I never really understood the vinyl craze. I’ve always preferred digital music in the form of mp3 and streaming services because of the portability, accessibility, and lack of physical space.
Recently, a colleague and friend Boon sent me a record as a housewarming gift. An album called Swim by a New Zealand band called Die! Die! Die! I had never heard of them previously. It’s a pretty good album, and it’s the first vinyl I’ve ever owned.
When I opened it up a few days ago, I felt like I finally “got” the whole vinyl thing. Much like opening a real book is a different experience to reading on a Kindle, opening a record is an experience in itself.
The feeling of the textured sleeve and pulling the record out provide a tactile experience. The size of the album make it a presence unlike seeing it among a grid on a screen. Being able to hold it and pore over every detail of the artwork. Flipping it around, reading the back, the layers of packaging, and the beauty of the actual record.
And that’s all before I put it on the turntable.
I’ve fallen in love with vinyl. It’s going to take some restraint to not immediately go buy all my favorite albums.
