Obsolescence Doesn’t Have to be Permanent
One of the best parts of managing Haus of Fog is having an excuse to reach out to facinating people from around the world. Long story short, a few weeks ago I stumbled across an article on the preservation of floppy disks on my internet browser’s homepage. That sent me down a rabbit hole, which resulted in me reaching out to Thomas Walskaar and Niek Hilkmann of “Floppy Totaal.” As someone that loves 35mm film and who tries her best to save old physical forms of media, I found myself instantly intrigued by this niche world that I had only just heard of. I had no idea that there were still functional floppy disks out there, let alone artists and musicians using them exclusively! Thankfully, Thomas and Niek weren’t scared off by this random Canadian who wanted to ask them questions, and I was able to pick their brains.
Once you read our interview, I highly recommend ordering a copy of their book “Floppy Disk Fever” (details below). It’s a facinating read, and will one day be looked at as a really cool piece of art history. (I own a copy of the book — this is not a paid ad.) To quote the Canadian philosopher, Marshall McLuhan, who Thomas references in our conversation: “The medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium - that is, of any extension of ourselves - result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology.”
In short, Floppy Totaal is about showcasing and preserving floppy disks as an artistic medium. Could you elaborate on the goals of Floppy Totaal?
Niek: Hi Ashley, Floppy Totaal is a Rotterdam based research project that investigates the reuse and repurposing of 'outdated' technology. We do this by focusing on the contemporary usage of the floppy disk. Every once in a while we organize events with artists, performances and installations that find new ways of utilizing the floppy. We have also written a book with interviews about this called "Floppy Disk Fever." Of course, this can be seen as a form of preserving the current residual floppy scene, but we're not so much into archiving the material itself. There are others who are much better at that!
Sometimes it is pointless to ask someone why they like something, because for whatever reason, our various "likes" and preferences seem to be innate to who we are as people... So, I guess I'll just ask -- when did you first find yourself drawn to old forms of media?
Thomas: I grew up with VHS and floppy disks. Over the years I saw them go from their peak to being seen as trash. I am drawn to the topic from the question how the medium effects people and society, channeling my inner Marshall McLuhan.
Niek: I really got into VHS tapes when I was studying Media Design in Rotterdam. They were cheap as chips, available in every thrift store. I'd come home with piles of them and do all sort of experiments with them, like cutting up the tape as if they were 16mm analogue film. Around that time I also discovered the floppy music scene through my friend Kai Nabuko from the Yeah! I Know It Sucks blog. This is how Floppy Totaal came to be.
Are there other forms of media, or other pieces of technology, that you think we need to preserve?
Niek: When a medium becomes obsolete there is a certain period in which people become indifferent to them, their market value plummets and you can get them cheaply quite easily. This happened to the previously mentioned VHS tapes and it happened to the floppy disk. However, after a while they become scarce and their value rises again; they become collector's items. Getting particular VHS tapes or floppy disks can be quite costly nowadays. The same is probably going to happen with current cheap media, like DVD's, CDR's and USB's. There already is a growing collector's market for DVDs.
Thomas: Like Niek says, I think the most interesting period is when people are indifferent, when the medium is just being seen as trash by most. If you ask archeologists, what we know about societies from the past is often communicated through their trash and not by what these people thought was important. Many "time capsules" can attest to that. I don't think we should preserve everything, but one person's trash can become another one's treasure in the future. It is good to keep a physical connection to the data we use, play, read and watch.
What are some of the most creative pieces that have been showcased at Floppy Totaal?
Niek: Florian Cramer's Oscar Compression Videos, or Michael Ridge's Norfolk Trotter ‘Grit 1’ 3.5″ Anti-Floppy come to mind. I also quite liked Adam Frankiewicz's floppy-crafting workshop.
Thomas: I am pretty impressed that every time Floppy Totaal happens, new projects, music, and angels come to light. When you think you have seen it all, there is always something more.
Because floppy disks degrade, any music/art stored on them is impermanent. Like a vaporwave sand mandala. What is one piece of art/music that you will miss when the disk eventually degrades?
