Music fans and "crate diggers" enjoyed Record Store Day (RSD) last weekend. The inaugural event was first held in the US in 2007, on the third Saturday of April and on Black Friday in November. The idea, according to USA Today, was to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store" and indie outlets banded together with the support of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores and the Alliance of Independent Media Stores.
Fast forward to 2023, and the event is now celebrated around the world with participating stores from more than 80 countries taking part in all kinds of events, from live performances and DJ sessions to in-store visits by musicians.
This year, six Thai record stores took part -- Bungkumhouse Records, Hidden Tracks Records, Vinyl Die Hards, Metal Quest, Earquake Music and Jekree Teerakulpisut. Zudrangma Records, the most famous Thai indie record store, were not on this year's list but they have been a stalwart of the event over the past few years with excellent releases. Interestingly, this year Indonesia had the highest number of participating stores in the region.
Initially, the image of the event, which was inspired by Free Comic Book Day, was that of serious record collectors patiently trawling through bins of second-hand vinyl. But that image is already out-of-date as it does not take the record industry long to take advantage of a new market, and these days rock music, specifically rock from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, is what dominates the event. Just as CDs provided a boost for ageing 70s rockers to resell their music in a new format (moving on from both vinyl and cassettes), vinyl is doing the same.
The list of releases is dominated by reissues of rock and pop, and this has led to accusations that the major record labels have hijacked the event and monopolised the production capacity of the limited number of vinyl manufacturing plants. Most indie labels reissuing classic African or Asian popular music produce a limited production of around 1,500 copies but an artist like Taylor Swift is able to print up to 75,000 copies of her early music. As a result, smaller labels are finding it more difficult to release vinyl versions of their music. Some musicians have resorted to another early recording technology to get around this: cassette tapes.
Both the US and Japan have highly active cassette markets, and some indie bands prefer to put out their music in this format. Indeed, in 2017, Cassette Store Day was inaugurated with the support of more than 300 bands and labels worldwide, and this raised the profile of cassette production. So don't throw away your old Thai cassettes, especially those featuring old rock, luk thung and molam, as some of them may be worth a lot more than you paid. They used to be around 50 baht back in the 1980s. In 2022, Cassette Store Week was launched, and it takes place from Oct 9-15 each year.
Some of the highlights from this year's vinyl releases for RSD are must-haves and include early Malian guitar music from Ali Farka Toure's Green album; the late Cape Verdean diva Cesaria Evora's 2-LP Radio Mindelo (Early Recordings); Jah Thomas' Tribute To Reggae King Bob Marley; Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros' Streetcore (on my wish list); Soul Jazz Records Presents – Studio One Ska 20th Anniversary Edition and on the same series, 200% Dynamite! Ska, Soul, Rocksteady, Funk & Dub In Jamaica; and Holy Church Of The Ecstatic Soul: A Higher Power, Sun Ra – Haverford College, January 25, 1980; and one that has a most intriguing title, Various Artists – Hillbillies In Hell: A Chrestomathy: Subterranean Sacraments From The Country Music Underworld (1952-1974). If this latter compilation includes any track by the legendary rockabilly outfit Sid King & His Five Strings, I will certainly get hold of a copy.
A major event to celebrate Record Store Day will be held at BACC this Saturday from 4-8pm and on Sunday 30th from 11am-8pm. A two-day early bird pass is available on the event's Facebook page (facebook.com/rsd.bkk). The event features live performances, pop-up stores of every kind and the chance to do some serious "crate digging". World Beat looks forward to seeing you there.
John Clewley can be contacted at clewley.john@gmail.com.
