At a recent party, a popular DJ decided to play a vinyl record. This move received
a very interesting response, right from generating curiosity about the vinyl to
the quality of sound it produced. What turned out to be the most interesting
revelation to many, who had assumed Vinyls and Long Play (LP) records were part
of an older generation, was that it is very much back in vogue.
When people think of a vinyl record, they
picture their grandfather’s gramophone and an erratic but nostalgic sound of
scratches and pops and radio quality music. What they are not aware of is that
the technology for playback has increased by leaps and bounds. So much so that
all the major record labels have started pressing vinyl again in the last 5
years, reissuing all their previous records right from the 1940s. Needless to
say, new artistes have also followed suit and contemporary artistes across all
genres are releasing their albums on vinyl.
When you put a record on such a system,
the clarity immediately blows you away. It’s as if the band is playing right in
front of you. You can hear the artiste breath, the instrument and all its
nuances are right in front of you.
“I still remember the first time I heard a
record on an audiophile system; I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” says
Buland Shukla, architect and acoustical consultant by profession and the brains
behind Audiophile Goa.
“I have been working with sound since a long time. And at one
instance, I happened to chance upon analogue audio. I was bedazzled by the
clarity and fidelity of the modern analogue equipment and I decided I needed to
bring this to the people of Goa,” says Buland.
Audiophile Goa caters to a niche club of audiophiles and is set
in a charming loft in Mala, Fontainhas. It is a one-of-a-kind set up where they
encourage people to come and experience the true feeling of listening to music.
“We understand your love for music. We understand your desire to be immersed in
the record and feel the trumpet blow, or the bass pluck, or the guitar strum.
Let us help you bridge the gap between live and recorded sound. We bring music
and musicians so close to you that you might have to duck at that trombone
extension,” says a member of the Audophile Goa team that consists of musicians
and studio technicians as well.
With India waking up to the audiophile revolution, they are
making sure that they are right there with it. “India has always been trailing
behind in terms of introducing new technology. This time, we wanted to be at
the forefront. I ended up auditioning all sorts of equipment and curated a list
of products that were made by equally passionate people and hand-crafted with
love and care. The vinyl revival was already on a surge, especially in London
and Tokyo. I didn’t want my fellow music lovers to be left behind and decided
to open up a store that could satisfy all the needs of a serious audiophile,
providing equipment that can be comparable to any world leading audio store,”
states Buland.
He spent almost a year researching and auditioning various
products, their philosophy and their craftsmanship and their presence the world
over.
“Most of our brands are ones that not many people have heard of.
Popular brands spend a lot of money in advertisement, marketing and paid
reviews. My aim was to find products that stand a class apart and brands that
spend money on components rather than the virtual world of marketing,” says
Buland, while talking about what led to the leg work.
Currently, they are the only store in India with such a large
collection of new records. They have also built up a collection of some rare
original releases, maintained in pristine condition, some of them more than 60
years old. Apart from records, they also have a range of high quality
turntables, amplifiers, speakers and all the accessories needed like high
fidelity cables, connectors, needles, etc.
“This venture is something I am really passionate about. Music
for me is a celebration of the human spirit. And analogue audio equipment is a
very clean and transparent way of channelling it,” adds Buland.
“Our goal was also to create awareness. We started The Vinyl
Club for the same reason. We play a record on a high end analogue system and
share this experience with first timers and vinyl lovers alike. We get a lot of
youngsters coming for our sessions, which is a wonderful thing,” Buland
continues.
Given
that not everyone can afford to have a system like this, they always have their
doors open for people who wish to come with their own records and sit down and
listen, or chose from any of the records from their personal collection. They
also have people who generally donate LPs to the club so that more such people
can share and enjoy the music.