The Essential Coffee Table Books For Vinyl Lovers: Dust & Grooves – An Interview With Eilon Paz

The Essential Coffee Table Books For Vinyl Lovers: Dust & Grooves – An Interview With Eilon Paz

If you’re on the lookout for a espresso desk e-book that conjures up and paperwork a number of the coolest vinyl collectors on the planet, that is the cease you need to get off at. 

If you’re a vinyl collector, music photographer, crate digger, analog romantic, or just somebody who finds magic within the ritual of placing the stylus to wax, then Dust & Grooves is both already in your life—or quickly will probably be. Created by photographer and visible storyteller Eilon Paz, Dust & Grooves began as a private ardour mission, documenting vinyl collectors of their pure environments. What started as an try to remain creatively engaged throughout a transitional interval in his life has since developed into one of the beloved and visually fascinating archives of vinyl tradition.

The first quantity of Dust & Grooves dropped at simply the proper second—earlier than Instagram had turned each room right into a curated show and earlier than vinyl’s resurgence went absolutely mainstream. Through his intimate images, real rapport and conversations, Paz pulled again the curtain on a hidden world of vinyl collectors. His lens captured not simply the collectors and their vinyl, however the tales behind them. Each assortment has a distinct musical fingerprint, sonic library, and emotional time capsule, distinctive to its proprietor and infrequently showcasing uncommon grooves that may not be assembled wherever else on this planet.

Now, greater than a decade later, Paz returns with Dust & Grooves Vol. 2: Further Adventures in Record Collecting, an excellent deeper and extra world dive into the wealthy tapestry of report gathering. It’s a follow-up that doesn’t simply add to the story—it reframes it, increasing the view to incorporate extra ladies, extra world voices, and a broader lens on what it means to gather music right this moment.

Complementing this sequel is a cool visible detour: Dust & Grooves: Portables, a companion e-book that celebrates 222 classic moveable turntables. These distinctive little machines, which as soon as accompanied diggers and DJs on their hunts and stuffed kids’s bedrooms with sound, present a enjoyable historic journey by way of classic design and nostalgia.

Together, the 2 books type a love letter to analog tradition—one which’s tactile, timeless, and nonetheless very a lot alive. To delve deeper into this ever-evolving world, Magnetic Magazine’s David Ireland sat down with Eilon Paz to debate his journey, the evolution of his mission, and what it means to seize the heartbeat of music.

Q&A Interview: David Ireland with Eilon Paz

David Ireland: Let’s begin off form of in your early profession. Going again to in all probability 2008, you have been a photographer by commerce and also you form of stumbled into this. Can you inform us slightly bit about the way you wandered into the world of report collectors and vinyl? 

Eilon Paz: All proper. Well, I used to be all the time a vinyl individual. You know, I grew up in an period the place vinyl was the one format, after which, after all, tapes—cassettes. So yeah, I grew up in Israel and have become a photographer at a very early age. It began as a pastime, after which I noticed that I’m fairly good at it. So I simply continued doing it, and it turned a occupation.

So I constructed a profession residing in Israel, however then I hit a ceiling—a glass ceiling. I used to be specializing in journey pictures, portraits, and music pictures. Music was all the time there. I all the time needed to be near it and encompass myself with it. Around 2008, I made a decision—at age 33—that if I didn’t make a transfer now, it will be too late. So I packed my issues and moved to New York. Of course, 2008 was the massive recession, so in all probability the worst time to maneuver to the U.S. and attempt to begin a brand new profession.

I sacrificed lots. I moved away from my dwelling, buddies, household—and I landed in a metropolis the place there was nothing for me. And I assume beginning Dust & Grooves was only a method for me to justify my transfer and keep busy—hold from falling into melancholy. I began on the lookout for private tasks, and that’s the way it started.

David Ireland: Interesting.

Eilon Paz: I by no means had any intention to make a web site or a e-book. It was only a private pictures mission. The vinyl scene in New York actually impressed me. That was earlier than the massive resurgence.

David Ireland: Yeah. Like, A1 Records was nonetheless round. Other Music, possibly?

