Diy: The Rise Of Lo-fi Culture

Since the 1990s thousands of individuals have embraced the zine revolution and DIY music-making. Amy Spencer champions the unsung heroes and heroines of the lo-fi scene.

A first comprehensive study of lo-fi culture and DIY production of records, CDs, zines within the alternative scene-including interviews with leading musicians, writers and promoters. The book focuses on the lo-fi movements of the UK and US, and across the globe, introducing the various communities who adopted the DIY ethic, the 1950s beat movement, Riot Grrrl, Queercore and Social Activism.

Amy Spencer is a former zine-writer and record-label founder, current member of promotions collective 'The Bakery' and a key player in the establishment of Ladyfest, the UK's fastest-growing women's arts festival.

"A veritable cornucopia of self-made worth. . . . "DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture" is a triumph from beginning to end. . . . Highly recommended."-Trakmarx.com

"A . . . comprehensive guide to the evolution of DIY culture as we know it today."-Bookslut.com

This exploration of lo-fi culture traces the origin of the DIY ethic to the skiffle movement of the 1950s, mail art, Black Mountain poetry, and avant-garde art in the 1950s. It follows the punk scene of the 1970s and 1980s to the current music scene. It charts the development of music outside of the publicity machine and examines the politics behind the production of "homemade" recordings and publications.