Still playing vinyl, are you mad?
The title of this article requires looking at things from several angles and standpoints. Let’s take a look from a Dj’s perspective, in particular, mine. I’ve been Djing and mixing (this is a very important distinction and the subject of an upcoming article) for over 30 years. Until around 2015/16 I was exclusively analog, you could cut me in half and see a record groove (not grooves as there is only actually one groove on a record) running through my core! When I play out in venues across the country and beyond I still play records.
To most, the thought of carrying a couple of boxes of the heavy black stuff into a venue from the carpark is utter madness! To me however it is the ultimate convenience, as way back in the 80s I started out as a mobile DJ, supplying and erecting the entire sound system, lighting rig and too many record boxes to mention.
So, carrying two boxes of records into a club, stepping into the booth, hopefully smashing my set and sending the crowd into a frenzy of epic proportions, then closing the lids and going home couldn’t be simpler.
Wax Wrx…
But of course things could be simpler still! I could very easily take a couple of memory sticks with 10s of thousands of tracks on them and deliver the same electrifying set and the crowd would be none the wiser (and the club engineer would be a lot happier no doubt). But I ask you these two questions. 1. Has anyone ever asked to see your mp3 collection? 2. Does every track you’ve downloaded have a memory attached?
I’m not saying the way of the digital warrior is wrong, I’m merely offering a valid reasoning behind my decision to remain in the physical records camp. For me, collecting records is about the following pillars:
- The memories – as eluded to before, every one of my records has a story or a memory attached and isn’t that what life is about; memories?
- The relationship – we build a tighter relationship with our music and get to know it in greater detail.
- The feel – placing a record on the platter, blending between tracks and the dexterity involved makes you connect with the music on a different level. Speedily rifling through your crates searching for the perfect next track!
- The sound – Many believe the sound of records to be warmer and superior. I am not going to get into that argument here but it does sound wonderful. For me though it’s more than just the sound through the speakers, it’s also the little ding of the record on the spindle as you fail to perfectly locate the disk perfectly central on the platter, the crackles and sometimes even the heart-stopping jumps.
- The artistry – the art of the playing and mixing the records as-well as the cover & label art. I often spot the record I want by the pattern on the spine! Positiva records are easy to spot for example.
So basically there are many different reasons I use records and angles in which it affects my musical journey far more than the digital counterparts.
Before we wrap this up and eagerly await passionate but friendly interaction in the comments section I would like to briefly put my digital hat on. There are many reasons why digital formats make sense over records. Let’s take a look at a few:
- The footprint – i can fit 10s of thousands of tracks all fully and easily searched to have my entire collection at the tips of my fingers. No need to pre select a few hundred records you believe will hopefully fit the bill.
- The cost – no brainer here. A typical house music ep is around the £10 mark and you potentially only want two of the tracks on the ep anyway. Those two tracks in digital land would set you back around £3 in mp3 format and possibly £5 if you wanted to up the ante to a lossless AIFF or WAV format. The
- The opportunity – yes this is important and often overlooked. I have many DJ friend who take their memory sticks everywhere with them. You never know when you can force your way onto a set of CDJs in some random bar or club for an impromptu set.
My fear with digital however id the reliance on software and digital files, but that’s just because I am old. All I worry about is keeping the beer splashes of my beloved records.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the above and experiences you’ve had and would like to share.
Back in days when cd’s appeared there were many instances of specific tracks or mixes only being available on cd. there were no cd decks you could mix along with wax. I believe that was the argument back then for **ck digital. for me, it was purely about being able to play em at the venues.
But fast forward to today, and I must admit my viewpoint has changed from vinyl purist to e diggin. there are advantages to digi esp with music made before sequencers and drum machines. which can have drifting bpms or lead in parts that are unusable due to prob being a tape splice or tape bounce and technically a tiny bit out of beat or in many cases has extra beats. so it’s wonderful today that we can load them into wav editors and chop/stretch/warp…, to get it tight and in beat with the rest of tune. I re-edit a lot of music for my mixes shortening sections or removing bridges and over indulgently long pieces. so from this perspective digital can open the door to more creativity and personal expression. on the downside, e diggin can and does make it easier for lazy *#cktards who have no idea how to deliver a quality set even if their software is doing the bpm matching. most of these part-time sukers haven’t paid their dues and it shows on the selections and piss poor tune order or mix point selection. how many so-called dejays simply play entire tracks like its still 1980.
Totally agree re the connections you make going off to car boots, record stores, travel….. but I’m reminded of something a deejay pointed out, nobody on the dancefloor cares if its an orig press or reissue. I think the same is now applicable for e diggin vs wax. plus aren’t we suppose to be enjoying varied music mixin up vinyl, cd and e diggin all into one cohesive set.
as for the argument re not being able to bpm match by ear. well, I agree purely because if you don’t have enough brain cells to learn how to do it well, then you should stay in your bedroom. puttin a good set together is complicated and time-consuming. deejaying is an art and if you lack the ability to inject your individuality, those in the know can tell who the fakers are. lmao seems 90 percent of the deejays today, but even back in the day, there were a lot of terrible deejays in clubs…
One last thing. re all vinyl mixes, which are great. but I feel they’re more tuned to other record collectors. being “hey look what I found”.
in short, i say if you love music then it doesn’t matter what format it comes in.
So for me this is a rather complex discussion, with a rather simple (yet completely subjective) answer. To explain I will give a brief summary of my experience as a DJ.
So I started 11 years ago, at the ripe age of 19 whilst studying at university. Technology was easily and affordably accessible which led me to first learning using software and a controller. As I got more confident and developed into playing bars and small clubs it made perfect sense to upgrade to full pioneer rig (2 xdj1000’s and a djm900nxs). This became the perfect setup for me for transitioning between home mixes and performing out.
Roughly 5 years ago I was lucky enough to be introduced to the team at Platinum Radio London, where I soon was given a place on their roster, and so having this set up at home to stream, and practice for gigs was essential, I could create cues, loops, playlists, accurately beatmatch (of course using the infamous sync button would forever be a crime in my eyes), mix in key, and everything else possible with the completely awesome functions of the digital realm of DJing.
This, however was just not enough for me. There was nothing exciting anymore about finding new music, I had become stuck in a routine, search the various different channels online week after week looking for the latest releases which were easily found and cheap to buy off the internet as mp3 (and if not available to buy yet could be ripped from other sources). It was dull, mundane and although I still loved playing out to crowds and on the airwaves, I did not enjoy the part of looking for music to play.
So when I was invited to meet up with the PRL guys, it was indeed WaxWrx very own Matt Clover who introduced me to the world of (vinyl) records. It took time, patience, skill, and above all a strong ear and determination to get it right(everything that digital doesn’t require), but with Matt’s (and PRL’s Marc Dicks) keen guidance I had that Eureka moment. It was like nothing else I’ve ever felt in my life, getting that mix right, quite simply changed the way I felt about music and the art of the DJ.
Fast forward a few years and I have extended my set up by adding 2 technics 1210s and my record collection grows constantly. For me it is not just about what tracks you have, but also the journey of getting them, the crate digging (granted most of mine is online, Discogs for second hand, mainly Juno or redeye for new releases), the limited edition presses, discovering new labels that are releasing new vinyl and so on. It’s all about the collecting, searching for specific records, struggling to purchase what you desire, discovering hidden gems both new and old, taking the gamble on records because you like the artwork. It has changed my outlook on the way I select my music and the way I play, so yes, it is really worth it!