Vinyloscopy with Josh Kay of Alizarin

During this Pandemic, I've been listening to and purchasing crazy amounts of records. If you're anything like me, you need to get a dose yourself.

Today we're checking in with Josh Kay of Alizarin and his records. Check  'em out on BANDCAMP.

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?

King Crimson’s Red would have to be up there (particularly the Steven Wilson remix). Speaking of Wilson, I have to take a moment to express that his record Hand. Cannot. Erase. sounds phenomenal in any format. One of the best-mixed albums I’ve ever heard. 

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?

It’s interesting, seeing vinyl albums make a comeback as CDs began to become obsolete.

Digital music is probably here to stay but people still enjoy purchasing and collecting the physical albums. It’s the complete opposite of the modern “stream and download at the click of a button” vibe, and there is something rewarding about that. 

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?

Certain albums are great to have in all formats.

Some bands only release digitally these days though, so I’ll try to buy what I can. But nothing quite beats having the physical item as a souvenir. 

4. My second living room is where I keep it all. Upstairs, my 1971 Sherwood 7100-S, Receiver,  1975 Pioneer PL-200, and 70's Sansui 5 way speakers. Tell us all about your vinyl set up.

We have an old wooden jukebox that plays vinyl and 8-tracks but it’s a bit janky. We recently upgraded to a new Vitrola that plays like a dream. 

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

Absolutely. It’s always great to read the words as the stories unfold. It helps to get into the mindset of an album and further understand what the artist was going for. 

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?

I imagine most young kids would say it’s stupid to buy them because they’re born into digital technology.

But it just means, yes, more for us. Actually, it might be great to show them how cool it is to have a real item, that you can pick up, with inserts, photos, lyrics, and more.

You get much more than the music; you get the full experience.

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?

Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize. I love me some Porcupine Tree and this era of the band was just untouchable. 

8. Tell me about your latest vinyl release.

We are hoping to release our upcoming album The Last Semblance on vinyl eventually. 

9. Listening to records is my comfort food for my soul. As mentioned earlier, I have a living room dedicated to it. I normally drink a beer or two whilst listening to music I love. Describe your normal listening experience.

If it’s a new album I’ve never heard before I try to make sure there are no distractions, to really absorb the music.

But I often like to read about the artist as I listen to the music, whether it’s the liner notes or just their background/biography. I find the creative process so fascinating.