“For me, my choice in vinyl comes in two ways, it’s either a must-buy for something I’ve been looking for for awhile and finally came upon, or it comes in taking a risk and buying a random set of 20 records from the bargain bin and hoping to strike gold.”
“My collection ranges from selections of old records passed down to me—like Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland or Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young—and then I have many self-purchased that I’ve learned now have accumulated a lot from merch stands at local shows.
One of my current most prized finds is an LP of a favorite Nashville black metal outfit that no longer exists—Alraune’s The Process of Self-Immolation. I had luckily gotten to see them towards the end of their existence and had regretted not buying a hard copy of this record at the time. But on one of Oginalii’s last tours, we had stopped by a record store in Columbus, OH called Used Kids Records and I just happened to run across this exact LP in the metal bin.
I hadn’t even looked at the price and just immediately picked it up and bought it. Of course it had not been a high demand album, but to me I felt like I had hit the lottery. Sometimes you run into what you have been looking for in the most random of places.”
—Ryan
“I was born in 1994, but am lucky enough to have had some time to experience discovering and listening to music before streaming.”
“Both my parents had their respective CD and cassette collections that I couldn’t keep my hands off of. I scoured through both shelves and brought certain ones around with me with my portable players. I started playing piano at a young age and didn’t understand the ‘why’ of it. It felt more like a sport or after school program than anything until going into a record store for the first time. I was 9 or 10 and that trip completely changed my interests for good.
The Exclusive Company is the record store in my hometown of Oshkosh, WI. This was my introduction to how music fits in our culture and the world of vinyl. Seeing all the different records, CDs, and books in one place gave some meaning and context behind the playing and music became enjoyable. I didn’t know what vinyl was, nor did I have any way to listen to it, but I was so intrigued that there was yet another way to listen. I still go there whenever I’m back home. I really do feel like a kid boarding the spaceship to so many other perspectives when I’m there.
Early in high school, I wound up acquiring a radio DJ’s entire vinyl collection through some pretty tragic means. It was right around when my taste had really started expanding and my desire to hear new things was peaking. I wanted to hear everything, and this collection had it. There are Tommy Boy and Sugarhill singles, classic jazz records, Madrigal performances, peach crates full of promotional 45s, and everything in between. I end up getting friends to do vinyl roulette when there’s anyone around now.
My favorite from that collection is a bootleg of an Iggy Pop show when Bowie was (as the credits say) playing keys and cigarettes on that tour. It’s from a Seattle show in ’77, right after Iggy’s first solo record The Idiot came out. The cover art features full frontals of both of them. Look that up if you’re curious, there’s pictures out there.
Having the collection around really taught me how to care for music in the tangible realm. I find joy in taking care of someone else’s hard work, and the engagement that one puts into listening to vinyl is a fragile part of that ritual. It gave me a new appreciation for collage music, including everything that involves DJ culture, musique concrete, and obviously the hip-hop sound. I’ve recently gotten into cassette manipulation and sampling to make my own music, loops, or spark an idea for the band. That all comes straight from my love for spinning vinyl.
The four of us in Oginalii have very different musical backgrounds and tastes, but it makes for an entirely new sound when shaped together. The medium in which we individually listen may differ, but having copies of our work pressed to wax is so important to us and we know the type of person who listens to us feels the same. We like providing that ritual for them.
The new record is the first thing we’ve written start-to-finish with all four of us involved the entire time, getting used to our respective styles. Pendulum is a group effort through and through and we want all types of people to find something they enjoy in it.
—Simon
“Pendulum,” the new EP from Oginalii arrives in stores on October 23, 2020 via Devil In The Woods—on vinyl.
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PHOTO: GRANT IVIE
