LOS ANGELES, CA. (MONDAY MARCH 6, 2023) – Independent Project Records announced today full details on the expanded edition of the various artists compilation Tape Excavation coming March 31st. Fans can pre-order and pre-save here.

Previously available only on vinyl, this new expanded version of Tape Excavation has been upgraded with eight additional bonus tracks – including rare recordings of Savage Republic, Scenic, and some of Bruce Licher’s solo experimentations – as well as new artwork. This is the first time the compilation will be available on Compact Disc and digital formats. Track listing is:

1. The Out Sound – Project 197
2. Bridge – Bridge
3. Early Machinery – ½ Bridge (Bonus Track)
4. Opener – The Rack (Bonus Track)
5. Chase – Final Republic
6. The Unknown – Final Republic
7. It Came From The Tunnels – Savage Republic (Bonus Track)
8. First Siege – Savage Republic
9. Assembly of the Dead – Savage Republic
10. Bossa Dune (Basic Tracks) – Scenic (Bonus Track)
11. Untitled – Lemon Wedges
12. Cedar – Bruce Licher
13. Tundra – Bruce Licher
14. The Atmosphere – Exploratorium (Bonus Track)
15. SF Cima Song – Bruce Licher (Bonus Track)
16. Theme For Better Times – Scenic
17. B Minor – Lanterna with Bruce Licher
18. Advancement – Rank
19. Birthdaysong (7×7 Is) – Bruce Licher
20. Mesopotamia – Bruce Licher (Bonus Track)
21. There Is Always A Light Which Will Illuminate The Way, Even In The Darkest Of Times – Bruce Licher (Bonus Track)
22. The Great Escape- SR2

Originally released as a 14-song limited edition vinyl LP to accompany the deluxe edition of the acclaimed book Savage Impressions (which charted Savage Republic, Scenic and Independent Project Records’ founder Bruce Licher’s rich history as a graphic designer and was published by P22 Type Foundry in early 2020), Tape Excavation was compiled by Licher after scouring through dozens of boxes of cassette tapes from rehearsals, demos, and other recordings to find previously unheard nuggets from his various aural endeavors. Tape Excavation is filled with a wide range of musical expression, from Licher’s early, no wave-inspired first recordings for the Project 197 EP released on IPR in 1980, through previously unheard recordings of his groups Savage Republic & Scenic (and various offshoots). There is also a wide range of solo recordings (some created as demos for his fellow band members to be able to listen to new song ideas), collaborations with, among others, Lanterna’s Henry Frayne (‘B Minor’) and Boxhead Ensemble’s Michael Krassner (‘Advancement’), as well as a rehearsal demo from his current musical endeavor SR2, a powerful collaboration with his wife Karen Nielsen Licher. Eight tracks have been added to the original fourteen on this expanded reissue, making for over 70 minutes of listening intrigue. The Tape Excavation compilation contains 22 compelling windows into the ongoing evolution of Licher’s sonic vision.

Additional IPR releases will be announced shortly and will feature both remastered and expanded IPR classics (and in some cases bring long out-of-print titles back in print) as well as new music that fits the IPR aesthetic both musically and in design. By utilizing IPR’s iconic hand-letterpress printed artwork created at Independent Project Press, the label will carry on with the design aesthetic that began in 1982 and has become its hallmark.

ABOUT
Founded in 1980 by musician and artist Bruce Licher, Independent Project Records has created more than sixty releases since its inception. IPR and its sister entity Independent Project Press are known for their instantly recognizable hand-printed record covers for bands including Camper Van Beethoven, For Against, Polvo, R.E.M., Savage Republic, Silversun Pickups, Stereolab and more. Aside from creating all artwork on his vintage two-ton hand-fed letterpress, Licher was nominated for a Grammy Award for his design work on the IPR released debut album from For Against. In 2020, the label was relaunched by both Licher and Jeffrey Clark with new and archival releases and is distributed by MRI/The Orchard & via Proper Music Group, outside the USA & Canada. It is based in Bishop, California, at the base of the Eastern Sierra Mountains.