Ah, the old cassette tape. Home-dubbing, trading with friends, pulling out the tape and frolicking in the wiry brown spaghetti—whatever your memories of these gems are, we’re sure of one thing. It’s been a minute.

So you might be surprised that we’re coming to you with this super calming albeit confusing clip of how they’re made. Independent labels, unknown bands and nostalgia fiends are picks for cassette buyers, but big brands like Sony, Disney, and Universal Music Group still order cassette tapes from manufacturers. So, you’ve got those who want to hold onto the good ol’ days and those who use them for practical reasons—they’re cheap and safer to transport to remote areas.

Most of these bad boys go for around $2 to $5 a pop, so there’s no real profit margin unless we’re talking bulk numbers. In saying that, the process for making them is something else. Even though half the steps don’t really look like anything is happening, it’s nice and calming all the same. Check it out for yourself above.