The cassette tape—a small, unassuming rectangle of plastic—transformed the music landscape in ways that still resonate today. In *High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape*, Marc Masters uncovers the profound impact of this once-ubiquitous format. From its groundbreaking inception in the early 1960s to its Walkman-fueled popularity in the 1980s, and through its decline and resurgence, Masters captures the essence of a medium that redefined music consumption and distribution.

Masters, a music journalist known for his work with Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and NPR, presents a detailed account of the cassette tape’s history. The book starts with the tape’s invention by Philips and its rise to prominence, spurred by innovations like Sony's Walkman and the Portastudio. Masters vividly recounts the stories of underground tape artists, bootleg concert recorders, and mixtape creators. These anecdotes highlight how the cassette allowed music enthusiasts to break free from the constraints of mainstream media, creating a space for independent and experimental music to flourish.

Masters goes into the cassette’s impact on various music scenes, including hip-hop and punk, where the format’s affordability and ease of duplication made it a crucial tool for emerging artists. The book also sheds light on how cassettes facilitated music trading and the discovery of new sounds across the globe. Through tales of tape hunters and indie labels, Masters demonstrates how the cassette became a medium of artistic expression and cultural rebellion.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

High Bias by Marc Masters delves into the world of cassette culture, exploring its impact on music and DIY creativity. Masters' detailed account captures the spirit of an often overlooked medium, making it an engaging read for music enthusiasts and cultural historians alike.

Happy to include this title in my recent thematic round-up “Nostalgia,” in the Holiday Gift Books package of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see mini-review at link)

As someone who doesn’t trust the cloud, Marc’s book reminds the rest of us that physical media isn’t just about nostalgia; it’s about preserving human expression in non-proprietary formats.

I've always been a fan of the cassette. It started when I got 12 tapes for a penny through Columbia House, and discovered whole albums based on a song I heard on the radio. Then it moved onto making mix tapes for friends, girls I liked, and receiving them in return, which opened my world to new music. Up until 3 years ago, my car had a tape deck and I would still listen to tapes, the car died. Then I set up my tape deck again in my house. This book is a great discovery like those mix tapes I got. It follows the history of the creation of the tape, to the pushback from record labels to stop consumers from duplicating albums, to discovering found music through the world, to the art of the mixtape, to bootlegging, to the resurgence of the cassette. This was a fun read and a nice little history lesson to the format. Recommended to anyone who loves listening to a tape.
Thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher for the advanced read.

High Bias is a meticulously researched book about the history of cassette tapes and I had a lot of fun going along on the nostalgic journey! Not only do I remember how revolutionary it was when I got my first Walkman in the early 1980's, I also remember getting and making mixtapes that enabled me to just have the songs I want to hear as opposed to having to listen to a whole album. Home recording and mixing became highly influential to many DJ's, Hip Hop artists and non mainstream bands as well as more known bands. Deadheads would tape Grateful Dead shows and share these with others to continue the experience of being at a show. When CD's were first introduced, I was a really late adopter -- I really loved having cassettes and being able to record and create. Over time, as I eventually got used to CD sound, when a friend would put on a cassette - I would unfortunately immediately notice the tape hiss. I still have a cassette player and a bunch of mixtapes that have personal meaning for me. Even when my cassette deck no longer works, I still will hold on to these tapes as a sentimental souvenir of my life.

Thank you to Netgalley and University of North Carolina Press for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette by Marc Masters
A Captivating Journey through Music's Iconic DIY Revolution

NENAD GEORGIEVSKI
OCT 23, 2023
∙ PAID

Title: High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape

Author: Marc Masters

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

Publication Date: October 3, 2023

Hello and welcome to "Vintage Cafe," a reader-supported newsletter tailored for curious minds. Here, you'll find reviews and recommendations on books and music, travel journals, writing tips, art, and coffee that are sure to enrich your experience. Authored by Nenad Georgievski.

"High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape" by Marc Masters is a captivating journey through the evolution and impact of the cassette tape on music culture. In the annals of music history, cassette tapes hold a special place, especially within the realm of independent (indie) music. These unassuming plastic rectangles were more than just a means of listening to music; they were a catalyst for a musical revolution that empowered indie artists to create, distribute, and connect with their audience like never before.

