Oye Records is probably the most popular record shop for DJs in Berlin. Based in Prenzlauer Berg from 2002 on, this spot is still growing and meeting the needs of more and more DJs that are looking for good music. The Oye Team has a deep selection and do the best to drop the cream of various styles. A big selection of re-edits and everything that has something to do with groove & bass to keep the customer satisfied. iCrates spoke to Markus Lindner and Eli Pavel.
Nice to meet you. Please introduce your crew.
Markus: Partners at Oye are Lowes, Tinko and me. Lowes was the founder in the year 2002.
Still at this place?
Markus: Yeah but the venue was smaller and the selection was more Brazil, Latin jazz and lot of second hand stuff. Lowes was a collector and he loves the idea to have a record store because then he would get the records cheaper (laugh) And then Tinko came working for Oye that was six years ago. Then I came in the store in 2006. Well and we worked a lot to complete into more genres and records. Since one month we opened the second floor cause now we have so many records. Eli is working at Oye since 2 years now. Then it‘s Andre that is working 2 days in the store, Toby 2 and a half days.
Any job trainees?
Markus: No no, just employees and one volunteer, sometimes from a crew or from other countries if they want to stay for 2 months in Berlin. Yeah a lot of people are working here. But nobody is working fulltime.
So there is no chief here?
Markus: No, it‘s a big democracy (laughs)
Please tell me what you like about vinyl?
Eli: I like the black big thing. I like the artwork, that it‘s touchy.
Markus: I really like to touch something when I am playing or Djing, it makes the music more special I think, and including this, what Eli said, the cover, artwork and in the end also the quality of the sound. I think it‘s still the best, more warm and special when you hear the vinyl in the club you feel the difference between digital and vinyl.
But what is the exactly difference?
Markus: Digital is more noisy in the high, the mid and the frequencies, vinyl is more warm and something is more pressed, more round. I think it‘s more round. Sounds more round.
More Volume.
Markus: Yeah.
And what is the special thing about Oye Records.
Eli: I give it to Markus. (laughter)
Markus: I think we have a lot of different styles here. What I really like. So we don‘t have just Rock or Techno music. Lots of different influences coming together and inspiring us.
Eli: Maybe the customers inspire us as well then, one comes from another. We have a lots of re-edits, but you can also find the original.
Markus: Our whole philosophy is based on that we want to have a diversity of sounds. Based on Rock, Pop, Alternative to Jazz, Soul, Funk, Disco, Hip Hop, Rap, then the Electronic stuff from Techno, House, UK Funky, Dubstep and Drum´n´Bass. I would think everybody that loves music, is really into music or is a DJ would get lucky here. We try to collect and check from any genre the best, it‘s a lot of work but that‘s what our store is about. That‘s the basic idea. To present just good music we like and there are no boundaries in genres.
Who had the intitial idea to label all the records with this info sticker print?
Markus: That‘s a good question. I think it was decision between Tinko, Rohst and me. We are 3 Partners in the store. One day a guy came up with this printer, and we thought that it‘s a great idea to give more information to the customer. Sometimes you just have a black label and nothing on the record, so we search for the information, what‘s behind the record and give it to the customer.
Yeah, but how do you know the information like from a black label record?
Eli: Sometimes when we don‘t get the information from the distribution, we do a research in the internet and print it on the sticker.
That‘s lot of work, isn‘t it?
Eli: Hmm. Yeah.
But it‘s really a good thing, it‘s a plus in comparison to other record stores, because I often wished to have more information about a record I found but I can‘t get on demand. Good idea.
So do you know now how many records you got in the store? Maybe you count them, Eli?
Eli: Noooo, I don‘t count them (laughs) but the system says that we have 60 000.
60 000?
Eli: It‘s the system but we don‘t!
Markus: I would say that we have 13000 on stock and 30000 available that we could order immediately. We don‘t have more space but a large back stock and more copies.
That‘s enough. Eli you are also collecting records, tell me your reasons please.
Eli: I think I started in 1997 cause I was starting to work in a club and was totally fascinated about Djing. And then I started to buy records, because I liked it to go to record shops and listen to music. I have also a big favour for the artworks and to hold it in the hand.
Markus: For me it all started as well in 1997 to buy records and starting to DJ at the same time. All DJ´s been just using vinyl at that time.
