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DOMINIK BARTMANSKI
@vinyldomain
His collection is very eclectic with records ranging from many genres including Classical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Soul and many more. However, Dominik told me it’s not just about genres for him, it’s about moods and feelings when it comes to music and I agree he is totally accurate with that statement. Different genres of music can be played depending on different moods and how you are feeling in that moment as to what you select to put on your turntable.
Dominik is extremely knowledgeable about music (he has written his own books on the subject which you should check out) and following his profile on Instagram is like receiving small chunks of knowledge about music and records when he uploads new photos of records he has been buying or spinning. He is a collector every record enthusiast must follow!
Do you have a favorite genre of music you listen to?
Music to me is about communicating emotions, it’s about moods and atmospheres, not about ‘genres’, so when I look for records I’m not always thinking about genres in particular. Also, if you listen to a lot of music, it seems to me that a number of really great, quality productions within a given ‘style’ is rather limited, so it’s good to probe around. I look for deep grooves, for unobvious yet well-flowing tracks, and generally for great sounding, moving and mostly independently produced records. But speaking in terms of traditionally understood genres the following are represented in my collections: House, Jazz, Soul, Drum’n’bass, Breakbeat, Trip Hop, Electronica/IDM, Techno, Brazilian Samba/Bossa Nova, Reggae, Hip Hop, lots of black music generally. Some Classic and Alternative rock from late ‘60s through early ‘90s, as well a selection of classical European music, mostly Chopin and Bach, but also dozens of significant pieces from Mozart and Beethoven to Mussorgsky, Debussy and Erik Satie.
How long have you been collecting records and how many do you currently have?
I’ve actually been collecting for eighteen years now from December 2002 to December 2020. I have around 6,000 records now in the collection and still growing!
Do you remember what the first record you bought was?
The very first record I bought myself was “Natty Dread” by Bob Marley. A couple of months earlier somebody had dumped some books and records after they moved out of the house and left a box at the curb that contained Joy Division “Closer” and “Love Devotion Surrender” by Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, both of which I loved, so I was very happy about such a start to my collection.
Where do you shop for records usually?
I usually shop in Berlin where I live, but I have also travelled quite a lot internationally in last ten years or so and have visited a lot of record shops on those travels.
What’s your favourite record shop to visit?
I like to visit many record shops but I would have to say my favourite is A1 Records (a1recordshop) in New York City.
Do you participate in Record Store Day?
Not really. As the saying goes, “every day is a record store day”
What’s your thoughts on Instagram as a way for sharing our record collections?
For me personally it offered opportunities to create great lasting connections with fellow music lovers and artists I admire, as well as some truly unforgettable experiences in real life, so that’s how I choose to look at it. It’s a social enabler, despite some inevitable and depressing letdowns that are all too familiar by now.
What about bargains you have found since you started collecting records? Are there any stories that come to mind?
There were quite a few and it’s hard to remember them all. In 2016 I bought the only solo record by the Cuban pianist Ruben Gonzalez which he had done before he got famous globally with Buena Vista Social Club. It’s the 1975 LP released by the Cuban state label Areito, I found it for literally a couple of bucks on a little street market in Havana, in very good condition. Now it’s probably worth a hundred times more in monetary terms. It’s a beautiful record, a real piece of history. I got into vinyl when the industry and the general population gave up on it, I lived in NYC between 2003 and 2011,and the period between 2005 to 2008 was particularly fortunate for collectors as records were quite cheap as folks were getting rid of them instead of buying them. Kids were into iPods, not records, so I was sometimes buying original Miles Davis records from the ‘60s for single digit prices. Stores in Manhattan were going bankrupt, organising big closing sales so you could get cool records for five to ten dollars. It’s almost a luxury item now, I think I couldn’t build a reasonable collection in a reasonable time if I had to start now. It’s gotten way more pricey, and also way more limited, you must be alert and constantly up to date, it’s a bit frustrating sometimes to be honest, because there’s lots of artificial scarcity ploys going on. But back then there were more copies of electronic music records in circulation and vintage stuff was affordable. Within several years, despite being on a budget as a student, I had a thousand cool American records.
Finally then, what will happen to your collection when you pass away?
Not sure yet, I guess it depends on what happens to it while I’m still alive and kicking. But when you ponder the fact that your collection, most likely, will outlive you, it makes you live to the full in the moment and appreciate all great people around you.
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