

Picked this instead of starting a new thread...

I have a few BF cassettes. Some of them stamped on stock labels. Or a small sticker. I know those to be 100% authentic. Some other without stamps or stickers. And i know a lot of authentic ones came without stamps or stickers.

I've come across a few that have this smudge spot on TDK labels. Right where the stamp or sticker would be placed.
Looking like this:
https://imgbb.com/rG6P5Mw

I don't own any like these myself, but does anyone know if they are authentic? And how is the audio quality? The real deal or a 3rd gen dub?

Buying BF cassettes is often a bit like buying a really expensive lottery ticket...