There’s a Blackstreet track that starts with something unlike what happens with technology. It goes like this:
What we're gonna do right now is go back. Way back. Back into time.
It’s a phrase that isn’t really something technology does well. But it is something French outfit We Are Rewind (yes, a real company name) is doing with a gadget called the GB-001, or simply the “Curtis”.
A literal throwback to a different time, the Curtis GB-001 is a boombox made modern, including an actual cassette player and recorder, but one with Bluetooth capability to make the thing work as a speaker, or specifically four speakers made from two woofers and two tweeters.
It’s a little more than a conventional compact speaker, and will bring 104 watts as well as backlit level meters to the front of the system.
The cassette side is interesting, too. There’s been a push in the past year as generations return to the idea of more analogue approach of doing things, specifically focusing on the classic cassette tape.
That’s something the Curtis appears to champion, with the deck inside this gadget supports two types of cassettes, even letting you record to cassettes using a microphone, or plug in a record player using a 3.5mm input.
The whole thing screams as if the 80s has come alive once again, but made modern, marrying Bluetooth to the idea, so giving you the best of both worlds: tapes or digital. Bring your cassettes and play, or stream from Spotify and the like.
Unfortunately, Australia doesn’t seem to be on the release list for this one beyond simply ordering it online. But it will be found for $579 USD, which basically means you’ll need just under a thousand dollarbucks locally if you want to get this taste of retro in.