Thomas: Hard question, I think what we will mostly be missing is the actual, tactile experience of using a floppy. With instant streaming of music and video you don't need to go to a shop, buy the media, bring it home, put the disc in your player and so on. When I was around 14 years old, a friend gave me a mixtape while at school. The songs on there I can still find all over the world, but I can't deny that something "feels'” different when I listen to that specific mix and version of the song. My friend is sadly not here anymore, but the disc still exists. When the day arrives that floppy disks are no longer readable, they can still work as "Memento mori"; a memorial for our memories related to data and media.
Niek: There will be lost media, but I agree with Thomas that we should be more concerned about losing grip over our data in general. With physical media disappearing we lose cultural artifacts that make data a tactile experience that relates to us on a personal level. If we could find new rituals to mourn the loss of our data that would be a really good thing.
Speaking of vaporwave, is that style very popular in the Netherlands?
Thomas: To be honest I don't know, I personally like vaporwave as much as any other genre of music. It's a great genre to do work to. But in general, I wouldn't say NL is defined by vaporwave, the same way it relates to "Gabber" music and 1990s techno for instance.
Niek: I wouldn't call it a crowd pleaser. :p
They say, to plan for our future, we need to understand our past. What do you think society can learn from floppy disks?
Thomas: The book has definitely put a spotlight on the format; kicking off debates and talks. This was what we were really hoping for. We can ask ourselves where and how we store our data, the value of how we access it, who owns the data etc. Thinking about the floppy is not about fetishizing the object, but about what we can learn from their usage today.
Niek: The ongoing presence of floppy disks complicates the standard media history narrative, in which different products consecutively follow up on each other. We learn that in reality media have many different afterlives and can serve several different purposes. The concept of obsolescence isn’t as clear cut as we might believe.
Your book, FLOPPY DISK FEVER, was released in 2022. Since then, have you become floppy disk gurus of sorts?
Thomas: Naturally, when you dive into a topic for a longer period of time you do gather some knowledge. The topic for us is wider than just the classic 3½-inc floppy disk though. Some so many different types and formats might or might not be “floppy disk”. Does the optical floppy count? The 3½-inc floppy disk is technically not even a “floppy” disc, the name just stuck around across many countries.
Niek: Our interest goes beyond floppies, but the disks do have a special place in our hearts. I would say it's the primary example of obsolete media, the same way the dodo is the main symbol for extinction.
Is it true that the last floppy disk was produced in 2011, or are they still being produced by indie manufacturers?
Thomas: From what I know there is no longer an active production of the floppy disk. There are also no "vinyl" style factories being re-started. The floppy has many parts. It requires many different chemical processes to create the plastic shell, the magnetic disk inside etc. To restart a production line like that again is practically unrealistic and economic suicide...
Niek: Most of the current floppy business has been taken over by floppy recycling and the (re)selling of old stock. For our book we interviewed Tom Persky from floppydisk.com about this market.
(If the last disk was produced in 2011), when is it predicted that the final disk will decay?
Thomas: Some floppy disks get corrupted after a few read and write cycles, while others keep ticking away after 20 years. It's all down to environment, storage and use. Tom Persky mentioned that in general the disks that were produced later were of a lower quality then the old ones. This is something I can confirm; that new disks have a noticeably high failure rate.
Niek: Even after all disks become technically unreadable, which will most likely be after all floppy drives fail to work, the disks will still function in a different way. They would still be objects unto themselves and could be used as raw material, for instance in art like that of Nick Gentry. It will be quite difficult to completely get rid of them.
Is there anything else that you would like to add / where can people find you and your book online?
Thomas: We just want to say we really appreciate the feedback and interest from people all over that have found our book. Hopefully, it made them think about floppy disks or physical media in a new way. We still love to hear from people that are working on projects. Just send us a message through: info@floppytotaal.org.
“Floppy Disk Fever” can be ordered directly through the publisher Onomatopee (in Europe), or through ArtBook.com (North America).
ASHLEY GOOD
Ashley Good is the brains behind Haus of Fog. After directing the Foggy Isle Film Festival, which shone a spotlight on dark/horror indie shorts for the past five years, she decided to launch Haus of Fog to better reach her niche of fellow film weirdos. You can learn more about her work at ashleygood.ca.
Instagram: @ashleyegood | Youtube: @ashleyegood