Young Collector: Teun de Vries
Teun caught the collectors bug by looking through his father’s record collection.
Starting his own collection at the age of 14, he already has some great stories to tell. Find out how he met the well-known band from the Netherlands ‘De Staat’ on a small stage in Budapest.
What do you love about playing records?
What I most enjoy in playing records is the feeling you get when putting vinyl on a record player and listening to the whole story of an album. It's all about the ritual. That’s the big difference with listening online, online I tend to browse through albums quicker or just select a playlist. With analog music, you pay more attention to what you're listening to.
Why do you collect vinyl?
My father passed on the collecting bug. He's been a vinyl collector for years and when I was 14 we decided to take his collection from the attic and started to play his records again. Even buying a new needle for the record player was an experience, because not many shops sold them back then. There was one small shop near our village who sold spare parts for record players, now you can just order them online.
What kind of records did you find in your father's collection?
His collection consists of the ’60s and '70s rock like The Beatles and Pink Floyd. He collected for years, so every well-known band from that era you can find in his collection.
Is there a record in your father’s collection you still play?
The first one I remember is Abbey Road from The Beatles, still a legendary record. I was starting to discover music and found this record very impressive. The cover with the crosswalk immediately drew my attention. The whole collection of the Beatles is amazing by the way.
What was the first record you bought?
When my father and I started playing vinyl again we went to a lot of thrift stores in our area. That is where I bought my first records. I started my own collection with Out of the Blue from Electric Light Orchestra and the record Bridge over troubled water from Simon and Garfunkel.
How would you describe your current record collection?
It’s a mix of different styles. I have easy listening records like Angus & Julia Stone. But also a lot of old records like Radiohead, The Cure, Nick Cave. I also own more current records like De Staat, Franz Ferdinand and The National. The common theme in my collection is that I mostly listen to bands with a male singer. That is just my personal taste I guess.
- OK Computer from Radiohead, that is just a legendary record.
- Pulse from Pink Floyd has a special meaning to our family. When my dad was in the hospital he wanted to hear Time in the Pulse version. When it was time for him to come back home we bought the album as a welcome home gift.
- My favorite faded fantasy from Damian Rice, I find the story behind this album very interesting. The artist just disappeared for eight years, came back and released this album.
Another album that has special meaning to me is Bubble Gum from De Staat. I did an internship in Budapest for ten weeks. During that time De Staat gave a concert in a small location for about 100 people. When I bought the album they also signed it and I got a picture with the band. I met them in a very different way than if I would meet them in the Netherlands. Because they are so well known in the Netherlands the chance to get so close is very small.
What is your favorite cover?
That will be the Ummagumma album from Pink Floyd. It is a very experimental album and you see that influence back in the design of the cover. It is a picture of the band that goes on in infinity on the left-hand side.
I really like new music and love to support current artists. But if it’s older music from the ’70s for example, I prefer a second-hand record in the right version. So I can’t really decide!
All the images are made by Rhodé Bakker