Westside Muzeeq - Keeping Vinyl Alive

Keeping Vinyl Alive

Andhika focuses on the collecting of vinyl records from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, and also conducting & producing various music events around the Island of Bali. He is keeping the vinyl culture alive in Indonesia.

An Interview with Andhika Gautama – Owner of Westside MuzeeQ Record Store

Do you collect records and resell them?

I began collecting records when I was 8 years old, around 1982.

Between 2016 to 2019, I would do record trades & sales at pop up markets and at exhibitions events like Record Store Day.  By the end of  2019, prior to Covid, I opened our first store is located in Renon, and focuses on Indonesian Vinyl and as a DJ Studio for people who wants to learn to DJ, Less than two years later, on December 9th 2021, I opened my 2nd record store located at Park 23 Creative Hub in Kuta.

This 2nd store accommodates all types of musical genres.

How is the feedback since you opened the Record Store?

Currently, the store is doing very well, selling on average 2-5 records every day. People who come to the store range from teenagers to adults, which is a nice diverse age group. In Addition, I’ve been getting walk-in guests, who are giving away their preloved music too.

What kind of records can be found at your store?

We have a wide variety from the 1950s until the current new releases, from all genres. There are the classics like The Beatles and Rolling Stones, but can go all the way to hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz.

I try to have every music genre available, because everybody has a different taste and liking.

I try to make sure that our customers can have an enjoyable experience at our store. And enjoy our selected stocks from Japan, Europe and US.

Do you get walk-in guests that are not into collecting vinyl records?

My very first customer, when I did the soft opening, didn’t even have a record player. We do get walk-in guests who don’t own a Turntable, but are keen to start a Record collection.

Mostly they will ask various questions on Vinyl, and we explain to them why to choose vinyl over the digital format and its benefits. Sometimes they just come to learn, and eventually become a buyer and a collector.

Why did you open your store?

The current demand is high, due to the pandemic, people who stay at home, want to do something other than watch TV. Some collectors even purchase at a higher rate in comparison to prior to the pandemic.

Why is your store in a location that is half-empty?

The location used to be a mall, but the building management has converted the concept into a creative hub. It will be a co-working space, with indie movie cinema, art exhibition, curated fashion, and gaming and technologies activities. The management also shifted to the domestic markets to be independent from International tourism. I wanted to be the first to take advantage of the big space for my store and events. And being empty means, we can utilize it as a blank canvas to create many great things ahead.

Everyone wants to have rare, cheap and new; how does that apply to vinyl?

Well, it’s pretty hard at the moment. Vinyl is getting expensive. I remember when I sold records for Rp.50.000, now the average rate is around Rp.250.000 to Rp.450.000.

Back in the days, I could buy new records from, e.g. Nirvana for Rp.300.000, now the cheapest is Rp.550.000 thousand. But fortunately, people are still buying it. Personally, I like to sell at an affordable price. But once I sell a record, e.g. Led Zeppelin 1st pressing UK or USA, the chance of me getting another original copy is quite slim. Hence some prices can be higher than others. so, there is a challenge.

The good side is that collectors like to hunt, and we as sellers can benefit the sales to keep our stores running.

How much did vinyl records cost back in the day?

For example, the Beatles would cost 3-5 dollars.

The golden era of vinyl was from the 1950s until the 1980’s. From the ‘90s, vinyl got less of a production unit because people were shifting to the compact disc.

If I bought a new vinyl record today, it would cost me around Rp.500.000 for one, and then there is import tax and shipping. So, on average to the consumer end, it can get rather pricey.

Do you have rare records?

Yes, I’ve got the Original UK pressing of Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland with the naked ladies on the cover. The story is that the record company made the cover without asking Hendrix, so he was upset with the company. Many of these got destroyed, and only a few copies were floating around. I have one at the store, if somebody wishes to buy it.

What is so beautiful about vinyl that you’d spend your life with that?

I think it’s the same with people that collect paintings, books or art installations. There are the covers, the lyrics, the stories behind that. It is the same as when you have a magazine or book in your hand, compared to reading something online. That’s creating excitement for vinyl compared to other formats. There is this bit of effort to change the sides to listen to the rest of the album.

Your first vinyl record was…

Rick James, a 7” Vinyl single called “Dance with me”.

It was the first record that I got at eight years old. The interesting story is that my mom offered to go to a toy store, but I opted to be taken to a record store instead.

That was the start of my collection. It has become this memorable thing for me because the cover was a bit sexual and explicit, and the lyrics were also raunchy, so to this day, I still wonder why my mum bought this for me. That was back in 1982.

Is vinyl still manufactured today?

It’s on the waiting list now. My friend wanted to produce a record last year, and he had to wait for about one month, now it’s around 4-6 months. There are not enough factories, but the demand is very high, so people are queuing to wait for their records to be pressed.

That’s also one of the reasons why I chose to open a record store, though I am not the first among the Bali Vinyl Movement, but across the Island you can also visit Substores  Bali who has 2 Records Store in Renon and Canggu, In Umalas you have Millers Records, In Sanur you have Volx Records and also the Legendary Bali Gong Records in Kuta.

Get your Records at:

@westside.muzeeq    Park 23 Kuta, Bali  MAPS LOCATION