REFLECTIONS
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The
Art r of
Remember
R mber the days of heading to a record store and plugging your headphones in to check out the latest releases ? The joy you ’ d feel when the beat dropped and your spirit lifted , as you embraced these new albums ? Or even after making your selection , reading the album sleeve , admiring the art work and design of it . The notes from the artist or group and more often than not , the lyrics to the tracks ? Taking the time to explore the production credits ... Ah memories .
I cut my teeth as a DJ when the vinyl era was closing and CDs were the way forward . I ’ d spend hours in the aisles of music stores hunting for tunes , stacking my finds close , as those before me had with vinyl and I ’ d always get a sense of satisfaction in finding an album that drew me in , captivated by the cover art , curious about what the album would deliver .
The
Album
In a time of digital downloads and instant access to music , I can ’ t help but miss those times spent playing an album over and over . Of course there are many of us who still do this , but the masses seem to have stopped buying albums and have a thirst for single tracks . Sean Paul highlighted this in a interview a few years back , when asked about the number of songs Rihanna had in the chart at once . Eight at the time , I think it was , that she released or was at least featured on . He spoke of the need for artists to do this , as the way people bought music had changed and that fans just aren ’ t buying albums like they used to .
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The machine of mass music production and track after track release has , in my opinion , taken away from the artistry of the album . Yes , albums still exist and yes , people still download and buy them . However it seems the days of the album as we know it are numbered . Those moments of finding an ‘ album exclusive ’ or ‘ hidden track ’ may soon become a thing of the past . With the rise of social media we can all view our favourite celebrities ’ thoughts with a click of a mouse . Don ’ t get me wrong , I ’ m a modern woman and I understand times do change , technology has advanced . The way we listen to music has changed , new vehicles no longer come with a CD player and your phone can give you access to millions of songs in seconds . The digital age is well and truly in full swing . Let ’ s just take a moment to reflect . How much have we , the consumer , changed ? Our lives are busier , we work longer hours , everything is instant . I embrace the digital age , it ’ s become essential in modern living . I just hope we don ’ t forget the art of the album in the process .