{"id":8304,"date":"2014-03-05T15:09:38","date_gmt":"2014-03-05T15:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/?p=8304"},"modified":"2014-03-05T20:24:47","modified_gmt":"2014-03-05T20:24:47","slug":"vinyl-records-still-spinning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/?p=8304","title":{"rendered":"Vinyl records still spinning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Convenience and portability reign supreme as top factors in how people listen to music, but one physical format is experiencing a rebirth amongst consumers. Vinyl records, previously seen as an antiquated format in the world of audio, are once again being played around the globe as a worthy alternative to digital listening.<\/p>\n

In Britain, sales of vinyl records have reached their highest level for the first time in a decade. An October report published by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said that almost 555,000 vinyl long-playing records (LPs) have been sold in 2013. Geoff Taylor, chief executive of BPI and the BRIT Awards, commented that sales numbers show the LP is \u201cback in the groove.\u201d With major labels issuing titles both old and new on vinyl records, a new demographic of listeners are being exposed to the medium.<\/p>\n

\"Detailed
Home decor. Handsome album art, at 12-inch-record size, is one contributing factor in LPs’ resurgence.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhilst sales only account for a small percentage of the overall market, vinyl sales are growing fast as a new generation discovers the magic of 12 inch artwork, liner notes and the unique sound of analogue records, often accompanied by a download code for mp3s,\u201d Taylor noted in the BPI report.<\/p>\n

The report further explored consumer purchasing habits, finding that seven in 10 vinyl buyers purchase records at least once a month, while one in five make a purchase at least once a week. Pursuant to Taylor\u2019s comments, the report also found that 3.7 percent of respondents bought records despite not even owning a turntable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re witnessing a renaissance for records,\u201d Taylor continued in the report. \u201cThey\u2019re no longer retromania and are becoming the format of choice for more and more music fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closer to home<\/p>\n

As in Britain, a spike in vinyl record sales has occurred in Canada. Neilson SoundScan, which tracks music sales statistics in both the United States and Canada, reported that 130,000 records were sold in the country. That represents a 47 percent rise in sales over 2011.<\/p>\n

Record buying culture in the nation\u2019s capital is alive and well, in large part due the sizable number of independent retailers. One of the most recognized is Vertigo Records, located in the city\u2019s downtown core. Having recently celebrated the store\u2019s ten year anniversary, owner Darrin Tomlin says the shop prides itself on being a leader in supplying new music releases and reissues on vinyl. With regard to his clientele, Tomlin says it\u2019s hard to attribute sales to one demographic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’d say the average customer buying vinyl at our shop is male, twenty-something to thirty-something,\u201d he outlined in an email. \u201cIt isn’t limited to that, though, as a lot of younger kids are beginning to show an interest in vinyl after discovering their parents\u2019 collection, as well as baby boomers rediscovering their own collections,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"A
At Vertigo Records: what owner Darrin Tomlin calls “that feeling of having something tangible, to look at and play.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John Thompson has been collecting and selling vinyl records for over thirty years. He owns and manages The Record Centre, a small record store in Ottawa\u2019s Hintonburg neighborhood. The customers he serves at his store are of a similar audience to Tomlin\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really comes down to two groups of people,\u201d he said. \u201cFirst there are the older people like myself who never really abandoned the format. A lot of us bought CDs when digital came around, but we never got rid of our records. The other group of course is younger people, usually ages 16 to 25. A lot of them perhaps came to vinyl through a \u2018cool\u2019 factor or discovering old collections.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how they got there. Once they start listening, they\u2019re hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in an age where convenience is key, what draws the consumer to buy music on a format such as vinyl?<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people prefer the collectable aspect of a record, while other prefer the rich, warm sound,\u201d said Tomlin. \u201cThere is also that feeling of having something tangible in your hands, to look at and play, that people gravitate to, as opposed to pushing some buttons on an iPod.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018To fully experience the music, I have to listen to it in its intended format.\u2019 \u2014 rock fan Cameron Wheatley<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018cool\u2019 factor largely comes from the collectibility. Some feel a collection is a mark of a serious listener,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cIt\u2019s all about the thrill of the hunt, which is something that I\u2019ve never give up. Some collectors are still out there looking for certain things to fill holes in their collections. We all enjoy the sound, the ritual of digging through bins at local stores, putting the records on the turntable, and reading the liner notes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next generation<\/p>\n

As is by now obvious, some of this surge is being fuelled by youth. People who grew up with CDs and iPods are now choosing vinyl \u2014 at least to supplement. The listening experience of a vinyl record is something that many favour over the sound of digital files.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandma gave me her old record player and a few records for Christmas last year,\u201d said Anjali Chander. The 21-year-old\u2019s interest in the vintage aesthetic largely piqued her interest in collecting. \u201cI love the sound quality, and there’s something about being able to enjoy a whole album so seamlessly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Owner
“The thrill of the hunt” can be a big part of LP shopping, says Record Center owner John Thompson (pictured<\/em>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cA lot of the music I listen to was originally released on vinyl,\u201d said Cameron Wheatley in an email. The third-year business student listens largely to \u201970s and \u201980s rock music. \u201cI felt that in order to fully experience the music, I had to listen to it in its intended format.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Szaulis, 24, has been collecting records since a young age, aspiring to match his father\u2019s collection of over one thousand pieces. The Algonquin College student has so far collected about 500 records.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always seen listening to records as an actual hobby in itself,\u201d he said. \u201cThe artwork, the sound and the slight imperfections are traits that aren\u2019t even comparable on any other medium.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vinyl\u2019s future?<\/p>\n

As technology continues to advance and new ways to enjoy music are engineered, many feel that vinyl will keep spinning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future looks quite good for records,\u201d said Tom Lee, owner of the newly opened Troubadour Books and Records in Ottawa\u2019s Byward Market. \u201cMany teenage kids are buying\u00a0records. For some of them, it will likely turn into a lifelong hobby. Also, records age better than CDs\u00a0or tapes. It isn\u2019t uncommon to find records from the \u201920s and \u201930s that still sound great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Record experts note the interesting dynamic of industry versus popular demand,\u00a0and the impact this has had on sales. Collectors are still searching for new additions to their collections, and artists old and new look to have their material pressed on the format.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s very industry-driven now,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cThe industry initially abandoned the format because they wanted to, and now labels are pressing it again because there is such a huge demand for it from bands and music fans alike.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are always ebbs and flows in the market, but the important part is that records never left,\u201d remarked Tomlin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’ve always been here, and I don’t see them going the way of the CD.\u201d<\/p>\n

Home-page photo \u00a9 Calum Slingerland.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Refusing to die as once predicted, LPs\u2014new pressings and old\u2014thrive in revival. What\u2019s their appeal?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":8969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8304"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9220,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8304\/revisions\/9220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cusjc.ca\/capitalarts\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}