Is part of the charm of analog technology that it may be irritating at times?

Is part of the charm of analog technology that it may be irritating at times?

The speed and ease of use of digital technology should have rendered analogue equivalents obsolete. Film photography and vinyl recordings, however, remain. Why are people still using it?

At last, I find the storied Schneiders Buero, an analog synthesizer store in Berlin's Kotti neighborhood. Heading up two flights of stairs, contemporary euro-racks and names like Moog and Buchla are among the music equipment available. Headphones and boxes of patch cables included with every setup. The devices are attractive but also a little intimidating, and there are no instructions. (From field notes Michael kept)

As scholars who hardly spend a day without creating or performing music, we have dedicated the last ten years to studying the astounding resurgence of analog technology. Numerous seemingly outdated technology, such as film cameras and vinyl records, are making a resurgence. One such example is the modular synthesizer, which was among the first iterations of this widely used electronic instrument.

For the 16th consecutive year, vinyl record sales in the UK increased to over six million in 2023, an 11.7% increase over the previous year's sales. With a third more independent record stores (about 461) on UK high streets now than ten years ago, the vinyl renaissance is also contributing to the growth of these businesses.

It's true that the stereotype of elderly guys who listen to vinyl has faded. One in every fifteen vinyl records sold in the US now belongs to Taylor Swift, who also caused some of the UK's Record Store Day lineups in 2023. Modern artists like Lana Del Ray, Tyler, The Creator, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kendrick Lamar have also outperformed acts like Metallica, who sold so much vinyl that they had to purchase their own pressing facility to keep up with demand.

The analogue synthesizer market has been so successful that well-known companies like Korg and Moog have brought back older classics for experts as well as more affordable modules for beginners. This indicates that the availability of analog choices has increased more than it has ever done since the 1970s, when the modular format was at its peak.

Young and middle-aged fans go to synthesizer-based music events organized by emerging businesses like Teenage Engineering, excited to experiment with pocket calculator synthesizers inspired by Kraftwerk that can generate an astonishing range of sounds.

One of the experiences I [Michael] had in Berlin was trying to figure out why so many people choose these supposedly "difficult" technologies when there are far easier and more convenient alternatives. Is the challenge of learning to utilize these antiquated equipment the real point?

I link two modules, speculatively. Nothing. It dawns on me that I've been doing this for two hours. Looking around the store, I feel a little confused. Many of the people who started using the computers at the same moment as me are still deep in concentration, with patch cables covering their machines. I continue, and after a while noises begin to surface. (From field notes Michael kept)

The allure of the gradual

The Human League leader Phil Oakey hinted in a 2011 interview that a new "analogue moment" was occurring, and we questioned whether this renewed interest in outmoded forms would be a fleeting trend or something more permanent.

In any case, we dove right in. Michael purchased a vinyl record player with plastic needles that damaged a few records, a modest set of Korg synth modules aimed more at enthusiastic amateurs than at professional musicians, and a Lomo LC-A camera made in the USSR (released in 1984 and still made in China today).

These excursions eventually developed into our official research project, which has included traveling to record fairs and conventions all around the globe, participating in photowalks and listening nights, and connecting with a variety of ardent analog groups both online and offline.

They are using film due of its aesthetic qualities and more creative control over their images, as opposed to nostalgia.

Giana co-wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review in 2018 titled The Growing Business of Helping Customers Slow Down. The piece discussed the growing popularity of "consumer deceleration" and related ideas like "quiet rooms" and "slow shopping" in certain high-street retailers.

We believe that making deceleration easier is good for companies, the environment, and people's well-being. We anticipate a sharp increase in demand for these kinds of experiences in the next years. Successful consumer tactics may stem from an awareness of our existential need to sometimes slow down. (Gianna)

A growing number of us are now realizing the future that Gianna's piece foresaw. The Observer newspaper referred to vinyl records as the "antidote to a frenetic digital world" in December 2023, along with carefully produced "drip" filter coffee. Many of the individuals we spoke with regarding "the appeal of the slow" agreed with this statement, including Naomi*, who had just started playing with a camera reminiscent of the 19th century.

"I like how leisurely it moves; it's a good pace. You only have two to six opportunities to snap photos, and both the film and the processing cost a lot of money. You really have to pay attention to detail because getting that photo from within the camera to print requires a lot of labor. Even if you devote a few days and make a mistake in the beginning, the result will still be a poor shot. because really appeals to me because you won't snap 1,000 images as a digital camera does."

Preserved from being demolished

Film maker Ilford Photo conducted a worldwide photography study in 2018 and found that over 25% of those shooting on film, many of whom were under 40, had never used the format previously. They are gravitating toward film because to its aesthetic qualities and more creative control over their images, not nostalgia. Even while the film camera business is currently relatively small worldwide, it is expanding quickly.

As a result, companies like Kodak, Polaroid, and Leica have made a comeback—in some instances, almost from the grave. Days before it was about to collapse, Austrian businessman Florian Kaps saved the venerable instant camera manufacturer Polaroid by buying its final facility in the Netherlands via his Impossible Project organization. Kaps gave us the following explanation:

We had just created and found a rapidly expanding consumer base of younger instant photographers, so we knew we had to battle for this one final opportunity to save the medium! In 2008, we practically prevented its destruction at the last minute."

