Nobody in the 1980s wanted to build a time machine to get back to the 1950s. No matter how much they loved Elvis, along with all the music and style of that era. They were perfectly happy being in the 1980s and instead they created the Stray Cats and The B52s.
Some of the most popular channels on YouTube these days are nothing more than old VHS family—along with other similar—videos of life in the 1980s. The comments are filled with endless lamentations by young people (nearly all under 20) wishing they had lived in the world before 2001. From a time before when the collective experience of humanity had lost it soul, and reality had lost its succulence. When the sun in the sky was warm yellow and the smiles on the people’s faces were achievable without psyche-meds.
Modern high technology, as well as that of the post 2001 internet, has only delivered what is basically a Smart version of Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings of hell. An inhuman, distorted and sterile psycho-scape devoid of meaning and worth.
It is only the absurdity and insanity of the present age which makes it noteworthy. Otherwise none of us would take notice.
The images sounds and experiences offered to us—are what they are—because this is what the internal psychological world of the Tech sector and the minds of Silicon Valley experience behind their own dead and soulless eyes. Garbage in, Garbage Out.
Like many people of all ages these days, I find myself increasingly driven to immerse myself within a Lo-fi augmented reality of my own. I recently bought a 35mm film camera. I am recording more and more audio for my films using my 1980s boom box cassette recorder and analogue microphone. I am even remixing my old VoN shows with delimiters and compressors so as to give them a more 1980s radio sound and feel. I pick up objects and trinkets from the era and I cherish them as sacred relics of a past I can only emotionally feel though nostalgia, longing and Hauntology.
Is this escapism? Absolutely it is, and a worthy and noble escapism at that. I can think of nothing more meaningful these days than running away from these days.
I was born in 1951. In those days there were wars and rumors of wars, we were always being told to practice duck and cover in school because the Russians could nuke us. We all knew that those exercises were fear porn and useless. Now fast forward to today. The same! The Russians might nuke us. But, it is easier to see where that is really coming from.
I like your idea about going lo-fi. My record player always worked. Same with my reel to reel tape deck, my cassette players and recorders. We didn't have a color TV until 1969. We never thought we were missing out on anything. Later in 1979 I had a CPM based computer = a Zenith-Heathkit one built by my father. 160 kilobyte floppy drives, a basic word processor and SuperCalc spread sheet program. Ya know, I could still have used that program for all my bookkeeping to this day. I just would not been able to email it to my accountant. We bought everything in stores. Software and computers were found in stores. I could browse and find software that I would not know existed without being in the store. Same with music and videos when that became a thing. And, it was all affordable. WHAT HAVE WE REALLY GAINED IN THIS OH SO MODERN WORLD?
If I could transport myself back to the ten years between 1987 - 1997 life would be a joy.