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ZACK ACETI
@zacks.records
His collection is incredibly eclectic, spanning across a number of different genres, decades and artists, which began when he bought his first few records out shopping with his mother as a child. From then on, there was no looking back for Zack and the collection has gradually been added to ever since.
Zack’s name was one of the first I wrote down when I started thinking about putting The Record Collectors Club project together and I was thrilled when he agreed to being interviewed. He really does have one of the best collections of records on Instagram and certainly one of my favourites.
How long have you been collecting records?
I have been collecting records since I was a child, so somewhere around when I was seven or eight years old I got the record collecting bug. I recall my mother taking me to an outdoor flea market around town and there were many different items for sale but most importantly I remember there being rows upon rows of records. My mother asked me if I would like to pick out a few records to buy and I honestly had no idea what was what or who was who at that age. With a little guidance my mother directed my attention to the “J” section. There she suggested that the Jackson 5 might be something that I would enjoy. We picked up the “Third Album” and “Maybe Tomorrow”. I also did a bit of browsing on my own and encountered an album cover that struck me as nothing short of amazing. The record was “Who Will Save The World?” by The Groundhogs. Anyone familiar with that album cover knows that it’s comic book imagery would entice the curiosity of any kid. That pretty much set me on my journey and those records got played to death. Other records followed, as gifts and eventually I started purchasing records on my own.
How many records do you have currently?
I actually don’t have an exact count at this time. When I was young, I could give you a precise number but I only had a crate or two back then. I have been meaning to catalog them and this would provide a proper count. A range is the best I can come up with these days so I would say somewhere between 2,100 and 2,300 but I may have even more than that.
What set up do you currently have?
I currently have a Gold Note Valore Lite turntable that runs into a Rega Brio amplifier with a set of Paradigm Studio 20 speakers. I am looking to upgrade my speakers in the near future. I have been considering buying Harbeth P3ESRs or Spendor A1s.
Can you remember what the first record you bought was?
The first record I bought with money gifted to me was Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”. I was introduced to Ozzy Osbourne by a friend and my uncle made me aware of Ozzy’s previous band by providing a listening session for me. My mind was blown. I went out and bought a copy the first chance I had. The first record I purchased with money I earned was “License To Ill” by Beastie Boys. I had an ice cream cart job one summer when I was fifteen and my friends would ambush me and steal most of my stock. When I finally got a pay check (minus the cost of the ice cream treats eaten by my so called friends), I only had enough money to buy a record. That record was “License To Ill”.
How big is your want list?
I keep track of records I wish to someday own via Discogs. As of time of writing, I have 318 in my want list. Lately, I have been really interested in Japanese presses that have an obi strip which looks to be the majority of what I currently have in my list.
How do you organise your collection? Do you use Discogs at all?
I organise alphabetically and by genre. I currently have the following sections: Hip Hop, R&B/Funk/Soul, Jazz, Classical, French, Brazilian, Japanese, Jamaican, African, Electronic, and then everything else which I still have to further segregate into German (Krautrock), Progressive Rock, etc. Genre breakdown enables me to track things down much more easily than if the whole collection was sorted alphabetically. I have slowly started cataloging my records in Discogs but I am far from complete. I currently have 353 items captured. This is something that I want to concentrate more on in the future.
What’s your thoughts on Instagram as a way for sharing our record collections?
I really enjoy seeing all the images of the all records in my feed. Some familiar to me, some brand new. My whole thing is to experience more music and Instagram provides that for me. If something catches my eye, I will look it up on Spotify and give it a listen. I have discovered a lot of music this way.
Do you have a favourite genre of music you listen to?
All genres are welcome! I have a great appreciation for all genres at this point in my life though it wasn’t always the case. I had my period when I would only listen to one genre exclusively but thankfully that was only in my early teens when what you listened to defined you.The music I consume has to resonate with me, whatever the genre. I have found time and time again that sometimes my ears aren’t ready to appreciate something yet. It might take repeated listens or even revisiting it years later. We all grow and so should our tastes.
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