From the last 2 post, I’ve been talking about why I go to record shops. If you miss Pt1 and Pt2, please check them out first.
Before, I start to talk about the main topic, I wanna say thank you to people who left comments on my previous posts. This is actually my first blogging experience, and I realized how nice medium blog is and I’m really glad when someone reads my articles seriously and leaves a comment with their ideas. It is beneficial both for me and readers because I can get new hints for my future topics and I can know what kind of topic you want me to discuss. I wanna reflect your idea as much as I can.
Also, I’ve been saying some ideas from analog side so far. Yeah, in fact, I’m pretty much on analog side as I mentioned before. But, I wanna take a neutral stance through this blog. This is “not” a blog that I insist on and emphasize how analog(vinyl) is cool. This is “not” a blog that convince you guys that analog is superior to digital. I wanna introduce the weak points and the strong points of both sides and discuss what’s happening in current music scene on the point of media. This is my blog, so I should say my opinions. Still, I emphasize that I wanna talk about the topic objectively, and then clarify my position.
Thank you again for your comments and I need your help to make my blog more interesting one.
OK! Let’s move on and finish “The Reason Why I Go To Record Shops”.
3, I wanna go. So I go. that’s it!!
As a final reason for visiting record shops, I picked this stupid reason. At the same time, I think this is the strongest reason. When I started to go to record shops, I didn’t have any logical reasons for it. I just thought vinyl was cool(Also, I didn’t know this decision would make me spend so much money). I just like to look my collections on my shelf. Human beings tend to like putting logical reasons, sometimes complicated reasons, on what they are doing in order to satisfy themselves. Yet, in most case, the initial reason is pretty simple. “It’s cool.” “It’s easy.” “It’s convenient.” “My friends do it.” “I just didn’t know the other one.” All of these are good enough reasons to start something. While you get to like it more and more, you realize new idea and your style for it, but you will never forget the initial idea.
In DJ culture, many DJs seem to be on the same way. Some analog DJs say digital music is lacking of soul. Some digital DJs say the analog era has gone. But, nobody can deny the other side completely as long as both sides have strong points and weak points. Then, the factor that splits people into 2 sides is just “which strong point is stronger?”, “which weak point is weaker?”, and “which do you prefer?”.
If I say that, does this discussion lose its meaning? No. I’m just curious about their reason itself. I didn’t want to decide which better style is. I just think this is important to know the fact that there are very simple reasons behind their logical reasons.
When I play music in front of people, I sometimes wonder whether they do know I’m using vinyls or they don’t. I think many of them don’t care about it especially at a party or an event for mainstream people. Even though I noticed that, I wanna keep having my style. And I believe that DJ who plays music for only a few people understand his style is way cooler than DJ who can dance wasted people with top chart music at a mainstream club.
I wanna conclude this topic by this sentence. Though the reason is for yourself, not for another people, keep having your style helps you to go to next level. And… it’s… cool.
revinyl 
Hi Takuro, my name is Wakamaru, want to be avid listener, long time fan! <(`_~<) Hahaha
Nah, on a serious note, I think you brought up a few very good point that I think is very important when discussing Analog DJ's vs Digital DJ's. First of all, I just want to say, I like what you said about style. I like what you said, "…I believe that DJ who plays music for only a few people understand his style is way cooler than DJ who can dance wasted people with top chart music at a mainstream club." I've always disliked mainstream music at clubs and dances just for the sake that it's usually terrible and all similar sounding, plus the lyrics are almost always below acceptable. I only tolerate just because dancing with girls is fun and I can bite the bullet to dance with girls. The music has a beat, so I just focus on that and the fine hunnie's at clubs! 😀
Anyways, I think how you talked about both analog and digital medium's strengths and weakness is very valid in comparing both parts. For me, i'm accepting of both. I think it's important to have both, use both and understand both. When you think of analog, you got your vinyl and your turntables. It's a completely different feeling playing vinyl on your "wheels of steel." You feel like you are in much more control. You feel like you're bringing something to life. It's a beautiful thing having sound waves filling your ears from something that is physical. When you have a cd, yes that is newer technology, but you just stick it in a cd player of any kind and it just plays where as vinyl requires you to be in control. To me, it's like comparing a manual (5, 6, 7 speed car) with a automatic. One you have to be conscious of and the other, you just put it in a player and just press a button, done. The feeling of being in control gives you a difference sense of satisfaction than just playing music. However, I also like the ease of using digital media because I can use it at my disposal easily. It's kinda hard to play records while driving, thus cd's have a comparable advantage. But when it comes to storing music, mp3's hold an advantage because of the ease of access. To me, it's good to have multiple copies of things, both physical and digital. When it comes to DJing though, it's different.
