“There is no guide when you are on a computer. It’s willy-nilly, and nonetheless tends to gravitate towards the best known things. Sometimes to reach a place, where you yourself can’t imagine there has to be a collision of unforeseen circumstances and this is what a few record stores provide access to.”
Slowly, almost meticulously he put the large, black disc on a turntable, cleaned the dust off it with a cloth, and ponderously placed the phonographic needle down. Warm, but fleshy sound filled up the room, interrupted only by occasional crackles on the record's surface. Music is history, it tells us about a moment in time, the second when the needle went down we were and able to stop whatever we are doing and re-witness that history through an evidence which was lazily turning on a player.
Behind every record there is a story. They all come together in stores, where albums and CDs are piled up to the ceiling and crammed into cardboard boxes, labeled with a sharpie on a piece of paper tape. There is a community in every one of them, and they are all part of a community consisting of listeners, musicians, collectors, visitors and people working there, usually willing to share their knowledge of products they are offering. Historically, the West Village in New York was its home, but they are not only there. Record stores that opened in the 60s, 70s and 80s are now often on their last legs, or being shut down due to the rising popularity of music streaming services. The way we experience music is changing. However, even though the community moved online, there are still places where people, brought together by obsession and unconditional love of music meet.
