Record Store Day puts spotlight on independent music shops and local artists
Saturday is Record Store Day (RSD), when independent music shops around the world host a series of events for music lovers. The first customers at dozens of shops in Belgium will receive a free exclusive single by Belgian musician Sylvie Kreusch, the event’s ambassador.
More than 30 Belgian stores are taking part. Among them is Music Mania Ghent, which is teaming up with local music venues for free concerts by Whispering Sons, Loverman, The Bony King of Nowhere and Isbells from 13.00.
“As we’ve done quite fruitfully the last couple of years, in cooperation with Democrazy and Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER, we’ll be organising our annual Music Mania Fest,” the store said. “Apart from the inevitable RSD releases, we tend to focus on our carefully curated collection and the releases by our local heroes.”
Record Store Day was established in 2007 in Baltimore in the US, at a gathering of owners and employees of independent record shops looking to defend the industry against the rise of piracy and digital competitors like iTunes. The event has since become an annual fixture for music lovers, with events in the US, Europe, Australia, Mexico and Japan.
“So much love and passion goes into the creation of a record, with the idea that it can tell a beautiful story from start to finish,” said Kreusch.
“Continually refining sounds that are best enjoyed on vinyl is so valuable for any passionate musician. In these times when we often consume music fleetingly via our smartphones, I feel a strong desire for the physical record.”
This year there is a collaboration with online platform Discogs, which is organising Record Store Day Afters on 22 April, where fans can buy music from shops around the world, gaining access to limited, region-specific releases.
Customers at Record Store Day in Chicago, April 2019 © PHOTO KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP
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