“I don’t know if vinyl has ever been as important as it is today. In a time where music has become a disposable, intangible commodity with no real assigned value, vinyl has become a window to music’s past and, hopefully, its future.”
“These days it feels like sitting still to do anything is frowned upon. The way we listen to music has adjusted accordingly. I often find myself creating giant playlists on Spotify to listen to while I run, or putting my iPod on shuffle all night when friends come over. While these modern listening methods are super convenient, they can rob music of its physicality and, in turn, its worth.
When I want to really listen to music–when I want to hear everything and learn something and connect with the people making the music–I turn to my vinyl collection. Listening to a record is an active process. It’s something you do, not just something that happens in the background. Sure, it’s nice to be able to press a shuffle button and have my phone play music it knows I like for hours on end. But the reality is, I’m not hearing most of that music. It’s there, but no one is really listening.
When I listen to vinyl, I hear it all. I wait eagerly for each track to start and I hover near the turntable when the time approaches to flip the record. I’m engaged with the music in a way that I just can’t attain with other formats. I get lost in it.
My current favorite records are Beck’s Sea Change (the strings sound incredible on vinyl!) and African Scream Contest, a collection of recordings by largely unknown African bands from the late ’60s and ’70s. It’s amazing, and hearing it on vinyl makes you feel like you’re in the room with these bands as they unleash the most mind-blowing grooves you’ve ever experienced.
As artists, releasing vinyl provides an opportunity to present something truly valuable to our listeners. We can create a package that feels like it’s worth something. Listeners can hold records and be reminded of how special music really is. In the digital age, vinyl is also the only way we can ensure that what our fans are hearing is close to the masters we worked so hard to perfect in the studio. The tracks haven’t been ripped and compressed or downsized for streaming. Vinyl is pure and unadulterated.
Vinyl’s weight and size give us a way to hold music in our hands and gaze in awe at its beauty. Its fragility reminds us that music is something that needs to be cared for and nurtured. In a time when the business of making music is undergoing a total overhaul, this is a vital thing to keep in mind. My fingers are crossed that we’ll come out on the other side with an approach that prioritizes artistry and the connection between artists and audiences above all else.
And when we do, we’ll have to give a great deal of credit to vinyl for showing us the way.”
—Trevor O’Neill
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PHOTO: JAMES JUAREZ
