“To me, listening to a vinyl record is the audible equivalent of putting my feet up in front a coal fire. It’s the hiss, crackle, and general analogue warmth that soon gets me nostalgic for Christmases at home. This may not sound like your average record lover’s interpretation, but for me vinyl is very much something I associate with home and family.”
“This might not sound so strange given how I first got into records. I was roughly 12 or 13 and my Dad had offered me his study/studio as my own bedroom on the condition that it continued to store some of his music equipment. To most this might have been irritating, for me it was probably a touch inspiring. Amongst the goodies I had acquired was a 16 track recorder and computer with music recording software. It is probably not too unrealistic to say that this started me on my music production path.
But anyway back to vinyl, as you probably guessed I was left his record player. It wasn’t actually a few years after I got my own room that I took proper notice of this gem. However, I remember the first time I lifted the needle and placed it on one of my Dad’s Hendrix records. From that moment on I was hooked. I continued to go through all of his music collection, some was good and some was bad. My personal favourites had to be Radiohead’s The Bends and The Jam’s Setting Sons. Without sounding all mushy it gave me an insight to what it must have been like to be my dad when he was young listening to those records.
Anyway skip forward a few years, when I left for university I couldn’t take it with me. Also, being a student I couldn’t afford to buy one. So, the only real chance I would have to listen would be on breaks from Uni—the most notable of which was the Christmas holidays.
Since then it has become one of those traditions that seems to manifest during the season of good will. Most recently it has been interesting to see my younger sister now 14/15 also getting into records. She is probably a lot cooler than I was during that age, and it is safe to say very much that vinyl is back in vogue, so maybe this is the reason behind it. But part of me does hope she has the same experience that I did with records.
In total honesty, when asked if I wanted to write anything for The Vinyl District, I was slightly apprehensive. I cannot claim to have the love and dedication some people do with it. I don’t personally collect them, I don’t even have a record player in my house. However this being said, it doesn’t necessarily mean they haven’t had a positive influence on my life or that I don’t understand the appeal.
The fact ‘vinyl is coming back’ is brilliant for all involved with music. Though I am not sure whether or not our next single will be pressed to vinyl, you can be assured when there’s an album, that will be.”
—Dan Parker
We’re delighted to premiere AFFAIRS’ brand new video for their current single, “Brothers.” The video was directed by Glashier and the track produced by Ed Buller (Suede, Pulp, The Courteeners). “Brothers” is in stores now.
