“As a 90s kid, having grown up in the boy-band obsessed, Walkman-sporting decade preceding the millennium, my first date with vinyl and my consequent love for it is only a rather recent affair.”
“Growing up, I was kept distracted from all that is vinyl by buying the newest Spice Girls CDs (hey, I’m a child of the ’90s) that I could show my friends on my Walkman or boombox–at the time, vinyl was completely out of the equation. To us–the few that were even aware of the existence of the idea of “records”–saw them merely as a thing of the past, as something antiquated that belonged to the distant time of our grandparents and great-grandparents. (Basically the old, “uncool” folk). Oh, but how wrong we were.
My first encounter with vinyl occurred one magical day my senior year in high school when my dad was going through his old vinyl bins that he had taken down from the attic. I walked into the room and was instantly mesmerized. Seeing all of these large LPs spread on the floor piqued my curiosity. I remember picking up some of my favorite albums that my dad had on vinyl–Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, Magical Mystery Tour, The Wall–and it was a most magical experience.
Perhaps it’s the mystery that comes with the process and care of playing records–rather than simply scrolling through your iPod and bam! playing a song with the push of a button, you need to delicately dust away particles on the surface and gently place the needle on the record. Listening to a vinyl is more like a ceremony, one in which the artistry of your favorite musician gets the respect and care it deserves. Listening to vinyl requires care that doesn’t exist with the touch of a button for Mp3’s.
I remember wanting to hear those LPs so badly–I was so fascinated by this new medium of listening to music that my parents bought me a turntable that Christmas and my father has since entrusted me as guardian of his vinyl collection. Once I began listening to those records on vinyl, that fascination became a love that I will never lose. While those who favor music as digital files may complain of the pops and scratches–the “crinkling” noise of the imperfections that come from wear over time can create–that’s the very quality I love about vinyl. Somehow, it is those imperfections that make the music experience feel more honest and a better reflection of the artist. Music isn’t perfect, and I don’t think that music is meant to be experienced so mechanically–it’s dynamic, it’s raw, and it’s imperfect…and vinyl is just that.
The very first album I bought was the Ramones’ Rocket to Russia–and it became one of my most prized possessions. My favorite album to listen to on vinyl, however, would have to be my grandpa’s compilation album of classical masterpieces of Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Glinka that he gave to me, one of his favorite albums to listen to when my mom was growing up. Listening to a full orchestra on vinyl somehow seems to have this added warmth and fullness that digital Mp3s simply can’t achieve.
Since then, I have been slowly adding albums to my father’s great collection, sifting through thrift shop shelves of used vinyl and perusing through record stores. My favorite vinyl shop for new record finds would have to be Origami Vinyl in Echo Park–a cute store with oldies and new releases alike–not to mention the friendliest staff and cutest shop pet/mascot, Ali the dog. Origami owner and vinyl aficionado, Neil Schield, is bursting with musical knowledge and runs the local shop with an infectious, joyous passion for music and vinyl. Some of my favorite albums on vinyl currently are Dot Hacker’s Inhibition (released via ORG Music–a label focused around vinyl…they come out with tons of jazz and grunge vinyl reissues–go check them out!) and Matthew E. White’s Big Inner (one of the current Origami favs).
Ever since that first day I held a vinyl record in my hands, my way of listening to music–and my overall musical experience–has never been the same. Although I listen to Mp3’s, there is an amber warmth and richness that only vinyl can achieve. As a child of the digital age, I only hope that the same that happened to me that great day senior year can occur with other youths so they, too, can discover that there is so much more to the musical experience than being mindlessly plugged into an iPod–so that they, too, can discover the depth and beauty of the vinyl sound.”
—Sara Nishikawa, Bass
Yellow Red Sparks self titled, debut LP was released on January 29 via ORG Music.
