YES YES YES YES YES YES!suli.belarto wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVgBmzBzZw8
Theo Parrish's term "selector" is a unique designation for the vinyl DJ. It is the process of selection which is unique to the vinyl DJ and, to a lesser degree, the cd DJ.
Making a "selection" refers not only to the physical action of picking a record out of your bag, it also applies to the processes (psyhcological as well as physical) applied in acquiring the record in the first place and any other association you might have in handling the record in another situation.
The journey to the record store, the interaction with shop staff, a record which might have been playing in the store, artwork, the bus journey on the way, any premeditative thought before arriving at the store, the various other processes involved in crate-digging, etc. etc. etc.
In the physicality of a vinyl record there is always some kind of journey involved (literally and/or metaphorically) which I believe leads to a deeper connection between the "selector" and the listeners when it comes for the time for that record to be played, consciously or subconsciously. And these journeys (as many journeys do result from each record), as well as the pit-stops made at home, are shared.
Very few, if any, shareable experiences arise from sitting at a computer buying thin-air from thin-air. The only physicality involved is the hard-drive which acts as some sort of faceless whore. Imagine the British Library not existing, for example, because it's all been scanned and squished into an Amazon Kindle, making it easier for everyone. How soulless and what a complete disregard for history would that be? Of course, we're not dealing with priceless original works of art here. Vinyl records are, after all, reproductions of a master print. But the principal remains the same.
30 years down the line when the originators of our music are dying or dead, and the new kids on the scene only have a sea of 111010101010101 to file through, where, or more importantly, how are they going to find the good stuff which is thankfully still being released on vinyl today? Perhaps if vinyl is also dead by then, there will be a museum. Hopefully not.
In terms of listening, Vinyl is not the be all and end all, but it serves as the benchmark for how music is SELECTED in the appropriate environment, i.e. club, party, etc.
Ironically I am listening to Theo Parrish right now on my computer. Music as a product for the consumer that buys music to listen makes sense in this day and age. As for music the DJ, a suitable replacement for vinyl has yet to be invented.
LLFO's jump to beatport represents a need to accommodate the costs of producing vinyl, which is a funny one if they originally set out to be a vinyl-only label. If that's what they had to do to support continued production of vinyl, fine, but considering Olso's success I have other ideas...
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