The impact of cassette tapes on indie music was nothing short of transformative, sparking a DIY culture that resonated with musicians and fans alike. As someone who vividly remembers the era of cassette tapes and their significance, reading this book was both a nostalgic trip down memory lane and an enlightening exploration of the tape's profound influence.

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The book delves into the cassette's role in shaping pop culture. The story begins in 1963 when Philips introduced the first portable tape recorder, a pivotal moment that set the stage for the cassette tape's rise. Masters skillfully captures the essence of the cassette tape's allure—its affordability, portability, and the freedom it offered to music enthusiasts. He traces the tape's journey from a humble invention to a cultural phenomenon.

One of the most significant developments was Sony's creation of the Walkman, which allowed music enthusiasts to enjoy their tunes on the go without disturbing others. Simultaneously, the Tokyo Electro-Acoustic Company unveiled the Portastudio, a groundbreaking multitrack home recording device. These innovations transformed the cassette into a medium of artistic creation and distribution in its own right. The cassette tape's ability to empower artists, encourage creativity, and connect communities is vividly portrayed through anecdotes of tape artists, concert tapers, and mixtape makers.


Masters emphasizes how the cassette tape empowered artists and fans alike to "create, invent, individualize," and share music in innovative ways. The rise of hip-hop, with fans circulating cutting-edge sounds not yet on mainstream radio, is just one example of the cassette's cultural impact. Even music legends like Bruce Springsteen embraced the medium, recording an album (Nebraska) on a four-track cassette recorder.

One of the book's strengths is its spotlight on the subversive impact of cassettes. While major record labels initially scorned cassette tapes, dismissing them as "killing music," the medium thrived as an underground movement that corporations couldn't control. Masters introduces readers to tape hunters who rescue forgotten sounds, indie labels that reject streaming in favor of cassette sales, and musicians who embrace cassettes as a form of artistic expression.

The cassette tape movement spurred the rise of independent tape labels, which played a pivotal role in curating and releasing cassette albums. These labels provided a platform for indie artists to reach a wider audience. Some cassette labels developed fervent followings, contributing to the growth of specific music scenes and subgenres. The beauty of cassette tapes lay in their affordability. Unlike vinyl records or CDs, cassette tapes were cost-effective to produce. For indie musicians operating on shoestring budgets, this was a game-changer. It meant that artists could record their music without the need for lavish studio sessions, giving them the freedom to maintain creative control and authenticity.


Masters’ podcast cassette selection

The book also takes readers through the "glory days" of mixtapes in the 1980s and 1990s, a period that holds a special place in the hearts of many music enthusiasts. However, the cassette's eventual decline came with the advent of CDs in the 1980s.

The history behind the cassettes in this book isn't limited geographically to the Western world exclusively, but it is expanded to different continents and regions in order to showcase the passion of individuals in collecting and researching, and to detail the impact these items have had on local cultures in Africa and Asia.

Masters masterfully constructs a lively and detailed case for the cassette tape as a vital driver of cultural creation. He weaves together historical context, personal stories, and cultural insights to create a well-rounded narrative. The author's deep passion for the subject shines through in his engaging writing style. His appreciation for the tactile and sensory experiences of cassette tapes, along with their cultural significance, is evident on every page.



As someone who has fond memories of crafting mixtapes and experiencing the intimacy of exchanging music through cassettes, I resonated deeply with the stories presented in the book. Masters' exploration of the personal connections facilitated by cassette tapes struck a chord with me. The book doesn't just recount history; it captures the emotional and cultural impact of the medium.

"High Bias" is a delightful mix of history, personal anecdotes, and cultural analysis that celebrates the cassette tape's role in music culture. Whether you're a music aficionado, a history enthusiast, or simply someone who experienced the cassette era, this book offers an insightful and enjoyable read that pays homage to an iconic and transformative medium.

This book is accompanied by a playlist on Bandcamp

High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape is a concise but comprehensive history of the cassette tape tracing it through it's technological development through the era of its widespread usage to the memories of mixtapes, desire to capture disparate noises or enduring desire to have something physical in our digital age.

