“I was having a conversation the other day where I was reflecting on the fact that when I get new music off the internet, it takes very little effort. I can find the music I want in seconds probably rather than minutes. It’s cool – we all do it – it’s convenient, BUT it reminded me of one of the reasons why I love vinyl!”
“Vinyl lovers often talk about the sound of vinyl – the warmth, the sound quality. For others like musicians and recording engineers, it’s the perfect way (for some, the only way) to hear the music they have created properly – along with recording it with analogue equipment and tube amps. But this is all very specialist.
To me the thing with vinyl is that BUYING it represents a true commitment to the music and the artist. It’s an investment – on every level – financial, emotional, time and space wise. You have to leave the house, go to the shop – you look at and touch the cover. Size matters – CDs are cool but the cases are too small – the artwork is too small. That size is cool for a 45 but for a full album you need a 12 inch disc.
When it comes to finding music there’s no more enjoyable way than in a record shop. If you’re in a record shop you can literally thumb through the records and have your eye caught by some amazing cover or some other information like the artist of the producer or the studio it was recorded in. There is something in the tangible nature of the pursuit and it is a pursuit – because it takes time – hours at a time can be lost in a record shop.
Some have places you can listen to the record – many don’t – you might actually have to ask a person at the counter to put on the record. You have to enter a conversation – and then again that person behind the counter can be the reason you buy more music – if they know their stuff – which the most likely do. They could tell you about other similar artists – but not in an online, script way – in an “it has this great bass on it that reminds me of the style on the record you just asked me to play – you should check it out” type of way. Now, that’s interactivity. It is even possible that you might buy a record you haven’t heard! If it’s all nicely sealed, a rare import for example – that might be the only way!
Then you take the record home. It’s a ritual, carefully you remove the record from it’s inner sleeve – place it on the deck (what you play the record on is a WHOLE OTHER story). At some point you’re gonna have to turn that record over – if it’s a single and you’ve got a bunch of them – that’s a lot of changes – if it’s a double LP, then a few. Wow – even more INTERACTIVITY! Either way you have committed a part of your day to listen to the artists’ music that you have already taken time out of your day for, by travelling to the shop, buying the music, and coming back. The excitement can be amplified if bought a record you had no idea you would.
Then there is the collectible aspect – from picture discs, to limited edition runs and packaging, to white labels. You feel that when you buy a record you have something special that you really own. It’s tangible, it takes up space – it’s not throwaway. It makes your connection with the music and the artist that music. Vinyl – it’s special!
Vinyl marks time, you probably remember where you bought it, when you bought it, you might remember the girl standing next to you when you found it – especially as she gave you a look of approval on your obviously amazing taste. Vinyl – yeah, it’s special.”
—Yinka Oyewole
Yinka Oyewole plays the Hackney Picturehouse Attic, London, Saturday, 1/19.
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Photo: Hafeez Raji
