There’s a specific screeching, warbling sound that a cassette tape makes when loading a program into a ZX80 or a C64. If you grew up with these machines you know it immediately.

It’s unpleasant. It’s also one of the most evocative sounds I know — it means something is about to happen. Anticipation, measured in minutes.

No loading screen. Just noise, then either a program or a LOAD ERROR and the quiet deflation of trying again.