C86

Originating from a 1986 NME mail-order cassette, C86 designates a pivotal moment in UK indie rock. The style fused the jangly guitar work of post-punk acts like The Byrds and Television with a deliberately amateurish, DIY ethos inherited from punk. Sonically, it is defined by raw, lo-fi production, trebly guitar textures, and simple, melodic song structures. This sound moved away from the polished sheen of New Pop, championing a more intimate and unassuming approach. While commercially marginal in its time, C86 shaped the trajectory of indie pop and alternative rock, establishing a foundational aesthetic for subsequent generations of artists.