Marc Masters is an accomplished music journalist, having written for NPR, Rolling Stone and Bandcamp Daily. In 2007 he published No Wave . Here, in High Bias, Masters explores both the mainstream music industry and the more fringe, experimental or underground practitioners in the cassette culture.

The book is divided into seven chapters focused on specific facets. The first two chapters detail the creation and development of the cassette tape and its playing infrastructure (boom box to Walkman). Chapters three through six go in-depth with specific cultures looking at the international tape trading, culture and practices of live music recorders, those searching for unique or history music globally and the craft of creating mixtapes. The last chapters the supposed "cassette comeback," when like with records or CDs they never went away.

Masters writes well, offering clear descriptions and interweaving many interview or oral sources into the textual narrative. His focus is from the 1960s to the present day.

Aside from the historical focus, a recurrent theme is the interest of the value of a physical product for music and control. The recorded music industry did not like the cassette tape, as it enabled the every-person the capability to create their own albums or playlist by recording from records or the radio, it distributed something that was under high control. A fact that has gone full circle as music is highly accessible to those with the ability to pay for access either just for the internet or through streaming services. Many of the interviewees or Masters himself talk about how some tried to transition to Spotify or other digital platforms and found the experience lacking compared to the time intensive crafting of mixtapes. Digitization is also a recurrent theme, with many of the tape collectors who journeyed around the world to build up collections creating blogs or websites to help share their sounds.

Marc Masters' High Bias is both a nostalgic look back at the radical possibilities of the cassette and it's ongoing value as a distribution method for more experimental or politically challenging content. A recommended read for music scholars, diy enthusiasts or those interested in the technological development of recorded music.

What I’m going to say is unusual for an academic, peer-reviewed book (brace yourself): I’m buying this book as gifts for my non-academia friends. Whaaaat? No one buys academic books for fun and certainly not for non-academic friends, people who couldn’t give a chuck about literature reviews and theoretical frameworks and nuances and problematizing blah blah blah blah….

While published by University of North Carolina Press, as a very well-researched, stunning piece of scholarship, High Bias makes for an amazingly refreshing, smooth, and interesting work of non-fiction. It is one of those rare books that is entirely suited to an academic audience as well as a general adult readership.

Some of this is due to the subject matter. Every generation has its nostalgic artifacts; music in particular — and here also, its mode, the cassette tape — is one that reaches across many divides. Regardless of our individual tastes in music, those of us who grew in its era can relate to the tactile use of one. The book triggers a muscle memory in both our brains and fingertips. As I read this book I could recall with vivid clarity how the grooves in my cassette tapes felt as I twisted it around to switch from Side A to Side B, or vice versa.

Sentimentality aside, High Bias delivers as a stellar piece of academic scholarship.

The book is divided into and introduction and seven chapters. The first two detail the physical history of the cassette, its development and rise; chapters three and four explore how music travelled in the real world, as dubbed music, from one hand to another. These chapters pay especial attention to the cassette and its involvement in the evolution of hip hop, rap, and DJ music. Chapter five takes this exploration further, beyond American shores, to trace the cultural impact of cassettes on music and its distribution in other places: Turkey, Southeast Asia, and so on. What struck me about these chapters is how the cassette functioned as a mode of connection between people in far flung places. Chapter six ends this discussion with the thing that most of us remember: the personal mixtape. Chapter seven leaves the future of the cassette open; aptly titled, “Tape’s Not Dead.”

Masters draws from oral histories, interviews, archival text, as well as published texts and articles from the last half of the twentieth century; this is a multiple material culture approach to the topic, one that is likely necessary due to the nature and era of the cassette. Masters’ scholarship has breadth, even while — as mentioned earlier — it deftly avoids the pedantism typical of most academic books.

Masters’ prose adds to the accessibility of this book. It reads like a podcast, something I might expect on cassette from a friend who says, “Hey, you gotta listen to this,” and slips it into my bag. The words flow and paint a palpable texture of the many lives that have created and been touched by the cassette and the music it contained.

I’m going to go now and put this book on my Wish List. I want a copy for my personal library.

