A device lying in wait in the attic. Silicon and bundled wires. A faux-wood cabinet. A crate containing the very pinnacle of technological progress as it would have been recognized a quarter-century ago. The machine bears dust and scratches. One controller's cord is frayed, nearly severed. The stickers of myriad cartidges beckon, but with much-faded enthusiasm. I found that these signs of aging, merely cosmetic, bely the potential still possessed within.

The Atari VCS/2600 was built in 1978 to provide at-home entertainment. I set out to find out what capacity, if any, it had to engage me as it once had. To pardon the expression, I wondered: What life still remains in the Atari 2600?

While arranging the still-life and executing the field recording and compilation tracks, I experienced nostalgia for childhood days. Delight in a (rare) performance of a skillful maneuver. Amusement at fleeting, out-of-context moments of long-gone cultural icons. Disappointment upon discovering how tricks of memory had assigned value and meaning far beyond reality. Perhaps most importantly, I enjoyed experiencing the sights, touch, and sounds of this old acquaintance from a new perspective.

As you listen and look, I hope you find yourself similarly entertained by this venerable machine.