French retro-tech specialist We Are Rewind has teamed up with Pink Floyd for a limited-edition WE-001 player and remastered Dark Side of the Moon tape.
While they say that fashion trends often return, rarely do they say that for technology. Since we were kids, we’ve been trying to keep up with technological advancements, some of which, like the iPod, were great successes for the time, while others (Blu-ray anyone?) came and went with barely a whisper. So, it can be nice, from time to time, to have a trusted tech solution from the past return, steeped in nostalgia but ready to hold its own in the modern world.
We Are Rewind, the French company that specialises in (gasp) retro-modern portable cassette players and which has in the past brought us nostalgic innovations like the retro-tastic Freddie wireless headphones and the next-gen Curtis boombox, has done it again, with the Pink Floyd X We Are Rewind WE-001 cassette player.
Believe it or not, year on year cassette tape sales are up 17.5% in the US (and that’s excluding used cassette tape sales, while in the UK the figure is 53% after ten years of consistent growth.
Talking of tapes, most of us remember the first time they heard The Dark Side of the Moon (I certainly do), and for many it would have been on a cassette tape, so it’s fitting that this blast from the past comes complete with an exclusive edition of the iconic Pink Floyd album, on essentially the same Compact Audio Cassette first produced in 1963.
The Dark Side of the Moon, released a decade later, is one of the most popular cassette tape releases of all time, and for the launch of the all-black cassette player, the album has been specially remastered on high-quality cassette as part of a limited edition pack.
Of course, the actual aluminium-constructed cassette player is optimised for today, with true hi-fi sound, a unique headphone amplifier designed with cassette playback in mind, metal buttons and modern features like Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. Its rechargeable battery lasts for 12 hours, and you can even pair the player with a dedicated belt clip if you really want to rock the retro look.
“I still have enormous affection for the cassette,” says Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason. “It really was a major breakthrough, not only with the Sony Walkman but with some of the more up-market recorders. I still have my Nakamichi on the shelf and look forward to testing it with the new The Dark Side of the Moon cassette.”
Building on the success of the flagship WE-001 player, this limited edition retains the technical precision and modern features that have made We Are Rewind beloved by design enthusiasts and music purists alike. So grab a beer, dim the lights, turn on the lava lamp, pop the tape in and just…
“breathe, breathe in the air, don’t be afraid to care”
