There is a growing interest in gramophone records – Music

For several years, there has been an increasing interest in gramophone records, including among young people, experts told BTA.

This weekend at the House of Cinema in Sofia, a record market brought together music fans looking for a sound other than digital.

Analogue culture returned to Bulgaria a long time ago, commented Margarita Borisova from Dukyan Meloman, organizer of the bazaar. Since about five years ago, shortly before the pandemic, including worldwide, the interest and sales of phonograph records reached the level before the CD came in, that is, the beginning of the 1980s. Since then, there has been more and more growth, she reports.

According to her, listening to records is a necessity. The record is the “book of music” because it is a complete object of art – not only what is recorded inside, the cover itself, the materials included for reading predispose, require the listener to sit down, slow down the everyday fast rhythm and hear the music . It is more like a ritual and is, in our opinion, at the basis of the revival of interest in the plate, she believes, and added that communication with the objective expression of culture cannot disappear.

Margarita Borisova explained that the record is actually the most durable medium that preserves the music best and gave an example that discs that were recorded 25-30 years ago are already causing problems. Of course, every object needs care. If a person keeps his records and has a relationship with them, they will outlive him, she believes.

According to her observations, the interest of young people in the “book of music” is also great. This trend is also related to this – listening to a gramophone record is a ritual act, the person is designed to touch, see, communicate with the object of art, commented the expert.

The digital age helps and contributes to easier access to the favorite music, but one wants to own the favorite music, to be able to share it, to show it. Or, as her friends used to tell her, “You can’t invite someone over to show them your MP3s at home, but you can invite them over to show them your record collection.” According to her, MP3s have long since been replaced by records. She’s noticed that people use them to help them initially hear the music and become familiar with it, but once they know who their favorite musicians and albums are, they want to own them on record or on CD. She said that there is also a resurgence of interest in the CD, especially among young people who want to have something of their favorite artist, and also communicate with each other by showing and exchanging CDs.

According to her, all musicians, if they had such an opportunity, would release on a record, because this is the medium that shows that it is the most durable and also the most pleasant for most people. The gramophone record gives us a softness and warmth of sound that no other medium has, she commented and explained that music from a gramophone record, listened to on an adequate system, offers the sound that is closest to live sound. “You can organize, if you have a nice system and a good release, a mini-concert at home – many people prefer it.”

Margarita Borisova said that there have been many record collectors in Bulgaria for years. People who are starting to collect now go through their favorite stuff – Led Zeppelin, Queen, Dire Straits and especially Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon is one a colossal album that everyone wants to own in their collection, she noted, adding that its cover art is also a work of art by Hypnosis Studio.

Martin Kotsev, one of the participants in the market, also reports an increase in interest in the slabs for several years. There are old collectors, there are those who are just getting started, and there are students who buy records way before their time, he said. And according to his observations, interest in CDs is returning.

In Bulgaria, there are collectors with over 10,000 records, explained Kotsev. Those who collect prefer to buy the first, original editions, and the mass consumer prefers something cheaper. Plates can be found for 10-20 BGN, but there are also very expensive ones.

According to him, young people return to records because of a desire to escape from reality, where everything is “super synthetic”. There are all kinds of online formats, but the ability to touch, feel, even the ritual of cleaning the dust from the plate – these things are addictive, Kotsev believes.

Analogue sound is more real, closer to real sound, he commented, noting that the best recordings are those made live with a single microphone, without mixes and interventions.