A Spinning Stories EP
Story and Photography by Syx Langemann
As the kettle fills for my morning coffee, I start thinking about what I’m going to put on the turntable. My quiet mind asks, “What’s the mood?”
Do I need to ease into the day?
Do I need to kick some energy into my morning?
Or, am I in for something unexpected and out of the ordinary?
Our record collection is eclectic and not in alphabetical order, which makes these decisions a bit more of a journey—but a welcome one. It’s not just one genre or one style of music; it’s not even just my collection, but the whole family’s. It’s a bit of controlled chaos.
Hidden between those stacks of vinyl are layers upon layers of emotional musical connections: memories of live shows, being introduced to bands by friends and the nostalgia I still feel when I think about orange shag carpet, my father’s King Crimson albums and those George Carlin records I probably shouldn’t have been listening to.
I’m not alone in this feeling of nostalgia.
While filming my documentary on Vinyl Culture called Spinning Stories, I had the opportunity to meet many collectors who have their own strong connections to vinyl.
“A record collection is like a tattoo on your soul, it’s uniquely yours,” explains Eamon McGrath, singer-songwriter and recording engineer at Time Out of Mind Recording Co. Each collector represents a different “genre” of the current vinyl culture. It’s no longer just old guys flipping through dusty crates at record swaps to find the classics, or to re-buy the collections they once had but “sold for beer money”, as local record collector Chris Holt confesses.
The vinyl culture is younger now, newer and often only available in very limited quantities. It’s not your uncle’s vinyl culture, but it remains a place where people from all walks of life get to geek out about what they “have on vinyl” and which “grail” they are chasing—a place where friendships are made and music is shared.
The year 2025 marked the 19th consecutive year of growth for the record industry in the US. In 2022, vinyl outsold CDs for the first time since 1987, and that trend has continued. Gen Z, ages 14–29, is now the age group buying the most vinyl. These numbers indicate that we, as a society, are choosing to experience music in a more meaningful, physical way—one that involves “active listening”. As local radio personality and vinyl enthusiast Dan MacDonald explains, “It’s active listening, when you drop the needle, you’re in it. You’ve committed to this album and you’re going to listen to it start to finish.”
Usually, this active listening is a solitary event, enjoyed with a coffee or a drink, relaxing and taking in the music. If you are lucky, or if you listen to records enough, you’ll get to experience something new from a pressing or hear something new in a song that you’ve only ever heard on a streaming platform. It is the moment that listening to vinyl causes frisson—the goosebumps that some people get when listening to music, a physical manifestation of the enjoyment of music.
Once the morning album has been chosen and the record is playing, I’ll usually take a picture and post it in the Daily Record, a Facebook group started by my vinyl-loving friend, Chris Langshaw. He hosts a group of over 600 people who post about what they are spinning. It’s a different way for the vinyl community to come together, with members from all over Canada and abroad. In fact, Chris is also part of an online record store called EAST WEST Records, which specializes in higher-end Japanese import records. These pressings are sought after by collectors, harder to find and are often a bragging point because of their OBI strips.
These paper strips or bands wrapped around the record are used for promotion and make them stand out from other pressings. One of the more interesting things is the way Langshaw imports these pressings to Canada: he shops live via video call with a personal shopper in Japan! He gets toured around record shops, looking at their stock and making purchases, then having them shipped here. Needless to say, if you are a serious collector, it’s good to have friends all over the world.
For some vinyl enthusiasts, Japan isn’t just about its record OBI strips; it’s about the Kissa experience.
An ongaku kissa is rooted in post World War II Japan, and is a highly designed, well-stocked listening room where people gather to listen to records. Some are large enough to resemble libraries, with towering shelves of records and individual listening stations.
“I wanted to bring that concept to Windsor,” explains Justin James, DJ and owner of EKŌ. EKŌ offers the experience on a smaller scale through a service called “Vinyl Concierge”. Patrons can browse through the collection and choose a record. The bartender, acting as your vinyl concierge, then plays it on the high-end turntable for the entire bar to enjoy. Guests are also encouraged to bring something from your own collection and experience it on a large system.
You’ll find a similar vibe at GL Heritage Brewing. No televisions exist in the tasting room, but there are just over 100 records for you to choose from. It’s a great collection, ranging from The Tragically Hip to Harry Styles.
One of them holds a very special place in the staff’s heart, partner Greg Grondin tells me.
Early on, Anthony Balzer, one of his employees, brought in a few records to add to their collection. Greg flipped through them and puts Glenn Miller, Moonlight Serenade on. Greg tells me this is their closing-time soundtrack and has been for ten years now, it’s their tradition.
As he continued flipping through the records, he stopped on another album.
“This is the one we open with.”
He paused and looked up at me.
“I guess when you start thinking about it, they all mean something.”
We finished our beer and a few more stories, then took a walk over to the little white church, an Airbnb that has a vinyl-themed room. We sat in the room surrounded by 7-inch covers, and I had to share the story about the historic 7-inch collection that Tom Lucier from Phog Lounge was lucky enough to come across.
On occasion, Tom pulls out eight long wooden crates filled with all the 7-inch records from the WHEELZ roller rink. They contain quite literally the soundtrack of our childhood—when we tried to keep our balance while still looking cool on roller skates.
Flipping through this collection is like flipping through an encyclopedia of music history, and it’s better when you are shoulder-to-shoulder with other people filled with excitement and nostalgia.
I met Francis Dang at one of those nights. He was trying to handle all the records and requests as they piled up.
Francis also runs the Windsor Wax Collective, a regular night held at Phog Lounge where you can bring in a record and enter a contest to win a record from Dr. Disc.
Similar nights happen at the Dominion House and recently at Walkerville Brewery, with support from local record stores.
These events are great for people who want to experience vinyl culture even before they jump into collecting themselves. It also gives collectors a reason to leave their listening rooms and enjoy music in a room full of people.
If there is one thing a vinyl lover likes more than buying records, it’s introducing another person to the world of vinyl.
I’ll go make the coffee, why don’t you choose a record?
Dive deeper into the groove, scan the code to check out the 8 part docu-series Spinning Stories.
Published in the Autumn 2026 Edition.
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