“My first memory of vinyl is digging through the records my neighbors put out for garbage day. Milk crates upon milk crates of things I had never seen or heard of. Most of the fascination came from the covers. I admired the artwork more than the music at the time, but I have my neighbor to thank for my teenage Van Halen obsession and learning to play the guitar.”
“In my late teens nearing 2010, the resurgence of vinyl was in full swing. Receiving all the classic records as gifts from my siblings grew into a curiosity about what else was out there. How obscure can these get? VERY. And you don’t need to look too hard or too far.
In my early 20s being fresh out of music school, I began writing and producing music. Wanting to create a unique left of center sound palette, I began what I call my “$2 vinyl bin” phase. Every record store in my hometown had a corner with cheap vinyl they figured no one would want—but to me it was a goldmine for sampling and inspiration. Sounds of local percussion and vocal ensembles from churches in my hometown from the ’80s, to haunted house sound effects. In my current work I treat my vocals and instruments as if they were samples; pitching, stretching, reversing, all of the above.
Some of my favorites from this unwanted genre of vinyl are Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of The Haunted House that Disney put out in 1964, and Auscultations of the Heart—a record of heart sounds intended for medical students (1966).
My mother’s vinyl collection consists of ABBA, The Mamas and the Papas, and various classical gems all of which resonate with my childhood and provide heavy nostalgia. Now a few days into quarantine, vinyl has provided warmth and company in mundane and stale days. Music and memory have the strongest association, teleporting back to a time of joy, hardship, or creating new memories to carry with you.”
—Ben Bailey
“Joshua Tree,” the new single from Jacob Asher is in stores now.
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PHOTO: WILL CORNFIELD