With its headquarters located in the heart of Vienna, the Impossible Project currently provides both private and business customers with a wide range of services, including block-based printing and sourdough breadmaking classes, large-scale Polaroid images, and locally produced wines. In other contexts, the popularity of analog has persisted in a variety of domains, such as board games, correspondence, and the durability of physical books.

Based on the 2024 Oscar nominations for best cinematography, it seems that members of the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scientists are also enthusiasts of analog technology. Filmed on Kodak movie film stock, four of the five finalists for best cinematography (Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, and Maestro) are still relatively rare films.

For consumers and users of analog technology, work, effort, and significance are all related concepts.

Despite the fact that digital filmmaking has certain distinct benefits over analog, particularly in post-production and distribution, the most frequent misconception is that digital is more economical. We had a conversation about this in 2018 with Steven Overman, the global marketing director of Kodak at the time, about Oppenheimer's director, Christopher Nolan, who is a well-known supporter of filmmaking.

One of the most widespread misconceptions about film is that it costs more than digital, but if you're a methodical filmmaker, that notion truly isn't true. When a director uses very high shooting ratios, a significant amount of post-production work is required. However, a movie like Dunkirk didn't really shoot a lot of footage since director Chris Nolan is such a meticulous shot-finder and understands precisely what he needs to get in the frame. Filmmaking, by definition, calls for more discipline."

Overman also pointed out that commercial photographers using film are making more money in industries like fashion than those using digital, mostly because they can differentiate themselves in a crowded field of really talented work. According to him, premium labels like Gucci are especially interested in using film photography since it offers their advertising materials a unique aesthetic.

Work, exertion, and significance

Michael has spent a lot of his photowalks in pubs debating the pros and cons of film vs digital. Following one of these walks, James, a former photography instructor, made a statement about a film image showing a fox coming into a backyard late at night to eat nuts. Following the acknowledgement that digital photography was likely superior for wildlife photography, James intervened:

That would be missing the mark! Without a doubt, in terms of quality, but you would lose out on all the planning. It's similar to listening to a CD at home vs seeing a band live. Even if the sound is better, you can't see the players' and crew's hard work and the effort that went into the performance."

For consumers and users of analog technology, work, effort, and significance are all related concepts. While many see labor as a means to a goal, whether it be for financial gain or physical fitness, "analoguers" get satisfaction from the setup, perfecting, trial-and-error, and skill-building processes.

Dan, another photographer, supported this "love of the process" in a Zoom conversation that took place in the midst of one of the Covid lockdowns:

"What [image] I'm going to wind up with isn't anything I want to distract me from when I'm serious. I know I'm going to see the picture soon, even with instant photography; it's just not now. Everything is great until I hit the shutter. Although I like the final product and enjoy finding the frame, the whole process is crucial."

However, none of the interview subjects are analogue purists. Most vinyl enthusiasts also have Spotify playlists; film photographers sometimes pull out their phones to rapidly snap shots; and devotees of modular synths often carry tablets loaded with applications for instant sound emulation.

When asked to contrast the two, however, they discuss how much more significance and weight they place on their analog experiences. Vinyl fans often tell us they have a closer connection to the artist and feel more invested in the song. Paul, for example, spoke about his bond with a particular vinyl album that he cherished:

Aretha Franklin's "A Natural Woman" is the one vinyl music that can never fail to bring me to tears. Even though it's very damaged, there's something about the warmth it emits that allows for the addition of something. It does seem more like someone is speaking to me, thus I believe it has something to do with the human voice."

Paul's connection with this song includes the unique sound quality of a vinyl recording, as well as the wear and tear from playing this record so often. The technology of analogue recording, which captures all sounds created during the recording process—including the unplanned noise—also contributes to making this feasible.

Some artists have even begun building up their own pressing factories, like Detroit's Third Man Pressing, to help produce this sound. Because the analogue rebirth has an unplanned aspect to it as well.

The delight of fortunate mishaps

"Happy accidents" made possible by constrained analog technology may inspire new works of art, whether they be in the fields of music, cinema, or visual arts. According to John, a musician and 80s music enthusiast from Melbourne, the phrase is often used in electronic pop music to describe unforeseen or unintended results that result from flaws in analog equipment:

"Most of the work you put into creating music is like a happy accident that turns out to sound better than you had planned. It's normal for the machine to perform a little differently than you expected or to stray slightly off course. Your errors or mishaps become a part of your efforts rather than making you say, "Oh, I'll fix that and do it right again." It has a little amount of unpredictability, which might help you accomplish your goals.

Alternatively put, as Rusty Egan, co-founder of the groundbreaking New Romantic club Blitz in London's Covent Garden and a former member of the early synth-pop band Visage, puts it: "Don't give up the possibility of accidents!" Egan, who is known for his candid opinions, once made that memorable plea while performing as a DJ in 2011. He clarified his meaning later that night:

"The just concluded DJs are fantastic, but they utilize Ableton, a computer program, to make the transitions between songs seamless. Everything is now too flawless because of this. Errors are not a possibility. Without that technology when we first began, we made errors, some of which were fortunate accidents that led to memorable songs. Do you recall the somewhat off-key song "duh duh" from Tainted Love? Dave Ball loved the sound and was just starting to play. You are flawless because he overlaid the wonderful voice of Marc Almond."

