The Cult of the First Pressing
Why collectors chase the earliest stamp in the deadwax — and whether the ear can really tell the difference.
Thinking Aloud
Essays
Longer arguments and quiet meditations on why physical music still matters.
In Defense of Side B
The second side was where artists hid their strangest, most honest work. We stopped turning the record over.
The Locked Groove
At the end of every side lies a small, perfect loop — the strangest and most beautiful accident of the format.