VINOK,
The TVD First Date

“For those of us whose parents grew up during the Soviet Union, vinyl was associated with something much more than just a means to music or a stylish expression.”

“Vinyl—at least those from the West—were banned in the Soviet Union and we remember hearing stories from our parents of how their friends would secretly find ways of how to get a copy of Stevie Wonder, Queen, Emerson Lake and Palmer, King Crimson or Weather Report over the border in hopes to listen to something unknown and censored by the government. Those vinyl were passed on to our parents and naturally that’s the music that passed on to us. Holding vinyl was a symbol of protest, a hunger for freedom, and a social statement.

Decades past since our parents were young and new technology came, vinyl sort of lost their significance after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 as a whole wave of other information came in. And with all of that, vinyl slowly made their way either to the basement, behind shelves, between books or stuffed in boxes.

Then we—the kids—came along. Looking through our parents’ vinyl was like looking into the past, digging into history and trying to decode what exactly it meant for them to have one. For them vinyl were sort of like books, where one would seek for a new stream of information, life and ideas. It is incredible to see the extent of how much care and art was put into vinyl decades ago. The music wasn’t just another “single” out there to be uploaded on a phone but it was a whole commitment of living, a stance for what one believes in, an urge for something more.

So we felt that we have a responsibility of bringing those senses back to life. The symbolism of a vinyl is incredible and the care that it takes to uphold these days requires a specific commitment. Where space means more and more these days, having a bulky item might seem like a luxury to some while something unnecessary to others. But we believe having vinyl brings back life and keeps music alive, which is exactly why our walls are ornamented with symbols of freedom.

This is why whenever we travel, we will be sure to stop by a local vinyl shop. Some of our favorites are the Mystery Train Records shop in Gloucester, MA, Papa Jazz Record Shoppe in Columbia, SC (that’s where we got our Florence + the Machine Lungs album), Diskultura in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Emmaüs Défi – Magasin Riquet, a local flea market in the outskirts of Paris.”
Nathalie and Ilya

“Elephant Girl,” the new single from VINOK is in stores now.

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  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


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