The same sensibility is part of the reason for the resurgence of film-based photography. Established in 1992 by a group of students as an arts movement to encourage the taking of impromptu and experimental photos, the Vienna-based Lomography organization promotes the "joy of light leaks" characteristic of inexpensive plastic cameras made in the Soviet Union and China, leading to a variety of intriguing creative outcomes.

In fact, Lomography's ninth golden rule emphasizes the unplanned nature of using film rather than a digital camera, as well as the delightful surprise of receiving your developed film back from the processing lab:

So the lab returns a roll of film to you. Who is that individual? What is that flickering swirl of light in the picture? How did the colors come to be that way? How in the world did that inadvertent double exposure occur, for example? What on earth was I attempting to capture there? These fortunate mishaps are what we adore. (Mike)

The cracking sound of vinyl, the graininess of film, and the tendency of analogue synthesizers to suffer from power surges or fall out of tune may all play important roles in the cultural resonance of music and art. Human flaws also occur, and they seem to be more prevalent in analog recordings.

Is consumers becoming less skilled as a result of digital technologies, feeling more alienated?

For instance, the opening bass line of US indie band The Breeders' 1993 song Cannonball inadvertently begins in a different key. Josephine Wiggs, the bassist, started the riff one step too low and corrected it as the drums entered. And the first note of the Police's 1978 hit Roxanne, which features lead vocalist Sting laughing because he sat on the piano keys by mistake, opens the song.

Comparably, since Mick Rock was "pushing" the film to its limits and taking pictures in low light, many of his iconic music photos—like the cover of Lou Reed's album Transformer—are technically very grainy; yet, this gives them a painterly quality that has increased their force and appeal.

Digital technology is making us less skilled.

In the roughly ten years that we have been doing this study, the reasons for the analogue renaissance have evolved from nostalgia to the need for something tangible in the digital world to the idea that analog technology is more artistically pleasing. Many in the creative industries now agree that creating art benefits from working under constraints and having to overcome them.

Is consumers becoming less skilled as a result of digital technologies, feeling more alienated? And is this resolved by using more complex analog devices? That brings us to our conclusion. Sports and artistic endeavors are two examples of "serious leisure" that provide us intrinsic satisfaction while being difficult to participate in until abilities are honed. Another avenue for customers to satisfy their need to retrain is via the use of analog technology.

Similar to the menschmaschine (Man-Machine) ideology of German electronic giants Kraftwerk, analog users have a feeling of more control over their creation, but this is only possible via submitting to the needs of their technology. This goes against what most consumer-driven innovation promises to deliver: improved usability and enhanced functionality.

Consumers who accept new technology quickly are considered innovators, while others who adopt it more slowly are considered laggards, often due to inability to buy the newest innovations, according to Malcolm Gladwell's best-selling first book The Tipping Point. The "anti-tech" or analog renaissance, however, may also be seen as a new way to consume status given the expenses of usage, maintenance, failure, learning curve, and physical space required for storing.

The desire for individuals to be active customers as opposed to passive ones is what is driving the analogue resurrection. Their ability to shape their desired experiences increases with the amount of work they put in using analog technologies. This includes learning the rules, applying them skillfully, and ultimately breaking the rules to create happy accidents that they can share with others who share their interests.

It's also popular to connect digital and analog technologies, integrating two very separate systems to provide even more possibilities.

Rob is the creator of a website that was first dedicated to The Human League and then evolved into an electronic music platform and, briefly, a record label. The website was silent for a while until abruptly taking a great interest in vinyl. Rob explained to us how the "sheer ease" of digital music, beginning with CDs and the MP3 player, had soured his love of music and how vinyl had given him new life.

It all became a little jumbled since I could never listen to the whole album on an MP3. I was becoming bored since it was so simple. Music wasn't drawing me in as much as it used to. Vinyl has forced me to examine artists that I never would have on CD."

Rob found that listening on digital devices—which lacked the "sides" of vinyl albums—and on music streaming services, which prioritize popular songs using digital algorithms, presented a challenge. Finding hidden treasures on albums and single B-sides was a big part of the pleasure of listening to music.

"I hate this song."

In our study, we differentiate between "craftspeople" who are analogue and have spent hours learning the ins and outs of their technology, and "designers" who go above and beyond. These are the ones that like to push the boundaries, disobey the law, and start the fortunate accidents that lead to the creation of something completely novel. Photographers who want to express themselves more creatively, for instance, may "soupe" or pre-soak their camera film in beer, coffee, lemon juice, or even burn it.

Additionally, it's usual for this group to integrate digital and analog technology, integrating two whole separate systems to provide even more possibilities.

Denis Villeneuve, a filmmaker, began shooting the first installment of Dune (2021) digitally, then converted it to film and finally re-digitized it. Why?

According to Villeneuve, going digital-on