If you love vinyl, there’s only one place to be this weekend (9/26–10/1) and that is Haarlem, Netherlands.
There won’t be just one gathering dedicated to vinyl either: the town will host a conference and a festival who have made the wise decision to co-locate in the capital of North Holland. A few months ago on this program we spoke with Larry Jaffee and Bryan Ekus about the Making Vinyl conference that took place last spring in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During that conversation, they gave us a sneak peek at what to expect this week in the Netherlands as they set up shop to hold a European conference there.
But, they won’t be alone. Following the conclusion of the Making Vinyl conference will be the beginning of the Haarlem Vinyl Festival which takes place during the second half of the weekend and which is billed as, “the world’s first multi-day festival entirely dedicated to vinyl culture.” One of the architects of the event is Anouk Rijnders (RHINEJERS) who is the sales manager at the Netherlands record pressing plant, Record Industry.
After working as a producer and director in the television and advertising industry, Anouk joined the Record Industry vinyl pressing plant in 2000. In addition to her role as a Sales Manager for the company, she has produced two books, Passion For Vinyl and its sequel, Passion For Vinyl Part II and will debut Part III this weekend. Anouk is also the Project Manager of Artone Studio which is Record Industries’ brand new mastering room and studio, offering direct-to-disc recording amongst other services.
Anouk was kind enough to join me for this episode to discuss her expectations for this week’s vinyl festival and also to talk about her two decades in the record pressing industry. Yours truly will also be in the Netherlands next week appearing at both events! So, if you love records, and you’re in the vicinity, stop by Haarlem this week and say, “hi” at what’s sure to be an unforgettable vinyl experience.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
