An old university classmate who’s been a professional musician in a popular rock-improv band in America for twenty-eight years recently convinced me to get a record player. As a teen, I had a hand-me-down from my parents. That was before the age of digital streaming, of Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. These services are convenient and the internet has exposed us to a dazzling array of the world’s music, but have we lost anything in the process?
It’s too easy to click away mid-song. We get bored or distracted quickly. Music that’s complex or highly creative challenges us at first and requires deeper listening. But we want instant gratification. We’re losing the ability to focus. Listening to a record is like a ceremony; you remove it from its sleeve, place the record and the needle, listen until the end and then flip it. Artists used to design albums around the format. With thirty minutes on each side, the songs were arranged meaningfully. You’d get a story. Many musicians are now returning to conceiving albums as records.
Japan is internationally famous for its record bars, where you go to listen to music as much as to sip coffee or a cocktail. The DJs are curators of museums of sound. They select albums and present them as examples of influence or genius. Or maybe the records are a reflection of the feeling of that moment.
I was pleased last year when Record Bar 45 Yokohama became a supporter of NPO Yokohama Seasider. I was familiar with the DJ’s work (and good taste) and knew this would be an opportunity for guests to discover great music. I enjoy checking their Instagram where they post pictures of albums they’ve played. I’ll often look up those I don’t know. A better idea is to go and listen, to experience what delights the DJ will present. If you like what you hear, maybe you can build your own collection.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recordbar45yokohama
Address: Japan, 〒220-0005 Kanagawa, Yokohama, Nishi Ward, Minamisaiwai, 2 Chome−16−20 ＹＫBuilding 2F
Phone: +81 45-594-6445