Let Everyone Play Vinyl! Interview with Jayesh, Co-founder

by Alexandra Mansilla

Let Everyone Play Vinyl! Interview with Jayesh, Co-founder Of Vinyl Souk

25 Jul 2024

Vinyl Souk is back with its Volume 15 edition at 25hours Hotel on July 27th. This event promises to be quite impressive. The lineup features the debut of the live music band The Radish Cheddar Experience, a set by the renowned Lebanese DJ and crate digger Back From The Crate, and performances by local talents.

What will it be like? How did the idea for these vinyl-inspired events come about? When did vinyl records become popular again? And who is the person with a collection of 23,000 vinyl records at home, and where does he store them? We spoke with Jayesh Veralkar, co-founder of Vinyl Souk, to find out.

— Jayesh, hello! I can see an enormous collection of vinyl behind you. How many vinyl records do you have?

— A little over 900 records!

— Do you remember when you bought your first one?

— Oh, it is a good question. That was probably back in India. I didn't even have a record player back then. It was in the 2000s, when I was in the music industry in India that we had access to records; those were perks of the job. I think my first record back then was an A. R. Rahman record, "Vande Mataram."

I had a massive collection of CDs, approximately 1,500 to 1,800 CDs back then, but I gave it up. The thing that I still remember is my first cassette. It was by an Indian-British artist called Apache Indian; I got it when I was in college.

But regarding records, I never really got into collecting them until now because I started playing them. Now, there is a purpose and a need, and I can justify it. I have a residency at Honeycomb Hi-Fi, so whatever money I make from playing gigs, I put back into buying more records to justify the hobby.

— Your journey with vinyl started during COVID. If I remember correctly, your wife gave you the record player as a gift.

— Yes, during COVID. I didn't own a record player all these years; I had a cassette player and a CD player, but not a record player. During the pandemic, everyone took up some hobby or another, and once I got a record player, I started buying records just to listen to them. Then, I got my first break at The Flip Side, a record store. Shadi Megallaa gave me my first gig, and things just kind of spiralled out from there. There was no looking back.

— There was definitely a point when vinyl started gaining popularity again. Do you remember when that was?

— I would say it was right before the pandemic, and the pandemic kind of gave it a boost. A lot of people started spending more time at home, and not just vinyl, but the entire consumer electronics industry saw a massive boost during the pandemic. People started upgrading their TVs, buying new laptops, setting up home offices, and moving into bigger homes for more space if they could. People also started investing in record players. Thanks to brands like Crosley and Audio-Technica, record players weren't as expensive as they used to be. Many new brands started popping up, and you could buy a record player at places like Urban Outfitters for around a hundred dollars. I bought a Crosley just as home decor because they looked good, even though they weren't the best players and could damage records more than anything else.

Record players became more accessible and affordable, and during the pandemic, the whole trend shifted. While vinyl wasn't unpopular before, with markets like Japan still being heavy on physical media, the pandemic made it more mainstream. In Europe and the US, many alternative artists who couldn't break through on streaming services saw records as a way to reach their fans directly. If you put out a record and go on tour, you know who you are selling to and who is buying it, which isn't as clear with streaming.

Bandcamp played a crucial role in this shift, creating a direct-to-fan platform where artists could stream their music and sell records. This was important for many alternative artists who couldn't make it big on streaming platforms.

I can't pin down one specific date or month when this shift happened, but multiple things occurred simultaneously in the ecosystem that inflated the trend. It was always there; it just became more prominent and trendy during the pandemic.

Jayesh Veralkar and Serina Pinheiro, founders of Vinyl Souk. Photo: @catnipkilledthecat

— What was the situation with vinyl in Dubai when you started Vinyl Souk? How would you describe it?

— I would say The Flip Side played a very important role in pushing the whole trend. There used to be one record store — OHM Records, even before I was in Dubai. After they closed down, The Flip Side, Raw Music Store and a few other online stores came through.

I knew that this trend was picking up globally, and Dubai doesn't stay behind when something is trending. It was about tapping into something and anticipating that it would break out. It was about time that Dubai was ready. Then Honeycomb Hi-Fi happened, and Electric Pawn Shop happened, pushing records as well.

So, a combination of those factors made it happen. Plus, we have people from all over who have diverse exposure. If you are from the UK, you know the scene there. If you are from Russia, Korea, Japan, or the US, you are familiar with records. They weren't an alien format. People had players and collections.

I met many people here in Dubai who have massive collections back home and now want to bring their collections to Dubai. Four or five years ago, they didn't see a purpose behind it. They didn't want to spend on shipping, transportation, or storage. But now, with the growing popularity, I come across people who say they have 3,000 records at home or 500 records stored somewhere and want to bring them over. So, I think that is the shift that is happening.

— So, your first vinyl gig was in 2021…

— I started playing gigs as a Vinyl Selector since 2021, and I felt like there was a gap in the market. Vinyl Souk wasn't necessarily focused on a specific format, we called it Vinyl Souk — it was about music discovery.

I had a concept in mind when I was new to Dubai. It has been six years now since I moved to Dubai with my family. When we first arrived, the music scene felt very boxed up. It was divided into specific genres like house and techno, with no in-between scenes or crossover genres.. The subculture was very limited to hip-hop. I felt there was a gap in the music space.

Dubai's music scene seemed to be driven by what works, with passionate people like Analog Room or Bassworx pushing alternative sounds, but they were very specific. When I started looking for a scene to connect with, there were a few parties I could relate to, but I felt saturated. I grew up listening to all styles of music and wondered why we box ourselves into specific styles. I love rock, jazz, funk, disco, and house, and I am open to all styles. I felt there was a gap in the scene.

My concept was about filling that gap from a music standpoint. I didn't want to compete with the small number of players, but rather, I wanted to open up the market and push it. As a father with an eight-year-old, I also found there were very few family-friendly places that played good music. Most family-friendly places played jaded old playlists of top 40s. I wanted a space that offered a genre-fluid platform.

Then, a new hotel, 25 Hours One Central, popped up. They had a massive collection of records in the lobby called Analogue Circus..They have a co-working space where you can pull up a record and put it on a record player. I thought it was a great space, and they were thinking analogue, which is cool.

I have seen record fairs in cities like LA, London, and San Francisco, where families come together, people bring their crates, and selectors play music. I wondered why something like that couldn't happen here. It took me six months of visiting, cold pitching to duty managers, chatting, and going for happy hours. Finally, I established the right contact to push through the idea. And here we are, with Vinyl Souk.

We called it Vinyl Souk, but to be honest, our concept is rooted in music discovery. It is an artist-first platform, with the format becoming a hook. If you ask me now, I wouldn't change anything about the brand name, except maybe dropping the "DXB" as we started scaling up.

What I noticed: People have started looking for music that they don't hear on TV, radio, or streaming services. So, yeah, it is a market — it is a souk. We have got records, we have got cassettes, we have got music gear here. But we are not vinyl snobs or format snobs. As long as we are pushing new sounds and breaking new artists, that is the crux and foundation of our platform. It is about bringing like-minded people together.

At Vinyl Souk, we focus on three pillars: education, entertainment, and marketplace. These are the three elements we try to bring together.

Photo: @memoryall.visuals @memoryasha

— So, any artist can come to the Vinyl Souk and play their music, right? You just need to have a vinyl record.

— Yes, we call it Souk Sessions. It is a marketplace where record stores, and music brands come together. When we started, we had only one record store doing a pop-up. Today, we have more than eight to nine record stores and individuals curating and selling their own collections. We always encourage people to bring their crates for sale or swap. Our idea was to create a very inclusive platform, not just for established selectors. There are only a handful of established vinyl selectors, and to avoid saturation and growth, we needed to give new people opportunities.

For example, if I hadn't gotten an opportunity at The Flip Side, I wouldn't be where I am today. So, we wanted to create a platform where anyone with a collection could participate. Vinyl Souk is open to all. If you come to me and say, "Hey Jayesh, I have some 30 records, and I want to share my collection," we welcome that. Every record has a journey and a story.

