If the sound of the needle hitting the record, crate-digging and original pressings interests you, then you must be a vinyl lover and you’re not alone. An out-of-the-box meetup for the first time in the city, Drop The Needle, aims to bring together vinyl enthusiasts and collectors from all over the city on April 10. This free, Sunday afternoon listening session at Church Street Social will also see a community table with an exhibit of records and you can barter your vinyl with like-minded collectors too!
“Vinyl as a medium of listening to music may be niche, but it’s picking up here in India with Bengaluru, having some well-known collectors as well. That’s what inspired me to want to bring together the community — for existing enthusiasts as well as those who are just curious,” explains Nikhil Warrier, whose brainchild this gathering is.
What’s interesting about this? You can bring your records and sign up to have them played over the PA system. “You get to see DJs playing off of their laptops everyday. It’s only rarely that you get to witness those on turntables, scratching even, like Prashanth will,” says Nikhil, letting us in on Prashanth Pallemoni’s scratch workshop and short set.
Prashanth is not just here to play. A vinyl collector for years now with over 700 records, he’s kicked about meeting people who share his interest. “I come from an era where records and tapes were all there were. Some of my most interesting finds have been at an antique store on Avenue Road,” he says, polishing his treasured repressed record of 60s Nigerian electronic artiste, William Oneyeavor which has made its way into his collection all the way from France. A community table will also showcase a collection of records by The Revolver Club and you get to display and barter your own. And that’s getting some vinyl addicts wired. “Buying vinyl is an investment as, in terms of music quality, they are better than lousy mp3s,” says Debjyoti Das. The drum and bass artiste has been fascinated about vinyl since he set eyes on his mother’s records.
