Mid 1970s Scotch Dynarange C120 Cassette – Blue Label

A lo-fi feast, in the shape of a two-hour Scotch Dynarange audio cassette, from an era long before the personal computer was a thing – let alone the Internet. In fact, it even predates Pot Noodle. Us kids were all still getting our powdered food fixes from Vesta curries, paellas and chow meins when this beast was sitting on the retailers’ shelves.

1992 Maxell SX II 60 Audio Cassette

Staying in the year of 1992, we find a Maxell SX II 60 high bias audio cassette hard at work in one of the era’s most popular home multitracking machines – the Tascam Ministudio.

The Lore of Lo-Fi Cassettes

Technically, it’s an abomination. Inaccurate sonic reproduction, often lacking high end definition, drizzled in haphazard distortions, subject to random pitch fluctuations and topped off with a hissy backdrop. But to some, these technically woeful traits have come to represent beauty, character, charm. Why? Why do some of us prefer a bad recording to a good one? Why do we actually like lo-fi?