“I feel like vinyl was injected into my life and culture while I was still in the womb.”
“My older brother and sister had tons of albums in the house and would play them constantly. In fact, my love of music started from my brother and sister playing old soul and funk records and not from playing a musical instrument. Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, Rick James, Prince, and the Isley Brothers were a few major staples on the family turntable. My brother introduced me to classic rock and jazz fusion with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. My sister played a lot of pop. My home was a music library. I loved reading liner notes, absorbing album art and pulling records from the sleeve studying labels.
Yes, I still have CDs and obviously download, upload and share MP3s because I love music and will obtain it regardless of the current medium. However, nothing replaces holding an album, reading those liner notes, shopping in stores with like-minded music freaks, flipping through the albums to get to the next one, coming across an unexpected rare gem. And of course, the warm sound of vinyl will never be duplicated. I don’t care what anybody says!
Later in high school when I developed more of a love of hip hop, industrial, and dance music, my vinyl fetish became even more serious when I started to DJ. I would practice guitar for hours in my room and then call my DJpartner/ best friend Asaf and we would mix everything from Run DMC, Public Enemy to Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Michael Jackson, Nitzer Ebb, Ministry, and a slew of house and freestyle music.
We were also really hard up on b-sides then. They were special and definitely a vinylhead treat. I was such a huge Prince, Depeche Mode, and NIN freak so I would look for any and all b-side material that existed from them, Siouxsie & The Banshees as well. We grew up in South Jersey but shopped mainly in Philly. Going to the record stores and stocking up on new 12 inches was an adventure. Sound Of Market and 3rd St Jazz & Rock were two of my favorites shops. There were a few good ones in South Jersey too and it was fun because you got to know the clerks after awhile. I loved DJing and kept at it seriously through college. I still do the occasional DJ gig but I can’t remember the last time I spun vinyl.
In NYC I used to go to Academy Music a lot to add to my collection, Bleecker Bob’s, and Disco Rama were also on rotation. I live a few blocks from Other Music so I pop in there once in awhile. I also really liked Sounds in Hoboken and Halcyon in Brooklyn.
There was a place on the Lower East Side years ago I frequently spun at called The 12 Inch Bar which was close to Mercury Lounge and I loved it. It was always fun because I got to play what I wanted which was all over the place stylistically. No CDs, computers, or ipods allowed, just strictly vinyl.
The first time I played there a bunch of my wild friends represented and turned the tiny club into a chaotic party. Most djs at that place would play trip hop or some sort of down tempo style. I was playing a bit of that, but more crazy stuff – like mixing Depeche Mode into Black Sabbath, Modest Mouse, ESG, Squarepusher, LCD Soundsystem, Godflesh, The Rapture and then Wu-Tang Clan. The owner came in that night to find girls dancing on the bar and people just drunk and dancing in a place with no cabaret license. The bartender wasn’t too pleased but the owner had a great time and invited me back. Plus, he complemented my record collection and beat matching skills of odd artists (and the hot crowd). Ah, memories.
Anytime pILLOW hits the West Coast to tour we always make an effort to stop by Ameoba Records. I picked up some old Cocteau Twins and Nina Hagen last October. I bought a few CDs too but don’t tell anyone. It’s not a big surprise that vinyl is still popular amongst the underground. It never died in the DJ culture. It will always be a staple regardless of music trends or industry ups and downs.”
—Kelsey
pILLOW tHEORY is shooting a video for “Blipsters & Buppies,” the first single from their new EP Meltdown. Find out how you can kick in at the band’s Kickstarter page.
