My first LP was a CD. But this is exactly the album hats due to the music in my nursery done; the decisive factor is the historical recording of the burning Zeppelin. That powerful image, that was printed in the small square format and rather carelessly on the Cover: It led me to the music of Led Zeppelin – and not Vice versa.

Since then, I love physical media, just that I buy since a few years, less and less CDs, but more and more records. It was in the well-stocked and not too crowded record shops, of which there is in most Swiss towns and cities after the end of the large chains. It was in international online shops, away from the giants, or via platforms such as the record collector’s Mecca Discogs and Bandcamp, where you can directly order in the case of smaller Labels, new music.

“I can say that for me there is no nostalgia in the game.”

of Course, I always ask myself, what is this battle of material should, in times where so much different music via streaming giants such as Spotify , which I use, of course, available. The plate is actually a hopelessly outdated Medium that has already been replaced in my Childhood by a silver and much more compact disc. So I can say that for me there is no nostalgia in the game, especially since this is always poisoned, and the transfiguring effect, and also no slope to sophisticated Hi-Fi-password-shaft is present, my stereo system is simply too bad. Rather, it is a defiant Protest against the Mari-Kondoisierung of everyday life, in which everything is so well cleaned up and everything is seemingly Superfluous. And it is also the expression of a hope may be loose fight against the Disappearance of all the physical things in times of digitalisation.

Maybe I’m also just a victim of a Lifestyle, in which the plate to a hip accessory, and the Analog is a nice fetish. And I a man that you could scold a Vinyl-Spiesser. Because the record is Live since a few years also in dresses and Nice – gadget stores, in addition there is a matching Vintage players to buy in suitcase form. One could read in the last few years much of the vinyl boom, even the “revenge of Analog,” as a widely acclaimed book is called, in particular, the haptic qualities of the plate are praised.

However, if that’s even a Boom, it is one that takes place in a tiny niche. Especially in Switzerland: 170 million of fraud, the total turnover of the Swiss recorded music market in the year 2018, as the Ifpi, the Association of Swiss music labels has reported recently. The majority of sales falls on the boom at the end of Streaming and the actual physical sound carrier is only 24 percent to the result, shows a declining trend. Anyone who shares this scarce quarter, sees that the Vinyl contributes a very small share of 2 percent, taking into account the fact that in these Figures no imports are recorded, and thus the major part of the plate flies collector under the Radar.

“music has a value beyond the Material.”

But Vinyl, this black Gold made of plastic lives on and blow sometimes be natural in a niche, what is in these days again detected. Because in the 13. April is also celebrated in Switzerland of Record Store Day.

Originally, this day was started in 2008 by independent record stores, in the shops devastating years of that download culture more, customers will be attracted. The shops attracted with concerts and exclusive plates. After the Record Store Day was in advance in the United States and England – is more important than the whole of the Christmas business. And so, if something is in the ground successfully, were the Big the music industry is rapidly on the Plan – and the major labels flood the market with limited edition Special pressings, which are online auctions.

Where the Algorithms fail

what is Also lost if the celebration of the Record Store Day has given way to certain Labels and shops in a skepticism, or even a Boycott, radiates to this day, in the streaming of everyday life often. Because you don’t feel that music is simply Content that the musicians are not earning anything. Rather, it has a value that goes beyond the Material.

in addition, a lot of record stores are run by cantankerous taste police, as download it Nick Hornby’s record-Ode to “High Fidelity” once cemented. You can also meet friendly, young staff, the power to albums to the attention of, could no algorithm of this world for a select.

And maybe you can see a Cover that draws you into the spell – and a life a new spin. It doesn’t have to be Led Zeppelin.

(Sunday newspaper)

Created: 06.04.2019, 17:53 PM