advertisement
FYI

A Podcast Conversation With ... Alan Zweig

There are record collectors and accumulators that the noted Toronto filmmaker distinguishes one from another in his new documentary Records, a self-styled follow-up to 2000's Vinyl. Records had its premiere at TIFF back in October.

A Podcast Conversation With ... Alan Zweig

By Bill King

There are record collectors and accumulators that director Alan Zweig distinguishes one from another in his new documentary Records, a self-styled follow-up to 2000'sVinyl. Records had its premiere at TIFF back in October.


Each music lover has a personal relationship with how music is delivered. I sold off my collection twenty-two years ago in favour of the compact disc. It was a space issue. I'd been carting from coast to coast 1,200 plus vinyl recordings, many of which on playing popped and wheezed. That copy of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Tarkus sounded as if it survived one too many campaigns on the front line of war.

advertisement

Zweig goes about exploring in a positive tone the human relationship with vinyl through numerous on-site interviews with those most attached to the physical presence of the beloved 12-inch LP.

As a '60s generation student of recordings, I knew the LP was all about what played between the grooves. I was trying to master the notes and artistry—the technique and knowledge of those making those records. Today, I'm content with YouTube and Spotify. One song at a time. Not the case for those interviewed throughout this caring documentary.

Project info:

Records is a film about music. It’s not about a particular band or artist or a genre of music. It’s about the power of music and the people who live for it.

These folks - call them collectors, obsessives, or geeks - use music as a drug, as inspiration, as a connection to the world, to get in touch with their emotions, or as a way to modify their emotions.

Often referred to as a "national treasure", Zweig is one of Canada's best-loved filmmakers and perhaps the country's best interviewer. With his first documentary, Vinyl, Alan made an indelible mark, a portrait of compulsive record collectors that quickly became a cult classic.

advertisement

Twenty-one years later, Zweig returns to the topic of compulsive record collecting with newfound introspection and a sunnier disposition.

We talk!

advertisement
NXNE
NXNE
NXNE
Concerts

NXNE Announces 2025 Board of Advisors

From The Grammys to the people behind the biggest global artists, this collection of major music industry figures will lead the festival to new heights.

NXNE is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year from June 11-15, 2025 in Toronto, and the festival has put together a major team of music industry experts to help lead it into the future.

The NXNE Board of Advisors features veterans from all over the industry, from Canada to the world. They are top executives in radio, managers and booking agents of some of the biggest global stars, heads of the most prestigious award shows, strategists at renowned media brands and more.

keep readingShow less
advertisement