CHENNAI: For over 15 years, musician Phani Kumar has been collecting vinyl records. What began with a search for music to sample as a hip-hop DJ slowly turned into a passion for collecting records from across genres.
"I am a DJ and in hip-hop culture, we collect records for sampling. That was the initial reason. Later, I started loving the record covers. They fascinated me and whenever I travelled, I started looking for records. Slowly, it became a part of my life." He is now opening his collection to the public through an exhibition titled 'Grooves N Grain.'
The exhibition features records from across genres, including Carnatic, Hindustani, Western classical, pop, jazz, Tamil and Hindi film music, along with movie soundtracks. "I'm exhibiting all the collections I have. There are records from different genres and I also have movie records. I built this collection over the years. Whenever I travel abroad, I pick up records from flea markets, vintage stores and collectors. There are also a few vintage sellers from different cities whom I regularly buy from,” Phani tells DT Next.
He points out that collecting records is only one part of the journey, but learning how to play and preserve them is equally important. "Just collecting records and not playing them doesn't work. Start with a basic record player and slowly build your collection. Buy one or two records first, but listen to them regularly. That helps you understand the turntable and the records."
According to him, caring for vinyl records is something collectors learn over time. "There are basic things to follow. Clean the records properly and keep them in protective covers. It all depends on how you want to preserve them. Vintage record maintenance can be a little expensive, but once you get the hang of it, you learn as you go. Another important aspect is storage.
You can't stack records one on top of another. They have to be stored vertically. If you stack them, they can get crushed or crack. Also, check the inner sleeves once in a while. They shouldn't stick to the record, as that can damage it,” shares the collector.
Even after collecting around 350 records, Phani says he is still fine-tuning and cataloguing his collection. "Keeping them organised is pretty hard. Initially, you tend to buy too many records. It takes time to listen to all of them," he says.
Sometimes, Phani buys a record not for the music, but for its cover. "Some of the record covers are amazing. The artwork, designs and photographs from the '60s, '70s and '80s are really interesting. People who are interested in creativity should look at how these covers were made. They used very little technology, but created something really beautiful."
With Grooves N Grain, Phani hopes to introduce more people to vinyl. "This is the first time such an exhibition is happening in Chennai. I hope it encourages more people to explore vinyl. At least they'll understand how music was enjoyed earlier. I want visitors to see something they may not have explored before. If more people get interested in vinyl records, that's one way of preserving the format.
Outside India, vinyl has always had a niche audience. In our country, it's slowly picking up now," concludes the musician.The exhibition will also have workshops for children and adults on July 4. Participants can learn about vinyl records and turntables and try playing them.Grooves N Grain will be on view from June 27 to July 5 at Alliance Française of Madras.