An affectionate ode . . . Masters constructs a lively and detailed case for the cassette as a vital driver of cultural creation. This charming history is sure to please anyone nostalgic for the mixtapes of yesteryear."--Publishers Weekly

Not just for the Gen X-ers on your list, but for anyone curious about the history, cultural and otherwise, of the humble cassette tape . . . This charmer of a book goes down fast and easy. . . . He does it all with narrative economy, academic rigor, a personal touch, and genial good humor. A gem."--Esquire

A thoroughly enjoyable romp . . . With energy, insight, and wit, Masters provides a welcome examination of an often overlooked cultural turning point."--Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)

This accessible primer unravels past and present uses and misuses of cassettes. . . . Masters builds a generous lineage, where it is clear that as much as 'sounds realign magnetic particles on a tape . . . the tape realigns your brain.'"--The Wire

A loving tribute . . . High Bias is a clever taxonomy of cassette culture and its various subcults."--Wall Street Journal

Knowingly written from the perspective of an entangled enthusiast rather than a distanced observer, [High Bias] carries an awareness that an objective history of the impact of a piece of technology isn't possible, all we can do is collect the stories we tell through it. . . . High Bias is a material history, but it's also a folk history."--The Quietus

An energetic, expert tome . . . Music's most overlooked format gets the celebration it deserves."--MOJO

A passionate love letter written from an unabashed fan of the format. Its thoroughness, detail, and historical accuracy make 'High Bias' an essential resource for pop culture historians and obsessives."--PopMatters

Masters brings together a fascinating technical history of the creation, limits, and virtues of the cassette tape."--Dusted

"Masters, whose work often goes far below the surface of all things sonic . . . offers a fascinating look at the shifting role of cassettes over the years--and some of the fascinating ways in which people have used them."--InsideHook

An excellent and truly exciting book . . . [Masters] outlines the story of how the cassette came to be the dominant recording medium on a global scale during the 1980s and into the mid-1990s, and by doing so shows how essential cassettes were to so many musical movements that they would have been impossible without the tapes that, as he points out, are so easy and satisfying to hold in your hand."--Brooklyn Rail

A wonderful book, whose title is derived from the term for tape quality."--The Goo

An irresistibly informative and charming book for any reader interested in gaining general knowledge about sound art and musical cultures in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. . . . [The book] is also a valuable research source for scholars who examine underground artistic movements, the social functions of musical traditions, musical mavericks, and sound technologies."--H-Sci-Med-Tech