The duo developed a way of working which featured throughout their career, whereby the member that composed a particular piece of music would generally perform all the parts of the song themselves.

The duo eventually made their public debut with a cassette release titled "Freaks Obscure" in 1980 on California-based record label Eurock.

This album included guest appearances from renowned names of the Rock in Opposition scene which the band were fans of: Fred Frith & Tim Hodgkinson of the group Henry Cow, along with Dave Newhouse of The Muffins.

This release featured further guest appearances from musicians associated with Rock in Opposition and avant-prog, such as Guy Segers of Belgium’s Univers Zero, Nick Didkovsky of New York’s Doctor Nerve, Dave Newhouse of The Muffins, Steven Feigenbaum of Cuneiform Records, Dave Kerman of 5uu's, James Grigsby of Motor Totemist Guild, as well as Steve Kretzmer’s older brother, Paul Kretzmer.

The "Happy Accidents" CD re-issue, which was released in 1996 on ZNR Records (US) and Heresie (Japan),[8] also featured a new 25-minute composition from Steve Gore titled "Stabbing At Air".

[3] The final Rascal Reporters full-length album to feature the original line-up was released online as a digital download in 2008, titled "The Mind Boggles".

The album also features guests Mark Harris of Thinking Plague on saxophone and keyboardist Michael Sahl (collaborator of Judy Collins & Van Dyke Parks).

[3][9][10] During the first half of the 2010s, a project was undertaken by then-manager of the band Brian Donohoe to digitise the collection of Rascal Reporters archived reel-to-reel tapes, DATs and cassettes.

[3] In late 2018, Steve Kretzmer released a new digital single under the Rascal Reporters name, "Unknowable / I Cries Crimes", featuring guests Guy Segers of Univers Zero, Kimara Sajn of Polyethylene Pet & Thinking Plague, and Dario D’Alessandro of Homunculus Res.

In early 2019, it was announced that Steve Kretzmer would be joined in the latest iteration of the group by Irish producer and multi-instrumentalist James Strain.