Quick Summary
We Are Rewind has teamed with electro-funk artists Chromeo to make a limited edition polished chrome cassette player.
It'll be available later this month and comes with a limited edition tape version of the duo's Adult Contemporary album.
If you're looking for the ultimate in retro audio tech, We Are Rewind has just the gadget for you. The retro-tech firm has teamed with electro-funk duo Chromeo for a very special edition of its cult cassette player, swapping the normal matte colours for perfectly polished chrome.
It couldn't be more 80s if it came wearing leg warmers.
Beneath the chrome, the player itself is the standard We Are Rewind tape deck, but the special edition also comes with a limited edition cassette of Chromeo's new album Adult Contemporary. It includes two exclusive bonus tracks, too.
According to We Are Rewind CEO Romain Boudruche: "Chromeo has such a distinct sound and style, so the pressure was on to design a cassette player that captured that.
"The shiny chrome cassette player is a truly unique music player that’s bound to turn heads and bring back the funk.”
Brand new retro: We Are Rewind's modern take on the tape deck
This isn't the first time We Are Rewind has appeared on our radar. The firm's portable players were one of the more fun things at CES last week, and if the chrome doesn't appeal, the standard models are pretty impressive too.
We Are Rewind's cassette players are made with an aluminium outer and have Bluetooth as well as the traditional 3.5mm headphone plug. And, instead of a bunch of bulky AA batteries, they're fitted with an internal, rechargeable Lithium-ion alternative that delivers a promised 12 hours of playback.
No tape deck can compete with the sound quality of a high-res audio player, of course, but they're not supposed to. The goal is to deliver something more nostalgic (or faux-nostalgic, if you were too young to experience music on tape the first time around), and that's proved to be popular.
While streaming is by far the most common way for people to listen to music, artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue have all embraced tapes for recent releases.
Pricing for the limited edition Chromeo edition hasn't been announced yet, but it'll go on sale later this month. The normal editions are £136 / $169 / AU$281 and you can choose between a very Walkman-esque black and yellow or orange, blue or grey options.