As someone who grew up in the early 00’s, I didn’t have the largest personal connection with cassette tapes. Some of the music or audiobooks I listened to as a kid were on tape. The most important connection I have with them is from when I was studying for my bar mitzvah. Every week, my tutor and I would work through portions and record on tape for me to practice later.

I found the beginning chapters, about the invention, popularization, and development of tape recording and the compact cassette specifically, as well as the last few chapters about the continued use and foothold of the cassette tape and the resurrection of music thought lost most engaging. The middle third of the book lagged a bit for me, with too much repetition of the “X ran an exchange/zine/radio station in Y location” formula. All that said, I think this is certainly a worthy addition to the microhistory genre.

My thanks to the University of North Carolina Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy.

High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape will be published on October 3, 2023. The University of North Carolina Press provided an early galley for review.

As a kid of the 70's, I used cassette tapes to record favorite songs off of the radio or to make silly recordings of myself doing "shows" or "broadcasts". In college, I went through a phase of buying a lot of new music on cassette as that was more portable at the time. I used pencils to respool many an unwound tape that the player had tried to eat. So, this topic was instantly fascinating for me.

The images used of various cassette tapes throughout the book really took me back; seeing them will be an instant nostalgia trigger for readers of a certain age. Masters understands their allure, their tactile sensations, their audio idiosyncrasies, and he celebrates all of that here.

This book made me really appreciate the cassette format a lot more. It reminded me of the thought and time that went into making a mix-tape; burning a mix-CD or just creating a mix-playlist are such quicker processes. I also enjoyed hearing about the community aspects of tape trading and the thrill-of-the-hunt aspects of finding new music in this manner from other places in the world.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. 3.5/5 but rounded up, “High Bias” was a nice revisit to my childhood when I was first exposed to music through cassette tapes. After completing the book I kind of wish I still had my collection but regretfully I think those tapes went in the trash. It was really illuminating reading how cassettes had an impact on creating artists, getting different music genres out to the masses, and music trading. It was also interesting reading about the global and cultural implications. For a piece of technology that seems so antiquated now, it’s amazing to look back and see all that the cassette has done. That being said, while the source material was great, the content could be rather dense at times. Though I was an engaged reader, I was tempted to skim when there was an overload of information. The book skirts that educational/entertainment line, but ultimately I’d still say it’s worthwhile.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher University of North Carolina Press for an advanced copy of the history and the gift that audio cassettes were, and how those little things changed music in many ways.

I worked in a music store when compact disc's were taking over, LPs were considered dinosaurs and cassettes were starting to be considered the horse and buggy. Cd's were great, great sound, though few music companies outside of classical music tried to do so, great length, 70 minutes, but yeah double albums were still made double cds for money. And the rest. I however loved my cassettes. The sound system had I think 3 double cassette units and two regular cassette systems, along with a record player, CD player and VCR. I think the boss added a laser disc just because. So I would buy Maxell gold's and tape everything, even the stuff I bought, that way it was still clean, and only my tapes would get hurt. I could stick a 90 minute cassette, record all sorts of stuff, with movie dialogue and have the greatest mix tapes ever, humble brag. I miss those days. And I think so does Marc Masters the author of High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape. The book is a history of the creation of cassette tapes,a hagiography on their many uses, and a love song to all the great music and musicians that used that humble plastic in oh so many ways.

The book begins with the idea of making something that could record phone messages so that people back in the day could know who called and why. The technology was there, it just took a lot of trial and effort to bring everything together, starting with paper recordings to a medium that might seem more familiar. Soon the music industry began to take notice, as most recordings of the time were made in one take, without a chance to start over or fix a minor mistake in what could have been a great performance. Soon cassette players were getting a little smaller, and trade wars took place between companies, stealing and copying ideas, but leading to a standard form, that helped in both production and adoption. The book looks at the controversies that cassettes caused, with music people fearing copying of music, and lose of profits. Also the book looks at the use of multi-track recorders in developing music both in rock and hip hop, and how bands could send out numerous demos of their recordings to music labels.

As I wrote earlier a real love story to a humble piece of plastic. I loved cassettes. I loved unfolding the inner sleeve reading the small print, with lyics and tiny pictures. Or making collages for mix tapes that I would give to people to share new bands or share my soul. The writing is very good, well-researched and written so that the technology is easy to understand, and the passion that performers had for the medium came through. There are plenty of stories, about tapes that made history, or changed careers, and about the recent resurgence that is much more than hipster nostalgia.