And now? Are you also using other media?
Markus: Just CDs then. I don‘t use Serato because I don‘t trust my Laptop. You can burn DVD‘s if you don‘t like to lose your stuff. But I also use CDs because you don‘t get everything on vinyl. New promo stuff from the distributors or labels is just digital.
Eli: Yeah, sometimes I am using CDs as well. I did have to download a track recently, because it was not available, I was a little bit pissed, but the last 2 years i bought just vinyl.
Markus: It depends also on the music to play vinyl, more organic sounds, for sure Disco, Funk, Soul and House, Deep House. I also just buy records to collect them like Jazz or Indie albums, that are sometimes still sealed.
Eli: I play them all.
Markus: I decided to become a record-dealer because I started with the Djing thing and not because of to collect them. It has something more personal when you talk to the customer. It‘s a good point of view sometimes, like when you play in front of the people. I really like to recommend the good music. I think it‘s good to support the label, the artist, the music, the background to keep space for the customer and keep the whole spirit alive.
So do you see it as a whole circle?
Markus: Yeah, for example in Berlin you can see a lot of artists and label Managers. There are all in Berlin and they are coming always to the record stores to check out what‘s new and who is hot. It‘s really important that the people can meet in the record store, it‘s different to like on skype…
Before Daniel was working here.
Markus: Yeah, he is the Tour-Manager of Jazzanova and doing the bookings for the Sonar Kollektive artists. He is still coming to the store listening and buying music and it‘s always an exchange, some secret information‘s, rumours…
So who would you say is your most famous customer? I saw your wall of fame.
Markus: Jesse Rose, Sirius Mo is always signing a new release here every record is a original …
Eli: Jarvis Cocker came to the shop and he was craving for a record for his girlfriend and found it here.
Markus: Yeah, we have record bags, our special laptop bags, needles, slipmats, everything that has to do with djing.
What about this poster?
Markus: Yeah well are selling posters as well. This is the Babylon by underground. (laughter)
Markus: Yeah, we do a monthly party at the Klub der Rebublik called the Oye All-stars for the employees and we invite friends and customers.
Eli: We did the week of the recordshop. Every day 5 DJ´s been playing here. There was a madetoplay evening and the people destroyed the store (laughs).
Markus: Yeah, and Modeselektor, Jan Driver…
Markus: Right, but I play also under the moniker Delfonic more the Disco organic stuff. Marvin Suggs is electronic.
Eli: I play Disco, Afro-Funk and everything‘s with a good Bass. I like to Mash it up.
What was the longest distance to a gig?
Markus: Egypt, Hurghada. It was a nightmare. It was a 5 star hotel, really really expensive, really posh but they prefer more the jelly beer techno, really cheap and the people been preferring R&B and I just could play Justin Timberlake.
But they didn‘t kill you.
Markus: No, no (laughs).
Eli: I was playing at a Pfingstfestival in South-Germany near Bodensee.
Did you ever feel a magic moment when you been playing at a club?
Eli: Yeah sometimes you think playing at a club and there are just shitty people, no one is dancing and then you are playing the last track and the people are freaking out on that track which you been thinking of that’s it‘s too intelligent for them.
Markus: When I was playing in Oslo the first time, the guys did a great promotion and the people freaked out. They have to close at 4 so we limited the music 5 minutes to 4 and the people screamed in German „Zugabe“. That was a big surprise. But to be honest there are a many great moments, I play like 60-70 gigs a year and as a resident at the Icon Club a place for music lovers, it‘s nice to have people around that really like to watch the DJ playing what he’s going to do next.
Do you go to flea markets sometimes for digging?
Markus: Actually no more, I am to busy with the news here and I check a lot at sound cloud or from friends that telling me about some new stuff. Sometimes I am also on Discogs.
Eli: The last years, more, but I stopped now cause you can not listen to it and I bought to many shit I don‘t need.
My special question is so did you already hear about our iCrates iPhone app?
Markus & Eli: No.
It’s quite special, you can scan records with your phone and listen to them.
Markus: Wow. I need that.
So, how do you recognise an interesting record?
Markus: Nowadays just by listening to it. Sometimes like on SoundCloud for example the tracks are just digital, but if the feedback is huge you can write the artist to release it on vinyl. Nowadays you can‘t release shit on vinyl. It will be not selled anymore.
