viva vinyl, rule britania

A moment in praise of vinyl:

I've been comfortably settled into my role as a prehistoric, vinyl-touting DJ for a good while. Until I got my M-Audio Micro Track MP3 recorder last year, I was even vocal about my pride for still making REAL mixtapes . . . the kind with actual tape winding through them.

It's not like I am opposed to technology. On the contrary, I'm thrilled to be using some brand-new tools that are helping me to get on a level playing field with everyone else, just when I was about to go back to fountain pen and ink.

But I have to admit to feeling a strong tug of sadness after reading my buddy Dave Stefox's recent article in London's Guardian newspaper, 'Vinyl has been eliminated,' which describes the current status of the Jamaican music scene. I normally take articles on the topic of vinyl with a grain of salt, but I trust Dave implicitly, especially when it comes to the sounds from the island. Again, not against the proliferation of digital culture, just emotional at the death of dubplates.

However, I'm heartened by the continued great work of another London pal, Sean Bidder. He's the editor of the vinyl-celebrating bimonthly magazine Fact,which is part of the mighty Vinyl Factory, which certainly seems like it's doing its part to almost singlehandedly keep the format alive in the UK and Europe.

Erykah Badu feels what I'm talking about: