When we sat down with Kurt Loy of #Vinyloftheday, it only seemed right to take the opportunity to ask the avid vinyl collector to share a few of his favourite songs.
It’s far more than a vibrant sound the vinyl gives. Evoking a nostalgic experience from the very first moment a record gently lays down with the needle, there is something about the physical characteristic of vinyl’s that captivates collectors. For the very same reason, Kurt transitioned from working from music streaming at Rdio Asia to creating an app for vinyl enthusiasts.
What inspired you to launch #vinyloftheday?
I started #vinyloftheday in early 2013 because I felt that the experience for vinyl collectors at record stores, social networks and discussion forums was less than ideal. At first, it was just an online community on social media, but in 2016, I decided the time was right to create an app for collectors to have an all-in-one, on-the-go service to purchase vinyl records.
We understand that the music discovery and purchasing process should be as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible, and have thus developed and designed this app through multiple iterations — we would not settle for anything less than our highest standards.
With over 2,000 records in your collection, could you share why are vinyl records special to you?
Playing vinyl instils a greater reverence for the music at hand. It encourages a listener to really pay attention to the music and play it the entire way through each side. It’s a wonderful experience and you will never get that with any other audio formats.
Could you share your greatest lesson from working at Rdio Asia?
Plan on being mocked or told it will never work- sometimes they are right, but the best ideas do seem crazy at first or everyone would already be doing it. We had a nice run with Rdio because of that philosophy. We managed to achieve great results and performed better than the other territories during our short stint here.
How do you find the vinyl community in Singapore?
It’s still niche but picking up. I would like the community members or even the local stores to open up and explore various genres of music.
Who are your musical icons/influences?
There are too many and they change over time. However, i’ll never get sick of listening to Faye Wong.
Is there anything you would like to share for beginners wanting to get into turntables and records?
1. Don’t be afraid of used records and bargain bins.
2. Pick up some weird records, you’ll find cool stuff this way.
If I had to pick, I’d play my Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 record on repeat. If you could make a soundtrack to your life, what songs would you put on it?
Sharon Redd – Love Is Gonna Get Ya
Shalamar – A Night To Remember
McFadden & Whitehead – Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
The Real Thing – You To Me Are Everything
Young-Holt Unlimited – Soulful Strut
Taeko Ohnuki – Summer Connection
Durand Jones & The Indications – Make A Change
The Procedures – Give Me One More Chance
Bill Withers – Lovely Day
Listen to Kurt’s playlist here
Kurt will be showcasing his diverse record collection at our upcoming event, Sights & Sounds on July 28 2017. Join us as we celebrate music, art and design!
Details
Date: 28 July 2017
Address: the Hive Singapore, 59 New Bridge Road, Singapore
Tel: +65 6532 2119
Price: SGD$5
Book tickets here
Images by Raphael Ong
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