But there a still lots of crap releases. It‘s not possible that everything‘s good. The DJ´s have still to work and sort things out.
Markus: Yeah, but these times it is much more expensive to make a vinyl, as a label manager you have to think twice and its makes more sense to make a digital release first. You can see that many labels stopped making vinyl, because they can‘t sell it anymore. Sometimes you just can play tracks for 1 or 2 months and then it‘s over.
Markus: I can‘t tell you, we have lots of original US pressings in Hip Hop that are quite high prices at the moment, but because we are still not online you can get a lot good stuff for still fair prices.
Which one has the most beautiful cover?
Markus: Beside the Caribou Album I really like the Flying Lotus second Album and a lot of old Disco Records. Also I love the Hip-Hop from the 90ies covers.
Eli: I like the James Blake cover.
Are there records that you are still missing?
Eli: Yeah, I would really like to have the Freestylers – „We rock hard“ album on the wall. That‘s one that I am missing in my collection, but it‘s too expensive.
Oh really. I have a Promo White Copy with a extra 12 Inch inside. Maybe we could exchange?
Eli: Ohh, yeah maybe. (laughs) I have a book at home where I listed all things I am looking for.
I cross it when I got it, but the list is still large. The problem is that I always forget the book when I am going somewhere.
What do you think will the vinyl business be like in the year 2030? Will there be still new releases or just used stuff?
Eli: The tendency is that there are more albums at the moment including a free mp3 download link. That‘s quite perfect.
You think that’s the trend now?
Eli: Yeah that‘s the trend.
Markus: The vinyl survived the CD, the Mp3 and as long as DJ´s and music lovers will buy the physical thing with a big cover, it will resist for last. Vinyl is very sexy and still special. To play with a laptop not really.
I understand if the DJ´s don‘t like to loose their originals when they are touring a lot or when it‘s just too expensive but it‘s not an excuse to say that the record bags are to heavy. Some DJ´s say that unsexy thing.
Markus: Yeah, how many records do you need for 2 and a half hours? When you just play at bars and have a trolley you can use vinyl. If you are travelling the world and there are venues that can‘t organise 2 turntables the people use CDs. But my friends are still buying vinyl, record them and take the CDs on tour.
Would you ever buy the biggest record collection in the world?
Markus: I´ve heard about it. No, because a collection has to grow step by step. You need the time to listen to each record. Sometimes you listen hours of hours to records and you find just one that you been really looking for. It takes 10 years to have something like that and it‘s a really amazing feeling. You can‘t buy a feeling.
But could it not be also an investment when you would say that vinyl is the black gold?
Eli: Yeah indeed but I am really not interested to have an investment at my home. My record collection has to grow, my style and my taste. I would buy maybe a collection of my basics that I am missing, but not a collection of someone else.
Ok. The last question: When you could ask yourself a question, what would you ask yourself?
Eli: I‘m without questions! (laughs)
You have just the answers? (laughs)
Eli: Sometimes not.
Markus: Well I would ask what are the plans for Oye records in the next ten years?
Go for it.
Markus: The rebuild of the store is done, next step would be to launch the web shop.
Eli: Should we colour the wall in a different colour? I am tired of the white. We need more light.
Yeah maybe some flashlight like in a disco.
Markus: (laughs) There are quite little things but I am satisfied, we are still growing since 9 years, 2009 and 2010 have been some really good years. There was no year that we could say that the sales went down. But it‘s still a lot of hard work. Keep the customers satisfied. The time is over when you are unfriendly and arrogant to the customers. They have a lot of information through the internet so mostly they know what they want or even know more than you.
Yeah I know exactly this problem, it happens many times you look for special artists, labels and the shop never heard of it but acting arrogant and not interested to dig for the client. They don‘t give a shit. But the customers don‘t go anymore, especially in Berlin there are a lot shops so there is always a better place.
Markus: Or you can download it or go to a web-shop, so you don‘t need to be in the recordshop. We at Oye allow the customer to listen to any record, there are some rules that we take care of some records, but you can drink a beer inside, and the summer is very cool, we can hang around outside the store, talk about music or whatever, it‘s more than just about selling music and that‘s really important.
That was a good end. Thanks Eli & Markus.
