If you’ve played a part in the unlikely tape revival, chances are you’ve been listening to cassettes manufactured by the Missouri’s National Audio Company.
When everybody else was making a rush to CDs in the late ‘90s, NAC were the only company in America “too stubborn to quit” on the beloved audio format. Now they’re laughing, selling more than ever in their history as bands, record labels and listeners come flooding back to the much-loved analogue tapes.
As the cassette business plummeted, they bought up a rag-tag collection of machinery from manufacturers across the US who threw in the towel. The team are constantly battling to keep the ageing equipment going, and have adopted ingenious solutions to keep the obsolete technology pumping out tapes – like marrying a ‘30s cigarette wrapping machine with a microprocessor.
Now that everyone from Burger Records to Metallica have embraced the cassette once again, NAC have surfed the wave of popularity, helping to support a culture that would have struggled to be reborn without their unfailing belief in the cheap and clunky but awesome retro format.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
In a world of noise, IC3PEAK are finding radicality in the quiet
Coming Home — Having once been held up as a symbol of Russian youth activism and rebellion, the experimental duo are now living in exile. Their latest album explores their new reality.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Are we steamrolling towards the apocalypse?
One second closer to midnight — While the rolling news cycle, intensifying climate crisis and rapidly advancing technology can make it feel as if the end days are upon us, newsletter columnist Emma Garland remembers that things have always been terrible, and that is a natural part of human life.
Written by: Emma Garland
In a city of rapid gentrification, one south London estate stands firm
A Portrait of Central Hill — Social housing is under threat across the British capital. But residents of the Central Hill estate in Crystal Palace are determined to save their homes, and their community.
Written by: Alex King
Analogue Appreciation: Maria Teriaeva’s five pieces that remind her of home
From Sayan to Savoie — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. First up, the Siberian-born, Paris-based composer and synthesist.
Written by: Maria Teriaeva
Petition to save the Prince Charles Cinema signed by over 100,000 people in a day
PCC forever — The Soho institution has claimed its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd, is demanding the insertion of a break clause that would leave it “under permanent threat of closure”.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Remembering Taboo, the party that reshaped ’80s London nightlife
Glitter on the floor — Curators Martin Green and NJ Stevenson revisit Leigh Bowery’s legendary night, a space for wild expression that reimagined partying and fashion.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai