Digital music is all very convenient. And CDs are neat and durable. But no modern sound system quite matches the moment you slide an LP out of its sleeve, slot it onto the record player and drop the needle down…
This culture is now being celebrated with a unique exhibition in York this weekend (January 18 and 19).
Dan Axon has transformed a dozen of the iconic Technics SL-1200 turntables into works of art for the Twelve Twelve Hundreds exhibition at Earworm Records off Goodramgate.
Why this particular turntable? “It’s an electro-mechanical stradivarius!” says Dan, 38, who has been using the turntables since he was 17.
“It powered the entire hip-hop then dance culture.
“It’s one of the finest sounding turntables ever produced with a motor as strong as an ox, that marches through bass and allows for accurate beatmixing by DJs, an uncanny tracking ability that copes easily with heavy scratching and other such ‘misuse’ – it can be regarded as a musical instrument in that context.”
Dan started out as an audio product designer and sees the artworks as “a good chance to celebrate vinyl, and a good chance for me to stretch my legs a bit in audio product design.
“It all came together and made sense – but turned out to be completely bonkers in terms of the time and cost.”
Although the SL-1200 was discontinued in 2010 there were 3.5 million made, many still going strong.
And then there are Dan’s revolutionary artworks which can be seen in York first before going on tour to other venues around the country.
- Twelve Twelve Hundreds by Dan Axon is at Earworm Records, 1 Powell’s Yard Goodramgate, on Saturday, January 18 from 2pm-8pm and Sunday, January 19 from noon-4pm
- Follow Dan on Twitter here
- Read more about music here