A few months ago, the term cassette tape was taken out of the Oxford English Dictionary. (!!!) It may seem ironic, then, that the cassette has experienced a quiet comeback over the last few years, as independent labels issuing tape-only releases have begun popping up around the world. I can’t even tell you how many fond memories I have of the days when cassette tapes ruled my music life. Do you remember the days being angry at a radio announcers when they’d start talking before the song was over and screwed up your recording of a song? I do!
That’s why I just backed a project on Kickstarter that plans to create a movie, entirely documenting the beauty of Cassette Tapes. They’ll look at all parts of popular culture influenced by the cassette, including hip-hop and B-Boy culture, indie rock, home recording, and beyond.
I just backed CASSETTE on Kickstarter. Will you join me?
(Thank you Kendra)
I remember my first girlfriend recording the Top 40 on a Sunday afternoon years ago – It was a quite a task and disturb her at your peril.
Have you heard about Cassette Lord?
http://www.theacidhouse.com/2011/04/18/brighton-street-artist-cassette-lord/
Jan 23rd, 2012 / 12:12 pm
I bookmarked this site on cassette tapes a while back. They document and categorize old cassette tapes, so cool to look back
http://www.tapedeck.org/index.php
Jan 23rd, 2012 / 5:32 pm
Love it! My first cassette was handed down from my older sister. It was Roxette.
Jan 24th, 2012 / 1:49 am
What about rewinding the cassette with a bic pen ? hahaha
If I talk about cassettes my kids look really weird to me, as if I was from the dinosaurs era… amazing how much everything has changed.
Jan 24th, 2012 / 3:13 am
I remember those annoying moments trying to record a song off the radio too!
I have my old cassette deck headcleaner sitting on my work desk. It has the shape of a cassette with clear plastic, and the inner workings are red. I like it’s form, and it reminds me a) to appreciate the little things and b) that regardless of great design, an object can be rendered obsolete seemingly in the blink of an eye (whereupon it soon gains a retro charm).
Jan 24th, 2012 / 8:11 am
I really want to back this but I don’t have a credit card. Boo to Kick Starter not taking interac!
Jan 24th, 2012 / 9:24 am
Love it!
Jan 25th, 2012 / 3:10 am
This is exciting. In music production we spend a lot of money to make things sound like they once existed on a magnetic strip of tape at one point in the process. There are several plugins for tape emulation that recreate the tape speed, thickness, heads, etc. It is a medium, similar to phono records, which should never disappear. I imagine the difference between tape and digital in our audio world is the difference between a screen print and a computer print in your design world.
Jan 26th, 2012 / 3:36 am
No word is ever removed form the Oxford English Dictionary, though it may be removed from shortened versions (such as the Concise Oxford English Dictionary).
I’ve just looked up ‘cassette’ at oed.com, and found:
” d. A closed container of magnetic tape with both supply and take-up spools, so designed that it needs merely to be inserted into a suitable tape recorder, computer, or video recorder to be ready for use. Cf. videocassette n. at video- comb. form 1.”
Jan 29th, 2012 / 6:43 pm
Hi, my graffiti name is cassettelord-i spray paint large cassettes all over Brighton in the U.K and produce cassette-based stencil art, you can see some if you pop cassettelord into google images!
Mar 16th, 2012 / 4:46 pm
Does anyone know how i can get in touch with Zack Taylor via email whos makin the the documentry, ive got a whole cassette art sence going on here in Brighton…
Mar 16th, 2012 / 4:59 pm
wonderful put up, very informative. I’m wondering why
the opposite specialists of this sector don’t notice this.
You should continue your writing. I’m sure, you have a great readers’ base
already!
Nov 20th, 2014 / 5:20 am