Since vinyl record sales were overtaken by that of the CD
in 1988, there have always been a select few enthusiasts who have held on to
what seemed to be an obsolete medium for music listening. In recent years, the
sales of vinyl records have exploded and a revival of this platform has begun.
This new boom of interest cannot solely be attributed to the aging generations
who grew up with LPs but instead credited to the 20 – 30 age group.
As a vinyl enthusiast myself, at the age of 22, I can say
with confidence that the comparison between listening to music on vinyl to
doing so on an iPod is a real non-starter. Listening to a record simply isn't
the same experience as listening to a song on iTunes. The key word here really
is experience, that’s what a song becomes, there is an atmosphere and spirit
that is achieved and can only be attributed to this medium.
Most of those who own a record collection take great
pride in doing so and find excitement in the exploration of music. This is
where Flying Vinyl come into play. Flying Vinyl is a company I came across on
Twitter, I did a bit of research on them and just have to spread the word.
Every month they will deliver 5 seven inch records of curated new music,
exclusively pressed to vinyl. The artists featured will be a surprise every
month and will be from Indie labels or under management companies. The music
will generally be of an Indie / Alternative genre and will be from bands and
artists that you have probably never heard of before. This is how listening to
music should be; a surprise with absolutely no preconceptions about the bands
in question.
I spoke to the founder of Flying Vinyl, Craig Evans,
earlier this week. He had this to say: “It feels like the connection that you
have to music is just far more pertinent on vinyl and I like that. Unlike
streaming or digital downloads, it forces your attention, you sit and listen to
the music and don't do anything else, you value it more. So I decided to put
together an idea for a monthly subscription service where members would get a
box of new music on vinyl and have this incredible music discovery experience.
I launched the website two weeks later and was surprised how many people wanted
to get involved. After the first week of launch an investor came on-board who
has a background in both music and retail, which has really helped to move the
proposition of the company into something really special. We're now getting
ready to put the first box out next month.”
There is a possible limitation to this service though;
not knowing the bands or artists that will be sent out in any pack means that
there may well be occasions when not all 5 records are to your personal taste.
This is however, the risk that you run by exploring music in this way. I
personally find the concept very intriguing and believe it will play an
important part in my future music interests. This company offers everything
that my blog is about, it looks at independent artists who are not wildly
popular and exposes their music to a new audience. I have just signed up to
this service myself which is currently £20 a month, starting mid-June and will
be posting a review of the first pack when it is received. Watch this space!
To read more about Flying Vinyl or sign up: http://flyingvinyl.co.uk/
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