The
local store sold me local treats like the Kaboutertje Putlucht (Stench Dwarf) ten
inch and at the time of writing I still have to take the train there and pick up
the new Ergo Phizmiz and Laurence Pike LPs in wonderful Nijmegen. This shop
re-released a Sun Ra classic on 7 inch on their Waaghals label but moreover they
have a keen hand picking cheap classic LPs like Robert Rental's 'The Bridge', so
each little train trip down South to Nijmegen I get back with at least one
crammed bag of vinyl. 2024 must be my record low for buying new 7 inch singles,
now that the little gems sell at ridiculous prices. Independent labels still
strive for affordable vinyl, like The Leaf Label, Les Disques Bongo Joe, XL and
Glitterbeat do. Yet it very much feels like I'm in a Top 40 menopause. On top of
that, I'm going through this retro industrial new wave phase as well, enjoying
the likes of the minimalist Italian dance troop Zona Utopica Garantita.
The
greatest treat was how the Oïmiakon LP from Paris still played in spite of it
arriving very warped. Imagine, even the sleeve had gone warped. A noticeable
record was set by the Slovenly label for selling me the wrong item, once more a
great one, a fourth time. 2024 also was the first year in ages that I bought a
Wedding Present single, albeit one from their 2022 series. Patience awarded as I
got it for around 6 quid, the amount I keep sticking to as the standard 7 inch
45 RPM vinyl record price.
Unlike book publishers, music labels don't have set
prices on their products thus allowing greedy online stores to raise them at
will. Indeed, buy music on Bandcamp, you'd answer. Bandcamp remains the best
place to go when you haven't got a good record store within travelling distance.
The experience of being in a warehouse music store with thousands of LPs and
singles where you can check the vinyl on their Audio-Technica turntables cannot
be beaten. Each time.
