Dead Format Hits Play on Nostalgia

There’s something wonderfully ironic about meeting an artist called Dead Format in a world that seems increasingly obsessed with the new. New tech, new trends, new ways to make everything faster, shinier, and somehow less tangible. But Dead Format isn’t chasing that. He’s doing the opposite, rewinding the tape, quite literally, and pressing play on nostalgia.

Dead Format has managed to fuse his love of music, pop art, horror films and the lost romance of physical media into something that feels oddly alive, even if the name suggests otherwise. His work is playful, macabre, and just the right amount of weird. Think Andy Warhol meets Iron Maiden, if they’d bonded over a pack of blank Maxell tapes.

In this conversation, we talk about the roots of Toxic Tapes, the dying (or undead) state of the music industry, and what it means to keep creating in a world that’s forgotten how to hit “record.” Oh, and of course, we settle the age-old question of which Ninja Turtle reigns supreme.

You are well known for your 'Toxic Tapes' collection. Can you walk us through the inspiration behind that project, and how it connects to your broader artistic identity?

As a newbie to tapping into my creative side, around 7 years ago, I used to find myself sketching skeletons and skulls at work (seemed appropriate as a healthcare professional, like practising anatomy). And around the same time, a few of my friends and I had started sharing music recommendations to try and expand each other's tastes beyond just Limp Bizkit and Tool. Just like we would have done as kids, swapping cassette tapes of the latest album we picked up. We called it “Dead Format Music Club”.

This is really where the origins started for the toxic tapes. As I explored my own artistic styles, I moved on to digital software and then mixing in music, a bit of pop art and a love of zombie and horror movies.

As I felt more confident with myself and in the era of Instagram, where people actually saw what you posted, I started drawing cassettes inspired by rock and metal stars. They seemed popular (or at least got some likes), and I explored the complex and often misunderstood world of digital collectables. I wanted to do something cool and spent months evolving the lore and look of the cassettes into a full collection of 3333 unique, hand (digitally) drawn Tapes. The tapes are my version of Pokémon cards, Pop Mart blind boxes, or Funko Pops. They have their own community of collectors who now share music recommendations with each other. So I guess it’s a full circle point where music inspired the idea for the art, and now the collectors share their music with other tape holders.

As far as artist identity, I’ve taken on Dead Format as my handle. I connect to the nostalgia of physical formats and the cassette; it’s a pretty obvious metaphor for ageing and life/death.

Music appears to be a major influence on your work. How do you feel about the state of the industry in terms of supporting new talent, and do you feel anything needs to change?

I’m now an elder of the music scene. And I'm only a fan. But locally and to my friends and fiancée, I’m always complaining that we used to have lots of music and now, even with a top venue, the local scene doesn’t seem to be supported. That’s a pattern that is repeated throughout the U.K. and the world. We hear stories of tours that cost the earth, venues that take cuts of merchandise, as well as grassroots venues closing at an alarming rate (go donate to the Music Venue Trust if you can). All the while, Oasis and Coldplay perform to millions, despite being at the twilight of their careers. Both these bands benefited from small venues showcasing them, along with the ability to form a career through physical sales, building a following. The argument the industry tends to push is that it’s easier to release music and find an audience through streaming and social media. What they fail to mention is the criminal payout from streaming and the terrible margins of touring. We seem to be on the verge of a very dull creative arena where only the most profitable music is supported and promoted, and underground talent is squeezed into shorter and shorter careers. Juggling touring and full-time work at the few remaining venues that can afford to have riding talent take the stage.

One interesting fact about the industry that seems to have changed is that, on average, the platform we consumed music on used to evolve every 10 years or so. Started with vinyl, then cassettes, onto CDs, briefly the mini disc, then the creation of the iPod and Napster. Then the downfall of everything ( Lars was right). Streaming came along (Spotify 2008), and so far, nothing has really knocked it off its perch. Although I feel TikTok is one of the main platforms that music is discovered through now (and some can earn through it), we are overdue for the next evolution of music. If we want music to bounce back, in my opinion, they need to find a way to allow bands to monetise their art and ensure it hits their pockets. But the reality is, for now, we should buy a copy of the band's vinyl and call out corporations like Spotify and Ticketmaster for exploiting fans and the bands.

In a, don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I will, for a moment, while we are talking music. I was lucky enough to be featured in a book about the life of Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister, Wasted Opportunities by Dan Hawcroft.

How do you push your style forward while retaining what makes your work recognisably yours?

I’m pretty fluid as far as the style and evolution of it. My attention is far too easily distracted by shiny new things. So I try not to be too strict. I’ve definitely gone through phases. My D*Face obsession phase with pop art zombies, drawing skulls on everything, creating skeleton versions of my favourite football club stars (AFC Wimbledon), drawing comic covers of bands (Deftones, Misfits and Avenged Sevenfold) and then the Toxic Tapes. To keep me from losing my total focus, I try to think of myself as an amateur film studio, only with one employee. So I can move from project to project, and they don’t always have to all be linked directly. Walt Disney, I am not. But maybe.

What do you hope people take away from your art?

Honestly. The art is fun to do. So that’s my only real hope. That they see it as fun, and they smile. And, perhaps unlocks their own nostalgia, too.

And one final question from my six-year-old: Who's your favourite Ninja Turtle and why?

Oh yeah. Heroes in a half shell. It’s gotta be Mikey.

T-U-R-T-L-E POWER. 90s movie is a fav.

You can follow Dead Format on Instagram @deadformatmc.

Interview by Johnny Larran with thanks to Dead Format.