At 10 a.m. on Nov. 29, a line stretched down the block outside Black Noise Records in downtown Bellingham. Amidst the overcast and cold weather, the line created a vacuum of brimming excitement and whispered conversations as customers waited for the doors to open. It’s a vinyl enthusiast's dream at the beginning of the holiday shopping season: Record Store Day Black Friday.
Record Store Day (RSD) is an annually organized event held in April for music collectors to celebrate independent record stores and obtain limited-edition physical releases. RSD Black Friday is held in November, following Thanksgiving. For Black Noise Records, both days are the most beloved and busiest days of the year.
“RSD gets people to support brick-and-mortar stores and that’s what it’s all about. We offer those [Record Store Day] exclusives but we also put out a bunch of great second-hand stuff,” said Nico Sanchez, the founder of the independent Bellingham record store and label, Black Noise Records.
The energy of the store slowly grew as those looking for RSD releases were let in one by one, avoiding the chaos of previous years. Inside the store, the staff are always spinning a diverse array of vinyl and sparking conversation with customers.
“Vinyl is in a unique spot where you get this cool mix of people who really [care] about artistic preservation,” said Isaac Woolman, an employee at Black Noise Records.
Sanchez believes strongly in artistic ownership and providing record shoppers a place to obtain affordable and eclectic records. The storefront serves as the headquarters for the brand image, vinyl inventory and record label.
“That’s a big aspect of what we do is trying to put up physical releases. For a lot of artists on the label, when they worked with us it was the first time they’ve had music [released],” Sanchez said. “Definitely a special moment for artists and us.”
Under the moniker OG Neeks, Sanchez composes and produces music. In the future, Sanchez aims to focus more on creating original music and pressing records.
“That's what I sought to do with [Black Noise Records] in the first place," Sanchez said.
Sanchez is working on a new solo project of beats and a follow-up to his collaboration album with Ca$h McClane, “Been Du$ty.”
Black Noise Records buys, sells and trades records and tapes Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For updates on their store and releases check out their Instragram.
Sanchez said, “There’s always a story behind every record in your collection. It’s a spiritual thing, your relationship with music and art. I want to provide that environment for people.”
Ayden Sweat (he/him) is the photo editor for The Front this quarter. He has previously been a campus news reporter for The Front. Ayden is in his fourth-year at Western studying visual journalism and minoring in anthropology. Outside of the newsroom he hosts a radio show at KUGS-FM Bellingham, cooks and explores the outdoors. He can be reached at aydensweat.thefront@gmail.com
