cassette

my recent reminiscing about junior high school days led me to rediscover some old cassette tapes that had been gathering dust in my attic for a while. most are compilation tapes (some dating back to 1989) containing white rap, electronic dance, and phil collins. the later tapes have some alt-rock and metal from the age of flannel. but i also found a few tapes of comedic observations that were put together in the nineties. after burning them, i reflected back on the joy of recording within the medium of the audio cassette tape. it was much more time-consuming and fun to make a compilation tape back then than it is to drag and drop and burn a mix today. it took skills to get the volume, timing, and dubbing just right. i lamented that the cassette was quickly vanishing into pop history. but then i noticed this article and took heart; it seems the tape will be around for some years to come. due to the library of congress (books on tape for the blind) and religious nuts (sermons on tape) it appears the minute current demand won’t be fading soon. and that’s’ good news for people who want to stay relevant but still listen to black box tracks on magnetic tape.