Vinyl, an analogue sound storage medium in the form of a flat polyvinyl chloride disk with an inscribed modulated spiral grove. One of the most classic forms of music. Vinyl music is the realest and most authentic forms of ones sound.
My dad has a huge record collection, so when I was growing up he would always show me all of his different albums that he has on vinyl. We would always go to record stores by us, trying finding new music to listen to each week. And as I got older that influenced me to do the same. Now my room is like a library of records, and I hope that it keeps expanding. I personally prefer listening to music on vinyl rather than music steamed online. I like it better because you can hear what a band sounds like in their purest form, nothing edited. It’s all so raw. Something about getting an album on vinyl, unwrapping it, and seeing the art that goes with it is so amazing and rewarding to me. And now that there has been a sudden spark in interest for listening to music on these pressed platforms is so awesome to see.
For about a decade vinyl records were a form of the past, no one really used records as form of listening to music. They were just a reminder of technological advances. But now, there has been a comeback for the vinyl record industry. They're no longer a forgotten form of music. Now in 2016 they can be even found in grocery stores, not just at a record store. The demand for vinyl records have reached an all time high. According to Huffington Post, record sales reached their highest levels since 1988 and created more revenue than online streaming platforms.
It seems that when the discussion about vinyl and the medias place in our society the talk about hipsters usually comes up. There is a lot of talk about young people buying turn tables from popular stores like Urban Outfitters to give them that indie aesthetic. And quiet honestly that may even be true. Sometimes we get non-educated people buying records for ridiculous prices because they don't know any better. But then again looking at the other side of this could actually benefit independent record stores. The record stores we love aren't going to be there anymore if no one buys the records, so why wouldn't we want everyone buying records. I’m cool with “hipsters” being into vinyl for two reasons. First being that I have an easier access on getting new parts for my turntable or even a new turntable (if needed) without having to look hard on the internet for decent materials. And second, once vinyl stops being the “cool thing”, people are gonna donate their record and us vinyl lovers are going to have a field day.
In the increasing digital world, its not just the charm and soul in the retro sound of wax but also the art that comes with it. Music and art has always come hand in hand, both are not only for personal enjoyment but are also representations of ourselves and can be a way for how other people us. Ones choice of music can be very defining and displaying these choices makes our identities more real.
by McKenna Marchant
No comments:
Post a Comment