Recommended for music fans, and for people who love reading about fans of music. There are plenty of stories, with lots of information for people who might be neophytes with cassettes, or oldsters who can record a whole side with no breaks in the songs, complete with special effects, movie noises and spoken word intros.

As I first delved into this I experienced a warm and fuzzy nostalgia trip into my own love of personal recording using cassette tapes. The history of its creation and evolution along with citing certain listening devices like those Panasonic tape recorders from the 60s, boomboxes from the 70s, and the Sony Walkman from the 80s were covered in words and pictures. Caught up in good memories, I happily unearthed my vintage Radio Shack brand Realistic personal cassette player with radio as well as my Sony Walkman- both in perfect working condition. I could write my own book about how much I loved making my own tapes for myself as well as creating loving gifts for others- but I won't bore everyone. Let me just say that I would use nothing less than the superior Maxell XLII-S 90 "High Epilaxial" cassettes with the beautiful gold metallic label.

Once the book proceeded beyond this point I became less engaged, as it was an endless dirge of examples of people that record on and exchange these tapes, establishing friend relationships in the process- with many creating a business for themselves. The practice initially took off with DJs in the burgeoning hip hop industry, but also became a huge thing for Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Metallica fans, among others. Also, the personal cassette tape is portable, can be personalized and re-used. The author did a very good job of covering the subject, but it's up to the reader how interested they are in the many obscure "tapers" who were recounted in this book.

Thank you to the publisher University of North Carolina Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I can't say I was entirely riveted through the entire book, specifically the stuff in here about hip-hop as that's not a genre I'm particularly interested in, but the second half of the book, when it started getting into lo-fi and mix tapes and cassette tape preservationists, that's where this book shone for me. I did also have an issue with the lack of chapters, particularly as it felt like whiplash to go from one subject to another, but I was provided with an e-ARC so this might not be present in the finished copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and The University of North Carolina Press for giving me an Advance Readers Copy.

This history of the cassette tape is both comprehensive, and added new to me knowledge on the topic. I found it fascinating to see all the instances where the cassette tape influenced music, and how it helped so many artists and genres flourish. I also enjoyed reading about how the cassette tape helped people connect on a personal level. I have fond memories of mix tapes from my youth, and even lengthly spoken word tapes exchanged with my pen pals.

In addition to the text, I also really enjoyed the photographs throughout the book. They gave me a feeling of nostalgia and added to the reading experience. For this reason I would suggest grabbing the e-book or a paper copy if you are planning on reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC. It was a great summer read, and I enjoyed it a lot!

When my grandfather died, I found a box of old cassette tapes. They were recordings of meetings he attended as a sports official. We had no tape player to listen to the tapes, but we still hold onto the tapes because there's something sacrilegious about throwing away an object that has my grandfather's voice. I thought about this while reading Mark Masters's "High Bias: The Distorted History of the Cassette Tape." Masters describes in immense detail the history, use, decline, and the adoration for the cassette tape.

Masters reminds readers how the cassette was so important to up-and-coming bands/artists who were not a part of the music community. They could sell, trade, and offer tapes of their performances to get their name and work out into the world. The tape was a way of equalizing access to music. Audience members would record concerts and performances and they would trade amongst themselves because each taped performance was a different experience (The Grateful Dead is an example of this).

Masters also shows how the tape was such a personal object as so many people used tapes to connect with lovers and friends. The cassette became a love language for lovers, and also a means of connecting to people with similar love of music and tapes.

The book is exhaustive in the amount of information, and Masters includes so many quotes, interviews and secondary sources that I feel like I got an enjoyable seminar on the history of tape. #Highbias #marcmasters #universityofnorthcarolinapress #cassette #cassettetapes

This was a really enjoyable ride through the past. You get a complete understanding of cassettes and how they came to be, and beyond. Whether your a person who remembers cassettes or are just interested in the history of cassette tapes and the people who used them, this book is for you. Never boring this takes you on a journey that no other book has. I highly recommend it!