LILA Gazette explores the magic of cassettes and why they’re worth a listen in a world full of playlists.

By Loïc McAllen – 8th grade.
In today’s world of streaming music, cassettes might seem outdated, but they have a special charm that many people are rediscovering. When I listen to a cassette, I experience an entire album as the artist intended, with its unique vibe. Unlike digital playlists where I pick and choose songs, cassettes let me enjoy every track and even discover new ones. Plus, the sound can feel richer and more vibrant compared to streaming. Also, making custom mixtapes is a fun and creative way to share music. 

When I click play for a song on Spotify, I usually have it on a playlist. Unless these songs usually belong to an album. This entire album is full of vibrant songs, and when I just pick and choose songs, I don’t experience the whole album. Also, when I go on my streaming services, some albums aren’t available for streaming. For example, De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising” used so many samples that it had not been released to streaming services until 2021. “De La Soul’s breakthrough 1989 debut ‘3 Feet and Rising’ was their coming-of-age”, says Vikki Tobak from the Library of Congress, “The album, laden with comedic skits, technical skill and a revolutionized sample-laden sound, is considered one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time.” 

When I listen to music on Spotify, it sounds a little hard to hear. Although, with a cassette, I can listen to the album entirely and discover new songs. The albums are perfectly set up so that the side will flip and have a break in the middle. If I listen to Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” there is a pause between “Great Gig in the Sky” and “Money.” Also, when I listen to a cassette, the sounds feel alive and vibrant. There aren’t any interruptions—no times when the Wi-Fi drops and the song loads for 30 minutes. Once I have the cassette player and the cassette, it’s mine; I don’t need any add-ons, just some batteries (or electricity for modern ones that charge).

Cassettes when found at flea markets can be warped, melted, or stuck. If I bring my cassette player with me, I can test the cassette before buying. Usually, if it’s in plastic, the quality is substantial. However, no matter how good the album looks, if it’s over $10, it’s not worth it, since I can find a cheaper deal somewhere else. I learned this information the hard way. As a gift, my mom went to a store called Jackknife in Atwater Village, Los Angeles. She got me a cassette of Supertramp’s “Breakfast in America”. I had no idea it was $20, which is way overpriced. When I played it, it sounded like it was going through a blender.

The next day, we went to return it; the seller said he’d make an exception but that there were no returns. I picked out Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”. It was also terrible. We returned it since the receipt said we could. This time, I tested the cassettes and found one that worked: Talking Heads’ “More Songs About Buildings and Food”. It ended well but totaled up to $30 since the Talking Heads album was $10 over. Ironically, while writing this article, I just popped in a cassette that was warped into my cassette player. It was ELO’s “Time”. It was from a store called Record Safari, and they accept returns.

One thing that is even better than original pressing cassettes is custom mixtapes. If I have a cassette player that can record directly onto it, I can make custom mixtapes. A new example of a cassette player that records is a ‘We Are Rewind’ player. It is also rechargeable and not battery-powered. Anyway, these blank cassette tapes are only a dollar. Instead of being 30 minutes per side, they can be up to 2 hours a side. Also, if there is just a cheap compilation cassette, I can just record over it. If I were a musician, it would be a great way to record my music. One final quality about cassette tapes is that they have more time than records, so artists will often release extra songs to tapes. For example: In Visible Silence by Art of Noise. The first side of the cassette fits the entire album so the second side is entirely filled with bonus songs. This was a fun surprise to discover, and I’m sure it is not the only cassette out there like that.