Within the last few months, not only has the word "cassette tape" been taken out of the dictionary, but it's also made a comeback with many cassette-only releases. Cassette sales peaked in 1990, when more than 442 million cassettes were shipped. As of this August, music-related cassette sales are up 46% from last year, which in the end equals 22,000
copies.
Chad VanGaalen's new 11 albums will be released primarily on cassette, accompanied by digital downloads.Wilco has teamed up with Hipstamatic to release a limited edition cassette, and groups like Animal Collective and The Mountain Goats have also been inspiring people to bring out their old tape deck.
Polaroid cameras were at the edge of extinction, only to resurface for a moment of popularity. Despite all the portability and ease-of-use that mp3 technology has given us, vinyl sales continue to increase. Personally, I have noticed it is the tech savvy who are most likely to invest in old technology and formats.
WOULD YOU BUY A NEW CASSETTE? Why? Why do we keep coming back to old formats? Have you? Is it nostalgia? Cool factor? Love for analog sound? Better made gear?
We can look at 2011 as the year the (major) motion picture died. Since 1888, film cameras have been made. Within the last year, three major motion picture manufacturers have stopped making them - only digital movie cameras from now on.
Photo by Nils Geylen