Your dad (or granddad) probably owned one. That stylus dancing nervously before it lands on the vinyl, then — boom — juicy music and crisp vibes in the living room. Cue: ‘Wild Horses’ by the Rolling Stones.
For Millennials and Gen-Zers, vinyl is less memory, more myth. Most haven’t even seen a cassette, let alone a record player.
In the digital age of “you will own nothing, and be happy,” vinyl is staging a stylish rebellion. Sure, record players and LPs cost far more than a Spotify sub, but numbers don’t lie — the format is back.
Nevertheless, the numbers don’t lie and the revival is driven by a combination of factors including nostalgia, the desire for a more tangible music experience, and the aesthetic appeal of vinyl. Many artistes are pressing records besides their Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud and Youtube releases. Heck there are some nutcases who are bringing tape back too!
There are other factors. Serious connoisseurs of music appreciate the warmth and unique characteristics of the vinyl sound and artwork and design of vinyl covers also a significant draw, with many collectors appreciating the larger format and visual appeal of album art. It is part nostalgia, part hobbyist. Meanwhile, modern social critics label the resurgence of analogue as a subtle “revolution” against the soulless, algorithmic conformity of digital.
Dudley Jansz stands for DJ
I didn’t have to look far to learn about the time when turntables held sway. Dudley Jansz, the Sunday Observer’s Senior Associate Editor served part-time at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) as a radio presenter for 25 years and tells us all about playing records in the studio of the station.
Back before Dee Jays referred to those who mixed music at clubs and parties, whereas an Operational Assistant (OA) was tasked with playing the records in the continuity studio.
He fondly recalls the happy times in the years gone by when they spun records taken from the UK and US pop charts and the OAs dropping the stylus of the record after the presenter made the announcements.
“The OAs would cue the track while the announcement was being made. There were times when the wrong track was played during a live broadcast which was not only embarrassing but also an apology had to be made,” he said.
LP70 is Colombo’s latest value edition in an era of vinyl ascendance. A family business turned “Third Space” where you can buy Eight-Track players, listen to music and drink coffee or just hangout.
“Third Spaces” from coffee shops to co-working areas have become the new normal in the post-Covid-19 era and LP70 is banking on that success. The store is a normal business space in the ground floor of Liberty Plaza, adjacent to the store selling carpets in the main atrium.
I arrived on a sleepy Wednesday and met Sandul Chandradasa — yes, the same one with a poem in this week’s issue. He’s the store manager, ex-microbiologist, and unofficial vibe curator.
“I used to swab noses during the Covid -19 pandemic,” he said. “Now I call this early retirement.”
“I find solace in playing music,” he said with a smile.
LP70’s spinning logo, which made it to this week’s cover, was designed by underground graffiti artist ‘Asia’.
I took off my shoes and started browsing LPs from three lockers. There was worn out classic “dad rock” including Sting, Police, CCR, Bob Dylan and Dire Straits, some Sinhala Pop from greats such as Latha Walpola, Gypsies and Gunadasa Kapugey still fresh in their plastic covers.
There were super rare records such as The Sooriya Show that featured old-timey Sri Lankan rock bands such as the Moonstones, the Golden Chimes and La Bambas.
Such a lovely place…
I stacked up some rock classics and held up Eagle’s ‘Hotel California’ record. “Let’s start with this”
Sandul beamed and got started. “See those blank margins on the grooves,” he said “Those are where the tracks start”.
“This record has got quite the story behind it. Hemantha’s (store’s owner) dad bought it in Los Angeles. This record is almost 50 years old.
Sandul cranked up the volume, as Don Henley crooned, “On a dark desert highway…” I opened the store door, letting the music spill into Liberty Plaza.
The track was riddled with pops and crackles — not flaws, but fingerprints of time. No algorithm can fake that!
A listening party
Then came Sting’s ‘Englishman in New York’, followed by Toto and Rick James. The ancient records were a little warped, a bit distorted — but they felt alive. MP3s may offer clean, polished sound. But they don’t scratch. They don’t skip. They don’t breathe.
With vinyl, there’s ritual: pulling the record out of the sleeve, placing it on the mat, counting the grooves, lowering the stylus. There’s something human about it.
For those wondering what “LP” even stands for: it means Long Playing record — a full-length album, typically 10–12 tracks, played at 33 1/3 RPM. The term distinguished them from EPs (Extended Play) and singles.
While EPs usually span 20 minutes, LPs double that. Today, “LP” and “album” are used interchangeably — especially on vinyl.
The swift effect
So, who’s behind vinyl’s mainstream comeback? You’d think it was hordes of hipsters thumbing through dusty crates. But no — it’s Taylor Swift.
According to chart bodies and official sales figures, Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ was the best-selling vinyl album of 2024, with 2.22 million copies sold globally. The album topped IFPI’s Global Vinyl Album Chart — solidifying her as the format’s reigning queen.
Turns out, we have to credit the Swifties. They didn’t just revive vinyl. They own it.
Final groove
And if you’re curious — the best-selling vinyl record of all time? That would still be Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, with an estimated 66 million copies sold since 1982.
Vinyl may never rule the pop charts again, but that’s not the point.
LP70 — with its vibe, old records, and analog charm — isn’t just selling music. It’s bottling time, one groove at a time.
