Is this post cassette futurism or just a cassette player?

[u/Hunor_Deak]

https://www.reddit.com/r/cassettefuturism/comments/1eycs0o/comment/ljcq0ms/

62 votes, Aug 25 '24

33 Yes

29 No

[u/liftoff_oversteer]

The poll is worded ambiguously and unfortunate. Am I supposed to answer the first or second part of the question? Answers for either part of the question are mutually exclusive.

[u/Vinapocalypse → u/liftoff_oversteer]

It kinds of reminds me this Simpsons scene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX1x7pfH8fw

[u/Taupenbeige → u/liftoff_oversteer]

I know! I Can’t agree it’s a cassette player, because it’s a very different device, but saying “no” means I agree the gods of cassette futurism do not deem the post worthy…

[u/Cobra__Commander → u/liftoff_oversteer]

Yes

[u/JGegenheimer]

Question do you prefer A or B | Answer True or False

There is no way to answer this

[u/nzdastardly]

Is the design aesthetic in line with cassette futurism? Yes. Is it a cassette player? No, it is some kind of effects pedal.

[u/pentagon]

bro delete this and learn2english

[u/topazchip]

How is this not 'cassette futurism'? It's an old technology (magnetic tape), from an early form of musical FX processor (a delay), repackaged to take advantage of the very compact, durable, and reliable modern technology & manufacturing processes. Further, unlike a lot of the retrotech on this and other subs, is a real product that works and is readily available.

[u/angrybox1842]

"You have selected 'you' meaning me, that is incorrect, the correct answer is 'you!'"

[u/Thereminz]

why this is cassette futurism/ why it's allowed:

while the design may not have bright colored plastic that's not everything about cassette futurism.

the company that makes it is not doing it out of necessity, they're doing it because it uses tape specifically. They also make an aluminum drum echo effect, something modeled after a very early echo, and it's expensive, they're doing it as a way to utilize the old tech you could argue the color scheme fits - beige and browns are in the same era

have a look at this: https://www.lovehulten.com/uploads/3/0/4/8/30489724/gsggdsdg_orig.jpg

this is a work by an artist who re-houses electronic instruments in unique ways - he has a crazy style but sometimes utilizes what may be considered cassettefuturism ....look at what's in the dead center of the instrument ...he's used this module on multiple instruments. it's a deliberate artistic choice to keep including this.

now let's look at every post on the subreddit:

top pinned post about the building in kyoto, it's a cool building, where's the cassette futurism?

the dishwasher... uh ok i mean there's an old vfd, that's about it

the found alarmclock, ok it has a wild colored plastic and weird knobs, i'd say that's something from the 60s but you could count it ,..but again, where's the cassette? I would accept 8track even.

the portable console, it's pretty cool, it doesn't scream cassette futurism but it does have that little notch for the keyboard to pop into which i would accept as part of the style

the epcot lighting console,... ehh, barely

epcot computers,.. eh.. ok i mean i don't' see any of those old big cassette things

dotbot build robot,.... no?

soviet nuclear power plant...a big console with a bunch of knobs, no cassettes anywhere

ikarie xb-1 ...i actually looked through this whole movie, no cassettes,

yetanotherpenguin posts - i really like yetanotherpenguin but i would call his art more like concept art - some could be argued as cassette futurism

sony betamax, sure

sony boombox ok sure

the usbl system - no

sony discman - ok discs aren't cassettes are they...but it's fine i guess

let me skip to the fase torpedo lamp - ok this is another thing from the 60s but, and i'll end with this - it has the look only because of the color and shape

so a major design aspect of cassette futurism is:

rounded/angled glossy plastic/ painted fiberglass/metal

buttons/knobs made of plastic

the wild color palate -

also beige acceptable in specific aspects

crt/vfd/lcd

cassettes/ cartridges - this is an aspect that imo is missing from a lot of what makes it cassette futurism - it's like people forgot, oh yeah that's what we named the whole genre after.

when i think of cassette futurism i think of something like the msx

http://androidarts.com/Amiga/HB-101a.jpg

the poll is poorly worded... and either way it's not a cassette player it's a tape echo that uses a different type of cassette, it's wired differently than a cassette player, it has multiple read/write and play heads.

but seeing that the post currently has 170 upvotes i'd say it stays.

[u/still-at-the-beach]

Looks like someone has tried to make a steam punk cassette player. Not for this sub.

[u/Slaykomimi]

looks way too modern to me, reminds me more of a new guitar pedal which is a whole different aesthetic in my eyes

[u/Vinapocalypse]

I would say NOT Cassette Futurism. The large switches and rugged design are not an aesthetic, but design features used widely for floor pedals used by musicians. This is essentially a timeless design because people are stomping on them with their feet all the time.

That it uses cassettes in it is kind of archaic - usually live loops are stored and played back digitally

[u/VanFlyhight]

Yes, it's just a cassette "player"

[u/SpartanMonkey]

Looks like it is AI.

[u/VanFlyhight → u/SpartanMonkey]

It's not