(Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images)

‘Oh, you’re listening to vinyl are you? That’s SO mainstream – it’s all about cassette tapes now.’

That’s probably the thinking of many a hipster, after cassette tapes started making an unexpected revival.

Sales of music tapes are now rising so unexpectedly that the Recording Industry Association of America is now looking at ways to tracks sales once more – with underground indie artists believed to initially responsible for the revival by releasing material on the tapes.

But now mainstream artists have got in on the act too, with songstress Marina and the Diamonds releasing latest album Froot on cassette last year.




Other significant releases include Justin Bieber’s Purpose and Kanye West’s Yeezus.

The releases are being stocked by Urban Outfitters, who played a massive part in the revival of vinyl by stocking the latest and classic releases in their stores.

Explaining the appeal of cassette, Lee Rickard, the founder of independent label Burger Records, spoke of how it offered a different sound.

(Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Music just sounds different on tape, sometimes as it was originally intended to sound.

‘Cassettes are compact, tangible, instant collectables, often with original and numbered artwork — and as cheap as a cup of coffee, so you can support your local artist without buyer’s remorse.

‘We worked with Green Day to produce a cassette version of their Dookie album, but most of the acts are young and unknown — for now.’

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And while Sony ceased production of cassette Walkmans in 2010, similar devices are still being produced by Phillips and other companies.

Which, all things considered, means that it’s time to get down like this.