Alex Espinosa, one of our veteran Music Supervisors in Seattle, shares why he still buys and collects music in, arguably, its most nostalgic form.
Records–as I like to call them–have been a big part of my life as long as I can remember. Ever since grabbing one of my older brothers’ Beatles records, hearing that distinctive cracking sound before the music started–it’s been a love affair still going strong today. You see, music is such a huge part of my life that I’ve made a career out of it for the past 25 years, and it all started with that first glance and that first feel of holding a record.
Some enthusiasts argue that the sound of a record playing is much richer and warmer than that of a compact disc; others like the simplicity of just downloading a song digitally from virtually any platform on the web. I, on the other hand, like to treat music like that of being in a relationship. I know it may sound a little weird and cliché, but I truly enjoy the satisfaction of being able to study the cover artwork and liner notes before placing the wax onto my record player. With today’s fast-paced world that we live in, being able to just sit back and listen to the crisp sounds your favorite record can produce is electrifying.
With more and more record shops popping up around the world, the era of compact discs have seen their best days behind them. Vinyl albums are on track to achieve their biggest sales in almost two decades this year. One event that is helping lead the retro wave is the annual ‘Record Store Day’ that happens every April on the third Saturday each year. Ever since it started back in 2008, more and more artists are participating by either re-releasing that out-of-print record or an exclusive color vinyl from your favorite artist. Yes, people still love the ease of being able to purchase music online and listen to songs selectively, but there is still nothing like actually going to your favorite record shop (like Easy Street Records, Jive Time or Sonic Boom here in Seattle) and bin diving for hours. Sometimes even picking up a record just for the cover itself, not knowing who the artist is, and being completely surprised when you get home is satisfying in itself.
Alex’s Top 5 Vinyl Records (180g)
Hear more from our Music Supervisors on music discovery and curation in our mini documentary, Further: The Art and Soul of Music Discovery.
