I recently made the decision to untether* from my vinyl collection.

I first bought records when I was a kid.

I started to seriously buy records in 1999 when I started to DJ at uni.

I bought a whole load of records over the next 5-8 years, mostly via mail order from Turntable Lab in NYC. I remember the day I actually went there in the flesh. It was like a mini pilgrimage to the birthplace of the music I loved. I took many records back home.

I loved everything about vinyl. Taking a record out it’s sleeve, being careful not to touch the surface, blowing off any dust, setting it on the platter, lifting the needle across and letting it drop gently, before hearing that familiar warm crackle and the music began. Ahhh. Bliss.

Great things about vinyl:

• the artwork and packaging
• they are very tactile
• there is a certain calming ritual you carry out with the simple act of putting on a record
• they force you to slow down and really listen to the music
• I never skipped tracks, but listened intently to whole albums
• the warm sound

Compare this with the flipside.

It’s never easy negotiating a full record bag through airport luggage systems and I always worried whether it would arrive at my destination. Many a fellow DJ lost their entire record collection including rare gems whilst travelling, when they would mysteriously disappear on route before baggage claim. But still I kept on buying.


The not so great things about vinyl:

• it’s sooooo heavy
• it collects dust
• its not portable
• it takes up alot of space
• some is very valuable – one more thing to be precious about

I have already sold a couple of crates over the years, pairing it down to the best of the best that I used all the time. This numbered around 70 pieces:

The last of my collection.

I have made the decision to part with this also.

I will miss my vinyl in many ways but feel I have made the right decision. I always have the memories of the positives.