The way we consume our beloved music has certainly changed over the years. Gone are the days when owning physical albums was the only real option. People used to cue in line after gigs to get the artist’s signature on the cover of their vinyl LP, and sing along at home with the pull-out lyric booklet. Today, we can download, stream, sync and purchase in various mediums and of course experience music live. With the aid of the Internet, a musicians work can be heard anywhere in the world in an instant. However, with digital and online distribution, something has been lost.
At Jack the Bear’s studio in Brunswick, there is a poster on the wall that says “You never remember your first download.” “It’s such a valid reflection on the current state of music distribution,” says Charlie Gleeson, member of local pop/indie duo Brightly. “There is very little time spent with an artist, savouring them and learning them.” Why trek to the music store to hunt for something they might not stock, when anyone with access to an iPhone can browse, buy and listen within a few minutes?
Most of us would be guilty of buying an album on iTunes, converting a track from YouTube, or using file sharing sources like torrenting. We want to satisfy our music craving instantly, digitally and cheaply. Despite this, there has been renewed interest in a medium that was more the norm for our parents, grandparents, DJs and music enthusiasts alike: the vinyl record.
Having released their two-track album Sarah on 7” vinyl, as well as CD and download format, Brightly are just one of many other artists releasing in the ‘triple threat’ style. When asked “why vinyl?” the band said “we’ve always been attracted to vinyl’s tangible nature, and there is a warmth to the sound we couldn’t replicate any other way.” The sound that a record generates right before your eyes is unmatchable in depth and richness.
According to statistics collected by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), 45,000 vinyl albums were sold in 2011 compared to a measly 19,000 in 2007. So it’s definitely not a medium that’s fading away. Yet, as John Topper of Triple R’s ‘New & Groovy’ and Northside Records points out, “when they say there’s an increase in record sales, it’s coming off a very, very small margin.” When you compare it with digital album sales, which topped 9 million last year, it is clear how tiny the portion of the market that vinyl has is. Records may not outsell digital or CDs, but its presence as a valuable medium is being recognised on an industry level.
Why are we suddenly favouring the record? What does it have that is attracting people all over again? It must be more than just an extension of the hipster mantra that all that’s old is now new. As Topper suggests, “It’s hard to tell if something like that is just a fashion […] A lot of young people come in and buy records; whether they’ll be doing it in ten years or not, well then we’ll know whether it’s something […] or if it’s just something to show your girlfriend.”
“Digital medium in a lot of ways [has] opened up a lot of people to other types of music, and let them explore the original format it came out on. It’s quite interesting, when I was growing up, it was really hard to find the music, now there’s so many formats it’s easy to find. [Vinyl is] a lot more user friendly than CD or download, they’re pretty dull objects, whereas a record is fascinating.” Whether or not vinyl records appeal to you, they have certainly stood the test of time and earned their place as one of the most original and unique ways to listen to music.
Finding the groove
Like the sound of embracing the vinyl revolution? Well, the first step is to get your hands on a turntable. There are hundreds of options on the market. For a start try eBay, garage sales, op-shops or even the attic. As well as a turntable, a good quality set of speakers is essential to creating the best sound.
Step two: Start digging (a term used by vinyl collectors, meaning to literally look through records in a store). Half of the fun with records is ‘the discovery factor’; the thrill of the dig. Record stores are hidden all across Melbourne. If you know the right places to look you’ll find something to satisfy that itch. Try Northside Records in Gertude Street for the best funk and soul in town. Hip-hop lovers should check out Obese Records in Prahran. Mainly Jazz Records & Books and Pure Pop are both worth the short hike to St Kilda. Polyester Records, in Flinders Lane and Brunswick Street, has a nice eclectic mix. Some of my best finds have come from the most unexpected of places, including op-shops and pop up crate digger sales. However, the most dollar savvy place to build your collection is by sorting through your parents or even grandparents’ old collections.
My advice? Dig deep into the music and have a real fossick around; you never know what you might find.
