Is there a sound any more satisfying than a needle hitting vinyl?
Grant McDonagh, owner of Zulu Records in Kitsilano, has invested a lot in the hopes that there isn’t. “Nothing sounds nearly as good as vinyl,” he says.
Record stores in Vancouver are still at the heart of music culture. They provide a place for fans to gather and trade records, and they support artists by selling independently produced music. They often even buy music up front, ensuring that emerging bands can pay for tours, studio time, and of course, beer. The digitization of music has sunk mega-retailers like HMV and Tower Records, but independent stores are still getting by thanks to the loyal community of audiophiles and a resurgence in vinyl record sales. Record players and seven-inches are hot ticket items again and the reversal is so complete that Geoff Barton, owner of Audiopile on Commercial Drive, can point me towards to two full aisles of new and used vinyl once occupied entirely by CDs.
Part of the comeback is because of events like Record Store Day, founded in 2007, which brings together fans, artists and independent retailers to celebrate all aspects of musical culture. Record collectors enjoy sales and special releases, and many stores feature unique in-house performances. In just five years, the event has gone from a handful of independent retailers across North America to hundreds around the world.
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Oneohtrix Point Never
with connect_icut, Pop Drones, and Plays:Four.
April 11 @ W2
Real Live Review by Sarah Berman
Plays:Four | | photo by Steve Louie
Trippiness is a strange musical currency; value is so often predicated on the mind-altering substances consumed by its listeners. Having arrived stone sober at W2 to see Oneohtrix Point Never (Brooklyn-based Daniel Lopatin), this reviewer admits she was only adequately captivated by the synaptic soundscapes on offer Wednesday night. But as someone’s grandma might say: better to be challenged than bored.
Plays:four was a surprise local opener. Jonathan Scherk of 80(sun), Sam Beatch of Beamss and Ellis Sam of Flash Palace hovered around an island of laptops, samplers and effects gadgetry plunked in the middle of the W2 floor. Skittering psychedelia floated up over ambient, sometimes shiver-inducing bass drones. Loops veered from erratic to expansive, but remained accessibly stimulating. The trio’s youthful chemistry was impressive, but understated.
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