To me, there's a certain respect for both, especially if both can produce great sounding music. However, I have more respect for vinyl DJ's because I feel they put a lot more heart, love and effort into digging for vinyl to use and finding a way to project their work out knowing that their sound is evident of their hard work and that they are the necessary component to having that sound projected out whereas a Digital DJ can simply record a mix on a cd after putting their work into it, and they can just press play and show their work without having to rely on performing live. Because one is much harder, I have more respect for them, but I also have respect for DJ's who can produce good music because it's also very possible that they used vinyl to create that sound. Every artist is different, but that's my basic breakdown of it.
Also, you put it down right about why you dig, because you think "it's cool." No other reason or explanation needed, really. You made a great point about how people try to create a complicated explanation to give reason for doing something when sometimes, the easiest explanation is much truer. Given the detail you described on why you like vinyl, why you are a analog DJ, to me, that's cool! You're cool! Lemme get that hair! 😀
Hello, Takuro. This is Masayoshi Kataoka, I met you at David’s birthday party kind of a long time ago.
I’m not sure if you could still remember me, and therefore I’m also wondering if I could write a comment like this, starting with calling your first name without ‘kun’… but anyway!, I found your articles were all very nice, passionate, and sincere like I felt “yeah, it is true.” all the time as I read these articles.
As some of your friends mentioned and you responded, I’m very much interested in the differences between ‘analog’ sound and ‘digital’ sound. I have an old record player in my house and I have repeatedly listened to it since I was smaller, and take a fancy for it naturally. Now I am a member of a small club of my university, and some of my friends say that it is not true that vinyls have a ‘better’ sound than CDs. I am not denying this idea totally, but although they’re not ‘better’ sounds, I still pursue the reason why I feel those sounds are ‘soft’ and ‘comfortable’. Is it not a mere nostalgia? I know this is really selfish to say, but if you could be majoring in these domains of music or sound-related things, I would really be looking forward to the research about it.
And one thing to let you know, your soundcloud mix was fantastic! I liked almost all of the songs in it. Does it include a track of David Ruffin, at about middle of it?
Thank you for your comment! of course I remenber you, but I didnt know we had the same interests. I wish we knew the fact before.
What your friends said is true, I think. When we talk about these kinds of topics, we should not say “this is better” cos the person who judge the quality of sound is not famous DJs, not critics, that is each person. It’s like a question “baseball and soccer, which is better sports?”. We can only say “prefer”. Nobody conclude this question. Actually, that’s the reason why this topic is worth to discuss.
Umm, I’m not sure if David Ruffin is singing a song or not. He is a vocalist of Temptations, right? You can see the playlist if you click a link on the page. Thank you for listening anyway!
I appreciate it if you keep visiting this blog. I got a lot of new ideas from the comments of you guys! Thanks! Let’s meet up after I go back to japan in july!
Could you send a link to your soundcloud? I’d definitely like to take a listen.
Also, parabolae’s comment about pure nostalgia is a great way to put it. I grew up on old school vinyl that my mom and dad used to listen to on their record player. The sound of that first scratch when you put a vinyl on it and the static sound before the music starts playing puts me at ease.
Hey Tattan!
Nice blog! Since when have you been so ぺらぺら？Good stuff man!
I have one comment though. I disagree a bit with this line: “I believe that DJ who plays music for only a few people understand his style is way cooler than DJ who can dance wasted people with top chart music at a mainstream club.” I think that DJs have a responsibility to play what people will like. Then they can use their music knowledge to play things that people dont know, but will like, because they have made the connection for them. Its your job to get EVERYONE dancing and involved. Its no use playing just underground hip hop that only the real hip hop dudes will like. Who wants just a bunch of head nodding guys on the dance floor? I think you have to play what people want to hear and then through that you can introduce stuff that they didnt know they wanted to hear.