atomicpoet on Nostr: I revisited a lot of my old cassettes today and had a wild thought. The reason this ...
I revisited a lot of my old cassettes today and had a wild thought. The reason this stuff matters to me is because it’s an investment—not just a monetary one, though I did pay for these cassettes—but an investment in space and attention.
At some point, I invited this music into my home. It sits on a shelf. I look through the collection, open the cases, admire the artwork, read the lyrics. I take in the different colors and labels of the shells. This music tells a little story about who I am and what I value.
And it’s not just about owning them. I could just display them, but I don’t—because this music deserves to be played. It’s an investment in attention. I don’t just hear these songs; I listen to them. On cassette, no less. I can tell you about these artists, when and why these albums were made, what these songs mean.
Now, I’m not here to bash modern streaming services. I use them myself, quite a bit, to discover new music. There’s undeniable value in that. But something is missing in the streaming era: investment.
Most of the time, you hear a song, but you don’t know who made it or why. It goes in one ear and out the other, often just background noise to fill the silence or enhance a mood.
When I was a kid, music meant more. Musicians were serious artists. The music you listened to defined you—you belonged to a subculture shaped by it. And that was because music required investment. You bought it. It took up physical space in your home. You gave it real attention. No wonder so much art, fashion, and literature revolved around it.
That’s not to say this doesn’t exist today, but back then, we had watershed moments that changed culture itself. I remember punk, new wave, metal, grunge—these weren’t just genres; they were movements. We discussed them endlessly, dissecting every detail.
And here’s the other thing: music was resistance. Hip-hop and punk weren’t afraid to confront authority. They spoke about real issues. I have no doubt musicians today are making incredible art, but music’s cultural force has been diminished—because we no longer invest in it the way we used to.
And I think we’ve lost something because of that.
At some point, I invited this music into my home. It sits on a shelf. I look through the collection, open the cases, admire the artwork, read the lyrics. I take in the different colors and labels of the shells. This music tells a little story about who I am and what I value.
And it’s not just about owning them. I could just display them, but I don’t—because this music deserves to be played. It’s an investment in attention. I don’t just hear these songs; I listen to them. On cassette, no less. I can tell you about these artists, when and why these albums were made, what these songs mean.
Now, I’m not here to bash modern streaming services. I use them myself, quite a bit, to discover new music. There’s undeniable value in that. But something is missing in the streaming era: investment.
Most of the time, you hear a song, but you don’t know who made it or why. It goes in one ear and out the other, often just background noise to fill the silence or enhance a mood.
When I was a kid, music meant more. Musicians were serious artists. The music you listened to defined you—you belonged to a subculture shaped by it. And that was because music required investment. You bought it. It took up physical space in your home. You gave it real attention. No wonder so much art, fashion, and literature revolved around it.
That’s not to say this doesn’t exist today, but back then, we had watershed moments that changed culture itself. I remember punk, new wave, metal, grunge—these weren’t just genres; they were movements. We discussed them endlessly, dissecting every detail.
And here’s the other thing: music was resistance. Hip-hop and punk weren’t afraid to confront authority. They spoke about real issues. I have no doubt musicians today are making incredible art, but music’s cultural force has been diminished—because we no longer invest in it the way we used to.
And I think we’ve lost something because of that.