In the ’90s, one unassuming Casio enthusiast from Greenwood, Indiana, sent a tape to a local zine and never heard back.
That tape has now resurfaced in Larrison’s Connecters Vol. 1: Original Recordings, 1992–1999, reissued in 2026 by Freedom to Spend, pairing the original album with home recordings that are simultaneously amateurish, charming, and surprisingly inventive.
Larrison your neighbor, roommate, or maybe your younger brother recorded the album entirely on a Casio CZ-5000, crafting short, whimsical tracks that explore miniature worlds.
The music has a nostalgic simplicity but is deceptively rich, echoing the playful experimentation of early DIY electronic music.
Each track, typically under two minutes, acts as a vignette, a tiny sonic experiment that rewards careful listening.
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The reissue came about thanks to Freedom to Spend, who sifted through over 1,200 tapes submitted to the Austin DIY zine ND. Among these overlooked recordings, Larrison’s stood out, offering evocative, playful compositions reminiscent of a Mark Mothersbaugh fantasia recorded by Daniel Johnston.
Tracks like “Ripples” shimmer with shy, stuttering melodies, while “Ice Planet” conjures a haunting iridescence, blending subtle bass patterns with melancholy mellotrons.
Larrison’s music channels his love of educational documentaries and quirky library soundtracks. “Water Montage” evokes scientific laboratories more than bodies of water, while “Winter Wave” and “Swarm” float gently with bossa nova and jazz-inspired tones.
Songs like “A Late Start” highlight the creative use of whistling notes, mallet-like textures, and delicate layering, offering a whimsical daydream-like experience.
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Though most of the tracks exude a calm, exploratory mood, two“In Motion” and “Fancy Finish” deliver harsher, experimental textures that briefly disrupt the album’s serenity. The overall effect, however, is one of joyful, intimate exploration, as if listening in on Larrison tinkering alone in his bedroom decades ago.
Why release this now? Larrison, now a graphic designer in Iowa, never officially released these recordings. Yet the contemporary appetite for nostalgic, home-recorded, and experimental electronic music popularized by artists like 100 gecs and platforms like Bandcamp makes these quirky tapes feel timely.
Connecters Vol. 1 captures a fleeting moment of DIY creativity, providing listeners with a charming, playful glimpse into the analog experimentation of the ’90s.