Vinyloscopy with Chris from Owl Maker

Owl Maker

You make recall the interviews we've seen sending around asking all sorts of rockers about how they listen to music....

Yes?

Well, it occurred to me that not enough of them are singing the praises of the vinyl.

Punches packed with Wax-ed....ok that rhyme was terrible.

Because of my personal love of the unsquared circle, we need to talk to some other folks out there about why they love these silly black (and many other colored) discs. Today we're hearing from Chris of Owl Maker. They are putting out their debut release, Paths of the Slain next month and they're doing it by their own damn selves.

1. Listening to Black Sabbath's eponymous debut the night I got it blew me away. What's the album that sounds the best on vinyl compared to digital sources?

It really depends. A lot of pre-digital era stuff sounds the best, to me. Strictly metal speaking, I always dug Slayer’s South Of Heaven. Andy Wallace really mixed that record well. Or at least that’s how I feel right this minute, hehe

2. I was laying in bed one night and couldn't sleep and I figured, it was time to start buying records. How did you come to the idea that it was time to start buying vinyl instead?

I was lucky enough to know this older punk dude back in the day who used to just give me the records he knew I liked and weren’t his style. 

Keep in mind this is when vinyl was very much out of vogue, so I was able to get some classic albums back then. I just stuck with it, because certain records just sound better in analog format.

3. For my old stuff, it's vinyl worthy, for new stuff, it's all vinyl if available. Do you buy everything on wax or do you have a vinyl worthy category?

It depends how it’s mixed, as far a new stuff. A lot of times the modern acts just doesn’t translate as well, in my opinion. 

Old funk/r’n’b records sound awesome on wax to me personally, as do 80’s hardcore and hip-hop. As far as modern stuff goes, your more hard rock/stoner type of bands seem to go hand in hand with analog.  

Tech death that’s super crushed sounds doesn’t seem to work as well, although I love that stuff too. I do have a lot of stuff in digital format for convenience, but if I’m home I prefer records for certain stuff.

4. My second living room is where I keep it all. Upstairs, my late 90's receiver, vinyl preamp, with a 70's turntable and 70's 5 way speakers. Tell us all about your vinyl set up.

I have most of it on a shelf in my living room as well. I have an early 90’s record player and receiver. The speakers are Bose from the early 2000’s though. I needed something in a pinch.

5. Do you read the lyrics and go over the inserts when you're spinning?

Of course! That’s half the fun of the physical format. It’s kind of a lost art form.

6. When someone says, I'm stupid for buying records, I tell them, thanks, more limited edition colored vinyl for me, what's your answer?

Ha! That’s a perfect answer. Usually people think it’s cool that I’m still into wax. On the rare occasion I take heat for it, I point out that they probably don’t even pay for music. Usually I’m right.

7. My first album ever was Live Evil by Black Sabbath, so I'm stuck on live albums. What's the best live album on vinyl?

I love that record too! Mine is probably Iron Maiden’s Live After Death. I’m sure by tomorrow I’ll have thought of 10 others that are great though, heheh