Vinyl records taking a spin

Jacqueline Tatulyan

 

Freshman Cristina Jercan received her first few vinyl records out of pure luck when a generous real estate agent gave vinyl records to her father who later handed them to her.

“I like it a lot because I enjoy old things so for that to come back I think it’s really cool,” Jercan said, who got a record player and vinyls as an early birthday present.

Vinyls records have returned after their fall in popularity because of the arrival of CDs. The popularity of the black discs is the highest it has been since the 1990s. According to Soundscan, 6.1 million vinyl albums were sold last year, which is the highest since 1991.

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Christina Jercan sits with her record player and box of different vinyls, some of which include Jack Teagardent Earl Hines All Stars “In England 1957” and one of Pauazul’s released vinyls.
Photo courtesy of Christina Jercan.

Jercan is proud record player owners with a collection of vinyl records to go along with it.

The return of record players and vinyls can thank social media. Websites like Tumblr, WeHeartIt, Pinterest, etc. are a large portion of the sudden spur of returning trends from the 80’s and 90’s. Teens have proven this through fashion, music, technology, movies and shows.

These trends have also made a return with the influence of celebrities who have also found inspiration from the 90’s.

Musicians have positively responded to the trend by releasing their albums on vinyls. The Arctic Monkeys, Pink Floyd, You Me At Six and Daft Punk are some of the well known artists that have released their albums on vinyl since the popularity spike. Jack White’s “Lazaretto” was one of the main albums that contributed in the revival of vinyls, selling 40,000 copies.

At the Amoeba record store that is located in Hollywood, rows of vinyls are lined up from classical to modern rock. Frankie Delmane, an employee at Amoeba, has collected and sold vinyls since 1998 and enjoys seeing the return of vinyls.

“I have had thousands of vinyls. Everything comes in cycles. In the next five years I see it doing even better. It could also become the next computer, very permanent. I think vinyls can become a permanent thing,” Delmane said. “Vinyls are like a piece of art. Everyone can afford them. It’s pretty great and I love them.”

Vinyls or record players can be purchased from thrift stores, Amoeba, Urban Outfitters and many other music based stores.

Jercan bought vinyls and her Charlie Brown record player from Amoeba. She wasn’t the only one who received something out of pure luck. Junior Sandra Aguilar found herself a record player and vinyls on a trip.

“I was hiking and came upon a yard sale. A guy was offering a record player for $30 and I only had $20. I tried to convince him so I told him that I’d always wanted one since middle school so then I guess he had a change of heart. He gave me the record players and two vinyls,” Aguilar said.

The main question is why people would choose vinyls over CDs. Jercan, Aguilar and Delmane all raved about the great quality of the sound.

“Listening to a record is like going to a concert. It has expansive cinematic quality. It feels live. It doesn’t feel  like listening to a CD whereas listening to a vinyl feels real. It has a very warmer feel. It’s more human. You’re having a real feeling of music instead of having product,” Delmane said. “It sounds so different from where we grow up from. It’s almost an art product of the universe you can walk to. It’s a part of your life.”