Rewinding the Future: An Interview with Romain Boudruche of We Are Rewind.

There’s a certain audacity in reviving a technology the world had already filed under “nostalgic trivia” - especially when that technology involves magnetic tape, chunky buttons, and the hiss of imperfection. Yet, rather than treating the cassette player as a relic for attics and flea markets, We Are Rewind has recast it as both a design object and a vessel for ritual. In an age when streaming platforms flatten music into disposable background noise, their work poses a quietly radical question: what if listening could once again be slow, tactile, and gloriously inconvenient - in the best possible way?

At the helm is Romain Boudruche, an analog provocateur in a digital age. He isn’t interested in cosplay nostalgia or wallowing in retro chic. Instead, he builds a bridge where analog grit shakes hands with digital polish, treating imperfection not as a flaw but as a feature. His answers reveal a philosophy that balances cultural memory with modern expectations - playful, rigorous, and just rebellious enough to remind us that pressing play should still feel like an event.

We Are Rewind occupies a fascinating space at the intersection of cultural memory and contemporary design. How do you navigate the creative tension between preserving analog authenticity and appealing to a modern, tech-savvy audience?

Romain Boudruche: We see analog authenticity not as a limitation but as the foundation upon which we innovate. We preserve the mechanical integrity (real tape transport, physical buttons, authentic sound characteristics) while integrating features that modern users expect - rechargeable batteries, Bluetooth connectivity, durable materials (like aluminum) rather than cheap plastic. Our goal is a product that feels and sounds like vintage, but works like something from 2025. It’s a balance: keeping the ritual and imperfection of analog, while removing the pain points (fragility, obsolete batteries, lack of wireless).

The cassette format evokes a slower, more deliberate mode of listening - a stark contrast to today’s hyper-streamlined, algorithm-driven platforms. What do you believe this analog resurgence reveals about the evolving relationship between people and music?

Romain Boudruche: The return to cassette (and vinyl) shows that many people are tired of music as merely background or algorithm-generated content. Physical media forces a slower, more engaged process: choosing the tape, inserting, pressing play, maybe even recording your own mixtapes. It creates ritual, tangibility, a sense of ownership and memory. It’s not just nostalgia - it’s a desire for authenticity and intentional listening.

Was there a particular moment - perhaps a song, an object, or a personal ritual - that first inspired your vision for reimagining the cassette player for a new generation?

Romain Boudruche: My Polaroid camera was a major source of inspiration for this project. In many ways, these products share a similar purpose today. With a smartphone, you can take thousands of photos effortlessly, but shooting on film is a completely different experience. It requires time, attention, and intention. The camera itself is also a beautiful object - one you might not use every day, but which often finds a place on a shelf as a decorative piece in your living room. Our cassette player follows the same logic. Listening to a tape is nothing like streaming a track on Spotify - it’s a ritual in itself. And when it’s not in use, the player becomes a design object in its own right. That’s why design is so central to what we do.

Design and tactility are central to your brand. How do considerations such as material selection, user interface, and visual minimalism influence your product development philosophy?

Romain Boudruche: We draw our inspiration from minimalist design. Dieter Rams and his principle ‘less is more’ was a major influence for us. Metal casing (aluminum) is used both for aesthetic and durability, physical controls are clean and simple, visual design avoids superfluous decoration. The user interface is tactile: buttons you can press, no unnecessary features. Even when incorporating tech like Bluetooth or rechargeable batteries, we try to not compromise the look and feel of an analog product.

Reviving an ostensibly obsolete format comes with both technical and cultural hurdles. What were some of the unexpected challenges you encountered, and how did they inform or reshape your creative process?

Romain Boudruche: Some of our biggest challenges included sourcing mechanical parts - since many factories that once produced cassette mechanisms have shut down - ensuring component reliability to prevent issues like tape eating or really high wow and flutter, achieving clean signal quality while managing heat and Bluetooth interference, and integrating a rechargeable battery without making the device too bulky. Fitting modern electronics into an aluminum case without compromising wireless performance was another hurdle. On top of the technical issues, there was also a cultural challenge: winning over both analog purists and newcomers. These obstacles required us to make certain design compromises, particularly around overall size, but they also pushed us to dedicate far more time and attention to engineering than we had initially anticipated.

Your work elegantly straddles nostalgia and innovation. In your view, how does We Are Rewind contribute to broader conversations about the enduring relevance of physical media in an increasingly digital world?

Romain Boudruche: We are part of a larger movement that reminds us physical media still matter - for emotional, sensory, cultural reasons. Music isn’t just content to be consumed instantly, but experience to be touched, held, curated. Our future is closely tied to the cassette format. It’s a virtuous circle: the more artists release their albums on tape, the more listeners will look for a player to enjoy them. And conversely, people who discover our players often feel inspired to buy cassettes and (re)experience that unique way of listening.

Music is, at its core, an emotional and deeply personal experience.

How does We Are Rewind aim to rekindle a more intimate, tangible connection with music - particularly among younger audiences encountering cassettes for the first time?

Romain Boudruche: For younger listeners who may have never experienced a cassette, our products offer an entry point into that world: making mixtapes, handling physical objects, enjoying unique visuals, and discovering sound textures that feel different. This generation values authenticity and “offline” experiences. Holding a cassette, hearing the hiss of the tape, deciding what to record - all of these tactile, intentional actions create a more personal connection. They transform music listening from something passive into a meaningful ritual.

Beyond the product itself, do you envision We Are Rewind cultivating a broader cultural or creative community - one rooted in slow listening, analog aesthetics, or retro-modern values?

Romain Boudruche: Yes. Our brand is already engaging with communities of collectors, mixtape makers, design lovers. Through artist collaborations (special editions), limited colourways, lifestyle branding, we foster analog aesthetics. We plan to expand on this by increasingly taking part in events such as trade shows and festivals, hosting mixtape workshops, creating special video content for our social media channels, and more.

In an era marked by immediacy, automation, and frictionless consumption, what does it mean - both personally and philosophically - to pause, rewind, and listen?

Romain Boudruche: It means slowing down. To pause, rewind, and listen is to be fully present in the moment. In a world dominated by streaming, algorithms, and constant notifications, these simple actions take on new significance. They become acts of mindfulness - a conscious choice to embrace texture, memory, and even the imperfections of sound.

Looking toward the future, do you foresee We Are Rewind evolving into a platform for other analog-inspired innovations? How do you intend to grow the brand while remaining true to its founding ethos?

Romain Boudruche: Partnerships, limited releases, keeping the community involved will be key. But our long-term goal is to develop a music label that would primarily release on cassette. We have always had a deep connection with music, and this would be a way for us to preserve that bond that means so much to us. As for our products, the aim is to expand the range while staying true to what sets us apart: tactile experience, simplicity, analog soul.

---

Words and questions by AW.

Answers by Romain Boudruche.