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 2 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.
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.
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.
