Satanic Panic

In the 1980’s accusations were made against some strange bedfellows, from primary school teachers to film makers and heavy metal music artists – all were accused of being Satanists. Musicians were said to have used editing and mixing techniques sometimes known as ‘backward masking’ to deliver messages encouraging listeners to harm themselves. It was part of a phenomenon called “Satanic Panic.”

These accusations played out heavily “in the high school halls and in the shopping malls” of the suburbs, even in Etobicoke, at Cloverdale, at Honeydale, at the ice rink, at the bowling alley on Dundas near Six Points, at the video store at the Burnhamthorpe strip mall, in Square One, at Michael Power, at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate...it was on tv, MuchMusic - governments and everyone discussed it...

In particular the bands Judas Priest and Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne spent months in court over the accusations. It was alleged that after hearing this music, fans had injured themselves.

This installation, consisting of a single cassette stereo and headphones and a stack of cards with recorded cassette(s), considers those accusations, recreating backward masked suggestions that in court were said to be ineffective.

• Organisation