Much like every twitchy, tech obsessed, nostalgia chaser, I’m always looking for my next fix. It’s not just about following the latest trends, but rather revisiting the past, to a time where life was slow and simpler. Whether it’s a game, a computer or a piece of tech like a Walkman, these things always bring me such joy, at least in the short term.
I was feeling a sort of digital fatigue and really needed a way to listen to music that didn’t involve my phone. I have some records, but I needed the portability. I have an iPod, which I frequently use, but I still find myself just skipping through tracks or not putting on a full album.
About two years ago, I decided to pick up a Walkman, the same Walkman I had when I was a kid. Inevitably, it didn’t work, which was almost fortunate, as I love tinkering with electronics, so cracking it open, replacing the belts and giving it a good clean was nearly as satisfying as the next part.
I grabbed a few cassettes on eBay of bands I really love, and I instantly felt connected to the music. We all know that a cassette isn’t exactly the highest quality audio, but I was very surprised at just how good it can sound and there’s a warmth that isn’t present in other mediums.
Recording
Next, it was time to record some cassettes of my own. I somehow managed to grab a Yamaha KX-580 from eBay for £40, and it worked beautifully. Although this is a slightly laborious process, it was also incredibly satisfying recording my favourite albums onto a cassette tape - albums I’ve been listening to for years, now a physical object in my hand, on a format that was (at least in the mainstream) dead by the time these albums were released. I can now appreciate these same albums in a completely different way.
I’ve found that putting a cassette in my Walkman, popping the headphones on my ears feels very intentional and for the first time in years, I can just listen to an album from start to finish, without skipping through tracks and it feels right.
I felt myself actively listening to music again, not just as something passive, in the background or filling silence. I was hearing parts of the music that I hadn’t really noticed before.
Resurgence
In the last couple of years, cassettes have seen a slight resurgence, some artists are now releasing their new albums on cassette (with varying quality), and even some younger generations are picking them up, and are able to experience this analogue format.
There are many newer tape players knocking around, and although they may be incredibly compromised in quality, it’s up to the older generations to not judge, allow people to enjoy it with whatever tech they can get hold of, and also guide people to finding used tech that may be much better, and help them understand how to fix it. Repairability is something that will soon be lost if we don’t share and encourage.
What now?
I’m still listening to cassettes - not with the same regularity as I was, but it’s something that I keep going back to, which surprised me. Now I have a pretty good library of cassettes of some of my all time favourite albums - and at the very least, it’s comforting to know that they’ll always be there for me.
