In a dimly lit room, the setting sun’s rays breach your solitude as you handle your prized vinyl. The turntable stands ready, and a rack of records decorates the wall. With utmost care, you remove an exquisite jacket to reveal a fragile David Bowie record. As dusk falls, you place the record on the platter, anticipating Bowie’s enchanting voice. The moment the groove starts, the evening is marinated in nostalgia, showcasing the indelible power of the 12-inch long play (LP).
Nostalgia evokes a longing for simpler, pre-digital times, with art allowing us to explore different eras. In ‘Velvet Goldmine’, Christian Bale’s character, Arthur Stuart, immerses himself in a Maxwell Demon LP, illustrating how vinyl records uniquely connect us to the past through their rich and warm aural experience.
There is a strong connection between our emotions and memories, and music serves as a powerful conduit for triggering specific feelings through its sound. Whether it’s the melody, lyrics, or rhythm, music has the potential to evoke nostalgia and deeply personal experiences.
Unfortunately, in today’s digital age, the traditional listening experience is being compromised by the widespread adoption of digital music streaming platforms accessed mainly on phones, sadly through phone speakers. This shift has raised concerns about the diminishing historical and personal significance of music in our lives. However, the antiquated entity that is vinyl, comes out of its jacket to rescue us!
In modern times, there is a gap between exteroception and sonic experiences perceived by humans. No medium other than vinyl could have reinstated the relationship between people and lived experiences. The vitality of the medium lies in the enshrined physicality of its format.
The disparate component between streaming platforms and vinyl lies in the recording of the music. Music reproduced on vinyl captures analogue sound, and the grooves on the record encapsulate the actual recording. Whereas, digital music is a digital approximation of the original sound. The craft of ardent creation sublimes into an unconscious routine with streaming, possibly doing a disservice to the art.
However, with the rise of compression and portability, vinyl’s prominence diminished as cassettes and CDs took over, subsequently reducing the tangible aspects of the musical experience, even further. But as it turns out, the vinyl’s enduring influence extends far beyond fads. Music’s ability to transcend space and time immortalizes the auditory influence on the human brain. Therefore, vinyls stand as poignant historical markers, invoking deep emotional connections and serving as a tangible link between humanity and material culture. The imprints left by this artefact epitomize the profound relationship between humans and the physical world.
The yearning for a haptic experience is giving rise to the inclination towards a lived and unadulterated music experience. This is reflected in the rise of interest in vinyls amongst audiophiles, pining for an extraordinary aural experience.
In the past thirty years, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of vinyl. This revival can be attributed to the efforts of independent record companies and stores, which have brought together music enthusiasts and crate diggers through the annual celebration of World Record Day since 2008. In 2023, the USA saw a remarkable 49 million sales of records, while the UK witnessed the sale of six million units. Beyond the dedicated day for commemorating this timeless medium, certain artists have also played a significant role in propelling its revival.
The resurgence has been driven by the appeal of collectable editions from legendary artists like The Beatles, Metallica, and Elvis Presley. However, the demand for vinyl has also been boosted by modern streaming artists such as Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift. Notably, Taylor Swift’s latest album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ set a new record for single-week vinyl sales with 700,000 copies sold!
The fanatic fandoms have been at a chart war against their favorite’s contemporaries. The love and loyalty for an artist are propelling vinyl sales. The strategic commerce that Taylor Swift has been applying to boost chart numbers and album sales by producing limited editions of certain vinyl is proving to be beneficial for the vinyl case.
There has also been an undercurrent of a sonic revolution happening in India. The diversified milieu in the country has birthed some of the most unique sounds. Historically, the listening experience has had a human factor associated with it.
The live musical experience has been cemented since the inception of classical music through jugalbandis and amphitheatre concerts. Because of this, it was easier for vinyl to penetrate Indian markets. However, the accessibility hindered the popularity of the medium as the people with higher income strata boasted it as a status symbol rather than an immersive experience.
In its history of music consumption, vinyl records never gained the widespread popularity in India that they did in other regions. However, the landscape changed with the advent of cassettes and CDs, which brought about a significant transformation in how people from diverse social strata experienced and enjoyed music.
During the 1970s, LPs and EPs were popular until the introduction of “2-in-1” radio cassette players, which led to the rise of cassettes. This shift paved the way for cassettes to become popular in rural India, fueled by the emergence of competitors like T-series and Venus who curated regional music content in the heartland of India. In the 1990s, India underwent significant economic changes, including liberalization and privatization, which impacted the music industry. This era saw the emergence of more advanced and portable music devices, witnessing a partial extinction of vinyl in India.