Initially, when we were new, I had to reach out to people. Thanks to my residency and being around the scene for a while, I knew a few collectors. I had to push them, even opening my house for them to come and play records. Most collectors only have one record player, not two decks or a mixer, so I encouraged them to practice. Gradually, as people saw others playing, more people wanted to join. Now, we get messages through our brand community on Instagram and our website. We have many new and old collectors who want to play, and it has grown nicely over the years.

We don't struggle to debut vinyl selectors anymore. The idea is that you can only grow the scene by giving people opportunities and making the platform inclusive. That is the essence of building a community. I shouldn't be the one deciding who is a good selector; let the people decide. There is always pressure when playing, but I don't think anyone can play a bad record because every record has some meaning to it.

— What is the most expensive vinyl record you have ever seen?

— I remember I was in Hong Kong some time ago when I met a serious collector. He told me that he sold his record — the "Bang Bang" tune by Betty Chung — for almost 800 to 900 dollars. It was just a 7-inch record. That song was synced in a movie, and Quentin Tarantino wanted to have it on vinyl. There were only a few copies available, so the rarer it gets, the higher the value. It is like any commodity — the fewer the number, the higher the value. Demand can drive prices up to even a thousand dollars.

— Now, it is the biggest collection you have ever seen.

— I think we have one in our city, Dan Greenpeace. He is an amazing collector. I have seen people with collections of 3,000, 5,000, and even 8,000 records. When I was in Greece, my friend, who is also a serious collector, selector, and promoter, had around 23,000 records. He even had a dedicated house just for his records. It is crazy; there are some insanely serious collectors out there.

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— So, on 27th of July something impressive is going to happen in 25Hours Hotel.

— 27 July marks Volume 15 of our events. Every month, I bring like-minded people together, and that doesn't just mean music enthusiasts. We collaborate with different communities each month. Last month, we collaborated with the Film Society, bringing independent filmmakers and film enthusiasts together to watch short films produced in Dubai. Before that, we worked with Swap for Good, a community that swaps clothes and other items instead of discarding them.

This month, we are spotlighting an amazing community called The Temple. It is curated by Ratish Chadha, the drummer of the band NOON. He has been running this well-curated live music and improvised jam sessions in his jam room in Al Quoz since the pandemic. The best musicians in Dubai, as well as travelling musicians, come to jam there. This community inspired me because the live music scene is also at a very interesting stage. Most live music we see is commercial, with very few bands putting out original music. This community nurtures original music.

We are collaborating with The Temple for this edition, featuring the debut of Ratish Chadha’s project, The Radish Cheddar Experience. He is bringing together the best musicians, including some new faces in Dubai and seasoned names like Abri, who will join them on stage for a few songs. I am really excited about this. This is going to be the highlight for us.

I have always wanted to create a holistic platform that balances DJs and live music. You can't create a strong scene by promoting just one style or only DJs. To build a strong scene, you need equal opportunities for DJs, people creating original music, and live musicians. If this works well, we want to collaborate more going forward.

That is what I am excited about. We also have a debut from an amazing crate digger, record collector, and DJ from Lebanon. His name is Roland Ragi, and he goes by the name Back From The Crate. I have been following his journey, and he has been curating some amazing sets, similar to what we do at Vinyl Souk, but in Beirut and Lebanon. I always wanted to bring him here, so I am excited that he is going to make his UAE debut. He is a seasoned vinyl collector, digger, DJ, and trader — he trades records as well. Back From The Crate is debuting here.

We also have Mira, an amazing DJ who has always been playing digital formats, but she has been a vinyl collector. She is inspired to make her first vinyl debut this time. Additionally, we have a guy named Moe Enka, who has been collecting the best Japanese City Pop music in the country for the last 10 years. He is going to play a slot of only Japanese City Pop, so it is going to be fun. Plus, we have AGHOIS — music producer and collector and Finlay. It is a cool mix of a lineup!

— How are you going to develop Vinyl Souk?

— We already debuted Vinyl Souk in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. It was our biggest event yet, with almost 500 people showing up. We premiered a very cool music documentary film, conducted workshops, and had some amazing vinyl selectors there. It was our biggest event so far, and it has opened a lot of opportunities for us. Once the outdoor season kicks in, we can't wait to take it to other cities as well.

by Alexandra Mansilla