Below is a story that appeared in Alaska Beyond magazine in July 2015

Seattle resident Chris Darrell, also known as DJ absoluteMadman at area nightclubs, finds a certain Zen quality to the process of playing a vinyl record. There is taking the album out of the sleeve, cleaning it, placing it on the turntable and gently dropping the needle. He maintains that the mechanics of the operation put him at ease.

“Listening to records calms me down,” he says. “My mom recently came by and dropped off a bunch of old records she picked up at an antique store, and my studio has been smelling like that dusty shop for a few days – it signals a happy place in my brain that records are near.”

Darrell, 36, buys vinyl for a number of reasons, including his night job as a disc jockey, the beauty of the artwork or simply the enjoyment of listening. A current favorite album is DJ Shadow’s Entroducing. He also is drawn to certain rare recordings.

“I look for the label it’s released on, date released, players and instruments used,” he says. “The artwork is always a good thing to check out, too, of course. If it’s in some language I don’t recognize and there’s old analog synths, drums and weird percussion instruments on it, I have to hear it!”

Such excitement over the decidedly old-school format of vinyl records and albums is literally music to Dave Voorhees’ ears. The 65-year-old owner of Seattle’s Bop Street Records, which was named one of the five best music stores in America by The Wall Street Journal in 2011, Voorhees specializes in “the classics” and maintains business is good.

However, for Voorhees the record business isn’t about sales. He remains enamored by the slick, shiny and fragile discs that were an integral part of his youth. He remembers the first 7-inch, 45-rpm single record he bought at age 8. It was Whole Lotta Lovin’ by the great Fats Domino, and it was the beginning of a lifelong passion. “I learned a lot about romance and girls based on those old love songs,” he remembers.

Finding a new audience

Voorhees and Darrell are among a growing number of people who are passionate about vinyl records. Both young and old are once again embracing the format. While vinyl still accounts for less than 4 percent of all album and record sales, the numbers are climbing fast. According to the publication Billboard, vinyl-record sales increased from 6.1 million copies in 2013 to 9.2 million copies in 2014, a 52 percent increase. At the same time, the number of digital downloads of music dropped 9 percent for albums and 12 percent for singles, and overall CD sales fell 14 percent.

The jump in vinyl sales has been so dramatic that the few remaining factories that still make records are having a hard time keeping up with the demand, and the sale of record players has experienced a resurgence in the past few years.

Many people who collected albums in their youth are renewing their interest in vinyl and the nostalgia the discs bring. The records and albums formed the soundtrack to many a generation’s formative years, and vinyl devotees swear that the sound quality of the recordings is superior to the other formats.

Voorhees certainly agrees. He started selling 45s out of his parents’ North Seattle home in 1974. His business began to flourish when he bought 3,000 rare blues records from a Texas jukebox distributor for a dime apiece.

Word quickly spread of his vintage collection, prompting Voorhees to look for a storefront to sell his goods. in 1979, he established his first retail space and eventually opened Bop Street Records in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood in 1984.

Today, he personally owns about 15,000 singles, including works by everyone from soul and gospel singer Sam Cooke to country star Townes Van Zandt and rockabilly legend Gene Vincent. A few of the rare finds are autographed, something that he points out can’t be done with a digital MP3 version. Beyond having something in your hand, Voorhees also believes records sound significantly better than digital versions.

“The more you compress a song [as in an MP#],” he says, “the flatter the sound and the farther you get away from what the artists wanted you to hear.”

Still, nostalgia isn’t the only driving force behind increased vinyl sales. A younger generation is also discovering the joys of vinyl. According to Music-Watch, 22 percent of vinyl buyers are between the ages of 18 and 25. The younger listeners are inheriting record collections and experiencing the sound quality, tangibility and fun involved with studying album art and liner notes.

The vinyl movement has spawned Facebook pages dedicated to vinyl records, and some bars, including Seattle’s Revolver Bar, boast that they only play vinyl records. Musicians are also responding to the vinyl revival. Jack White, who has been called a vinyl evangelist, is one of many artists who are releasing their works also in vinyl formats, sometimes adding extra song tracks and special features to entice buyers. Other acts selling well on vinyl in 2014 include the Arctic Monkeys, Beck, The Black Keys and Lana Del Rey.

Pearl Jam’s lead guitarist, Mike McCready, is supporting the movement by launching HockeyTalkter Records, one of the growing number of vinyl-only record labels. McCready has inked acts such as Star Anna and Robb Benson’s Stereo Embers and plans to release 7-inch singles from the bands. “The reason behind HockeyTalkter is simple, I love vinyl! I love the smell, touch and, of course, the sound,” says McCready. “I love the whole culture behind vinyl records and the countless record stores that I look for when I’m on tour.”

Celebrating a movement

Members of the music industry are also helping to promote vinyl with Record Store Day, held on the third Saturday in April. The day is aimed at supporting independent record stores, where most vinyl is sold.

This year, Easy Street Records in West Seattle was rocking. A capacity crowd of fans filled the store as the legendary 1960s band The Sonics tore through a blistering set of classic hits, including Louie, Louie. The band was joined by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and McCready; Chris Ballew of The Presidents of the United States of America and Tacocat’s Emily Nokes during the concert, which benefited the independent Seattle radio station KEXP. For those at the show, they experienced a “historic” and “truly magical” moment, says Kevin Cole, senior director of programming at KEXP. Cole says it’s no surprise that so many musical legends are willing to promote record stores. “It’s a day to celebrate the role of the independent record store in the community, which is essential for a vibrant music scene and culture.”

Collecting art

Bruce Pavitt knows plenty about nurturing the local music scene.

The founder of Sub Pop Records, Pavitt helped launch such groups as Nirvana and Soundgarden and played a role in creating the famed Northwest “grunge” sound. He remembers that the first single he ever bought was Hey Jude/Revolution by the Beatles. The most recent album was James Brown’s Live at the Apollo Volume II.

“The first record we optioned for our Single of the Month Club was Nirvana’s Love Buzz, which we pressed in editions of 1,000, and each sleeve was numbered by hand,” Pavitt says. “It’s interesting to think that a band with such humble beginnings could go on to such success.”

For Pavitt, who has seen the music industry change over the years, vinyl still holds a special place that none of the other formats can reach. Part of the appeal is that, at a time when so many things are ephemeral and most of our lives are stored on hard drives, vinyl records are tangible and they last. We can appreciate their artwork and find new insights while holding them in our very own hands.

“Aside from the warm and fuller sound quality, I’ve always had an appreciation for the artwork and packaging,” Pavitt says of his love for vinyl. “Anyone who has a record collection essentially has an art collection.”