Currently, India is experiencing a renewed interest in vinyl records. The baby boomers, who witnessed the rise and fall of the antiquated medium, are showing a renewed interest due to improved standards of living and reminiscence factors. In the US, around 36 per cent of baby boomers are willing to buy vinyls. The nostalgia factor that comes with this physical medium has paved the way for its resurgence.
Due to this rising interest and nostalgia factor, major cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai are abode to renowned record stores, attracting passionate collectors and music enthusiasts. Despite being predominantly favoured by an older demographic, there is a noticeable curiosity about vinyl records among individuals below the 35-year age bracket.
Connaught Place in New Delhi is home to the ‘Radio & Gramophone House,’ established in 1951. Joginder Luca Singh, the founder of Pagal Records in Hauz Khas village, is experiencing significant growth in his business, reflecting the increasing popularity of vinyl records. As per him, vinyl never disappeared for its reappearance in popular culture.
Kolkata has always been at the centre of cultural renaissance. The city was already teeming with musical enthusiasts, indulging in the beauty of vinyl. Now, the younger generation is exploring the joy of a spinning record, emitting the enchanting voices of the musical luminaries. Varun Desai, every Sunday, heads the vinyl listening sessions at Zee’s Coffeeshop. The Jazz Club culture is also reviving the charm of vinyl, which, in turn, is aiding people to rummage for more sonic relics.
Mumbai, the cultural hotpot, is also witnessing a thriving vinyl scene with vinyl-themed cafes and vintage stores collaborating for an immersive eating experience with a hint of nostalgia served! The Revolver Club, established in 2017, has seen the trend of increasing Gen-Z’s inquisitiveness towards vinyl. In a month, they sell around 1,000 records, says Jude de Souza, the Founder of the Revolver Club.
Records Coffee by Veranda, a quaint cafe in the Western suburbs of Bandra, offers a tactile musical and culinary experience while listening to their favorite records, and reminiscing the good ol’ days. Owners of these cafes and stores testify that in this age of instant gratification, vinyl records remain a timeless medium for the art of music, attracting the attention of musical enthusiasts towards the medium.
The dialogue around the vinyl resurrection has been in the nascent stage in the popular media. However, there have been people who have preserved the craft of vinyl collection, keeping the tradition of the lively sonic experience alive. Suresh Chandavankar, an ardent collector of vinyl, has walls decorated with vintage vinyls of thumri, qawali, and percussion artists.
There are also aficionados like I. Mathieu Josso, a DJ artist who has international artists like Stevie Wonder and the rock-rap band, Beastie Boys records. He also possesses some rare collectable records from artists like The Beatles, Ananda Shankar, and others. Gautam Muralidharan, an ecopreneur, is an avid collector of hip-hop vinyl records, possessing over 600 records. These collectors are conservators of fables that have immortalized time in the 7-inch and 12-inch alluring discs.
Despite the rising success of vinyl records for established artists, smaller independent artists perceive this trend as a potential challenge. The disparity between demand and supply has put pressure on pressing plants, making it difficult for smaller artists to have their music released on vinyl.
Amarrass Records is taking on the responsibility of producing vinyl records for their artists, playing a crucial role in the resurgence of vinyl in India. Ashutosh Sharma and Ankur Malhotra, the founders, are leading the way in providing opportunities for small-scale artists in the country, working as a catalyst for promoting indie artists through the most authentic medium.
Due to the growing interest, the entertainment and music industries must take notes to utilize this rising market for vinyls. Music artists, during tours, can weaponize merchandising to provide LPs to their fans during concerts. Recently, SaReGaMa has launched vinyl for retro music from artists like Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, etc. Taking a leaf from this restoration, film producers can generate limited-edition vinyl to reprise the magic of enchanting compositions.
Vinyl records serve as a timeless medium for preserving musical legacies, preventing the loss of past musical identities. Despite the wear and tear that comes with time, these records provide the background score to human history.
These physical artifacts not only evoke nostalgia but also allow us to experience the universal emotions associated with lived experiences, ensuring that we become the custodians of these musical narratives.
The article has been authored by Dharma Cornerstone Agency head of the music division Hamza Kazi.
