SECOND-HAND MUSIC REVIEW
SECOND-HAND MUSIC REVIEW
Over the last 20 years, there have been numerous discussions about the resurgence of vinyl records and CDs, reaching new heights of popularity. However, it cannot be said that there is a widespread interest in purchasing vinyl records and albums, as well as owning a personal record player or CD player. Students at Ås are likely no exception, even though one might think that students are more inclined towards hipster trends. There is a significant focus on sound here in Ås, particularly around Eika and Samfunnet. Especially around Pentagon, Eplehagen, and Skogveien, the Agrarian Metropolis can seem like one large booming subwoofer, leading to either euphoria or sleep problems for many (thanks to Wednesday’s bodega). However, the survey on music and music system interest for Tora and Thorvald will have to be the subject of another TT article! The agenda of this article is to generate interest in used music and musical equipment in the local area. From the already music-interested to the music-ignorant student!
Journalist: Ane Mathilde Runge Christensen
Photographer: William Fredrik Bakke Dahl
Translator: Rebekka Berg
I scoped out two local second-hand music spots in Ski. It turned out that rumours and research would lead me to two local “music enthusiasts,” each with their own method of practicing their hobby and making it accessible to others! It is important to note that the two places have very different starting points and offerings. NMS Gjenbruk has its own music corner, which only has available what the thrift store receives and sorts to the best of its ability! Jorwed HiFi and Vinyl, on the other hand, have a much more specialized selection and describe it as follows: “... specialized in used vinyl records and used Hi-Fi equipment. We have a carefully curated selection of rare and sought-after vinyl releases, from classic albums to modern favourites.”
NMS Gjenbruk Music Corner
For those who have not visited NMS Gjenbruk, the store is located at Åsveien 9, easily accessible at Eikeliveien bus stop in Ski town centre. At the back of the store, you’ll find a corner with old Beatles posters, Tannberg radios, and a collage wall with music references. Pål Paulus Alinge is involved in music and volunteering, and he set up the whole thing on his own initiative about two years ago. I didn’t personally meet Pål but got all the information from Grete Halvorsen, who works at NMS Gjenbruk. She explains that Pål has created a meeting place, and together with Espen and several other music enthusiasts, they sort through what has come in to put it in order. He aims to highlight the music and popular culture that store receives, and foot traffic has increased since Pål started the music corner. There is particularly high demand on Tuesdays after they receive new items.
The more interesting and intact records are sorted separately. When we were there, there was everything from “Barbra Streisand” to “Ole Ivars” to “the history of rock,” priced from 5 to 25 kr. The CDs in the corner are alphabetically sorted, and you can listen to them on the CD player in the music corner before purchasing. Those especially interested can also find cassettes and music equipment, as well as other popular culture items such as music books, sheet music, comics, audiobooks, and DVDs. If you’re lucky, you can find a bargain! If you don’t know what to do one day, it’s worth stopping by for a look, you never know what you’ll find!
Jorwed HiFi &Vinyl
Approximately a 20-minute walk from the train station, or 10 minutes from Industriveien bus stop, you’ll find Jørgen Wedøe’s HiFi and Vinyl used store at Verkstedveien 25A. From the outside, it resembles a workshop from the 70s, but as soon as you cross the threshold, you enter a niche second-hand store. The room is filled with rows of boxes of used vinyl, and for someone who loves music, it’s hard to know where to start. The store opened about 2 years ago and offers an exceptionally good selection of used music! Jørgen expected the average age of his visitors to be about 50 years old, but was surprised. His theory is that TikTok and TV series have some credit for younger people contributing to an average age closer to 30 years old (and a William Fredrik Bakke Dahl Photographer Ane Mathilde Runge Christensen Journalist 24 Edition 02 Volume 79 TUNTREET surprising interest in, among other things, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”).
The driving force behind starting up was the fundamental interest in music and sound that has always been there. Jørgen quit his job, and now it’s all about HiFi and vinyl. However, the prices are not unreasonable, and the price ranges depend more on the value of the records in terms of the LP and cover condition and how rare they are. You can pay from 25-200 kr for most records, and they are sorted by artist, alphabet, and genres such as classical, jazz, prog, and punk. There are separate piles for 25 kr records – where you can also find a lot. It’s also possible to find more expensive records here, for those particularly interested in specific editions and unplayed copies. Jørgen wants to emphasize that there’s a possibility of some discounts for students!
The business idea is to offer a wide selection of vinyl for music enthusiasts. He wants to make music and HiFi accessible: “When we were young and drooled over the music and equipment in shop windows that we couldn’t afford. What was inaccessible to us then, we want to fix up to create an offer of good quality used equipment and vinyl. What we don’t bring in is a lot of 80’s and Tannberg equipment, to put it simply. When it comes to the sound quality of the music equipment, we aim for the “midFi” level,” he says with a smile. Jørgen shows us through the vinyl room to the HiFi room. Speakers are stacked in a collage-like manner along one wall. In the middle of the room, there is a seating area facing a set of huge silvergray speakers. Sound absorbers are on the ceiling, and Persian carpets on the floor. “We have a lot of different things here, the heaviest speakers we have now weigh 350 kg while the lightest weigh 1 kg, and we have two different devices for record cleaning! We are open from Thursday to Friday, from 12-17, on Saturdays we have what we internally call the “day center” where several people gather to talk about music, sound, and drink coffee.” Music and sound are subjective, and one can have different views on sound quality and the visual aspect of speakers, amplifiers, and equipment setups. There are noticeably fewer women than men in the store, but perhaps this article can open the eyes of the music-interested women out there; it is open for everyone to sit down and listen and join Saturday’s discussions if interested! On our way out, we greet Stig, who is involved in sorting the records!
Food for thought:
In the spirit of sustainability, both music equipment and used music can be viewed from an environmental perspective. The debate between music streaming and using used electrical equipment can be discussed in terms of metal extraction, power consumption, data storage, and cultural and historical value! There is value in owning your own music and engaging with music as something more than just a sea of songs you skip through in search of something immediately catchy or relevant. The calmness of taking the time to listen to an album, perhaps one should take that less for granted? I’m not going to claim that I, like many others, don’t experience that our own playlists can be memories, special moods and emotions, or just to find the best songs for training, parties, karaoke. However, the pace we live in today has changed our relationship with music. We surround ourselves more or less in a sea of sound, where our ears are almost always stimulated. It is possible that the music industry has created this development, where music competes for attention to be the catchiest. Can this also shape the everyday pulse? I do not mean by any means that music cannot just be fun, but rather to highlight that there are many aspects of music other than being catchy, quickly touching, or danceable. The art in music requires time for listening and that one also listens through parts that one does not always find equally catchy, such as listening to an entire album. In listening, you may discover new parts of the music you didn’t appreciate before, new emotions, reflections, and ideas from elements in the music. Not just background music - but active listening. Life may need to contain both silence and noise, not just background noise, for what is the point of a cacophony?
