Computers surround me and the digital realm is a huge part of my life, but there is so much to love about records. They are analogue, old-fashioned and so yesterday, but I am not the only one. During the last few years there has been a resurgence of interest in records.
This summer we visited Marc in Gent, and he has a fairly large record collection.
My husband was fascinated with his record players and vinyl collection, and especially with the pictures and old newspapers-magazines notes inside the foldout record cover.
Digital browsing is fun, but it’s still a huge chore to see liner notes, lyrics and so on. There is something both thrilling and relaxing about holding a colourful album cover in your hands and not having to squint.
This is probably the most dubious claim: do records really sound better? No one will argue that digital tracks (track—a quietly antiquated term, like splice, or groove) sound much cleaner: no pops, hisses and usually no skipping.
My theory is that people think records sound better because the noise helps your years focus, and the fuzzy lack of clarity in the analogue realm mellows out the high frequencies, making the sound waves seems less harsh. My ears tire more listening to CDs, particularly if I am forced to listen using cheap headphones or speakers.
We live in the age of “fast” – “the information superhighway”. Listening to records takes more time than scanning tracks on your iPod and I think it is nice to chill once in a while, and records make you do just that.
The smell of vinyl brings back so many memories; the smell instantly reminded me of my childhood…those are some of my happiest memories as a child. I love seeing the needle approach the record, looking at the grooves and actually seeing where a track ends and the next begins.
I do not suppose that an analogue renaissance will last long. The digital age is too convenient, and as much as I love to slow down and smell the vinyl, I love having a hundred albums on-hand when I am travelling even more. Even so, I am so glad Marc has his collections, waiting for us to enjoy when we visit.
green grapes in Marc's garden
