The noon hour approaches in an empty lunch. I sips my black coffee and listen song from somewhere. “ You know I can't smile without you.” I imagine where the song come from and at that time I think it should come from cassette tape because the song‘s too old. Has everyone forgotten cassette tape? How long we do not need it? When the Beat came in the Box, the topic of interesting news is take me back to remind vintage portable stereos again.Mr. Owerko, the famous photographer from the cover image of Time magazine- the smashed World Trade Center, took close-up photographs of vintage portable stereos. He depicted the story of New York’s street culture from the late 1970s to the mid-’80s by featuring with commentators and published a book named “The Boombox Project: The Machines, the Music, and the Urban Underground.” It reminds everyone who grows up in the pre-CD era and shows the development of the stereos’ design.
The admiration for audio culture and the development of technology led us to think about ourselves which sometimes life is influenced by music. Music’s one mechanic to show culture, express emotions and tell the story of society through media. Music machine developed rapidly and non stop for responses to human consumptions. It responds interchangeably material culture and visual culture but rhythm and lyrics are static. The contexts of design stereo include social, cultural, technical and aesthetic by focusing towards the acts of production and consumption. The most obvious effect is set by marketing and advertisement which tell consumer to change all the time. They earn money from consumers’ obsessions. I think for one good stereo can work in 10 years but when we look on advertisement or hear news from everywhere that can change our mind to buy the new one in recent year. However, it depends on quality. Before vintage portable stereos period, we have gramophone record which are never die and most wanted.
Nowadays, we have many options of stereos such as iPod, iPhone, mp3, dvd player. What machine do you imagine that coming next? Is it possible that we back to origin again?
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It is technology which is invented to support the customer demand; for example, thing is porable, small, multi-functional, and so on. These technologies are developed to improve the old ones; therefore, I do not think that these technologies will back to original.
ReplyDeleteThere weren't even cassette tapes when I was a little boy - my parents and everyone had records to be played on gramophones. They were large, easily damaged, and delicate when being played.
ReplyDeleteThen came cassette tapes. I don't think my nieces and nephews even know what they are, and my youngest nieces and nephews have probably never even seen a video tape!
Personally, I think the less clutter on my shelves, and the easier it is to access something I want, the better, so I'm all for more technological progress in this area - I like the idea of it all being available for instant download for a modest price.
But I do wish we'd kept my mums ancient record collection; they would be worth a fortune now!
I agree with you all that techonology make it comfortable. It helps everyone can listen music everywhere they want. I like download music too, it made me know music around the world and old musics are avialable.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, my friend's farther still listen songs that play on gramophones. It's so classic for him but it's easily to damage like Peter said. I don't know much about it. He always say it's good quality. For this time I can beleive him 50%-50% :D
I love You(tube) giving music to me when I write this article. For my classmate, if you don't remember lyric that I mention. You can hear from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebSYPnllFx8&feature=related. Actually I love both versions from Barry Manilow and Carpenters.
ReplyDeleteHope the sunday&sunshine sing you her poetry.
I love music but I've never heard the song from gramophone before. It's told that, the quality from such stereo is the best. Is it true?
ReplyDeleteNet,
ReplyDeleteFor vintage portable stereo, I think it's not the best but it's suitable at that time. Because tape cassette cannot use longer, it's so easy to get destroy by heat or sunlight.