Eilon Paz: A1 continues to be round. And I’d see individuals hanging out on the streets, promoting records. Tons of report shops—stuff I’d dream about getting in Israel. Records I may barely discover there have been within the $1 bin right here. It was solely once I met Frank Gossner that issues actually kicked off. I examine him within the Village Voice. He’d been digging in Africa, and there was this photograph of him sitting someplace in Ghana, surrounded by records, casually holding an AK-47. That picture grabbed my consideration. haha.

He was residing in New York so I reached out and stated, “Hey, expat to expat—would you be down to fulfill for espresso?” I had nothing to point out, simply my pictures portfolio and enthusiasm. He took me across the East Village. First cease was this Brazilian retailer—Tropicalia in Furs, run by Joel Stones.

That’s the place the mission actually began. Joel had superb vibes. He was tremendous supportive. We did a fast session there—probably not what I envisioned, as a result of I needed to shoot in personal rooms—nevertheless it was an ideal begin.

Joel related me to his buddies, his prospects. The mission mainly began in that group. And then the primary profile I shot in a personal room was Cosmo Baker. He’s a DJ I’d met on a earlier journey to New York and we had that Jewish connection, he was open to it. That was the primary profile on Dust & Grooves. I despatched him a Q&A and a few images to caption. When I posted that on Facebook, that was it. That was when Dust & Grooves actually began.

David Ireland: Yeah, the Rub events have been a giant deal on the time.

Eilon Paz: Right? I acquired fortunate. People noticed Cosmo’s room—this was pre-Instagram, pre-social media. People didn’t share like that. Collectors frolicked at report shops or boards, often underneath pseudonyms. No one actually knew what these report rooms seemed like. That was one thing I unintentionally revealed—simply attempting to shoot collectors and uncover new music. One individual led to a different, and it expanded quick.

David Ireland: Six years later, you’ve acquired this large espresso desk e-book. It began off in a digital panorama—how did the concept for a printed e-book come about?

Eilon Paz: Honestly, it was community-driven. People saved asking for extra—sending me images, pitching themselves. It gained inertia. At first, I’d simply hang around, shoot a couple of records, and ship a Q&A. But as readership grew, I needed to step it up—began hiring music writers.

Every time I traveled—on a job, visiting household, wherever—I’d schedule photograph shoots. That’s how I acquired collectors in Turkey, Paris, Belgium, and so on. One day, somebody messaged me on Facebook and stated, “You ought to make a e-book out of this.” I wasn’t assured I had sufficient materials, nevertheless it caught in my head. Eventually I laid out 50–60 of my finest images as 5×7 prints on a giant desk. When I noticed all of them collectively, I knew I had it.

I launched a Kickstarter marketing campaign to fund a cross-country highway journey to seek out America’s best collectors. We hit our purpose in two weeks. Press got here from The New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post—it blew up. After that journey, I did others: the UK (which offered the enduring cowl with Mr. Scruff on it), Japan, and again to Ghana with Frank to doc his final digging journey in Africa. 

David Ireland: And then you definately stepped away from vinyl for a bit. But one thing introduced you again for Volume Two. What was the motivation?

Eilon Paz: Yeah, after photographing 120+ collectors, I wanted house. I dove into one other e-book mission—Stompbox—about guitar pedals. Super nerdy too. After 4 years, that was completed, and I seemed again at Dust & Grooves. The model was nonetheless alive. The e-book was in its third version with a giant writer. But I used to be scared—Instagram dominated, vinyl was mainstream, and I knew I wouldn’t have that very same “wow” issue with Volume Two.

So I knew I needed to dig deeper. Find new tales. Get extra ladies in it. That was vital in each volumes, however I targeted much more on it for Volume Two. The group saved asking about it, and that gave me the arrogance to go forward. Still a giant monetary threat—nevertheless it paid off.

David Ireland: And this time you added a companion e-book on moveable turntables. What was the inspiration?

Eilon Paz: That got here from photographing a collector named Paola Puente—she’s identified for her vinyl and her superb portables assortment. We shot her essential assortment for Volume Two, then spent one other day on her portables. That spiraled right into a enjoyable, straightforward aspect mission. Like with Stompbox, I noticed the artifacts across the tradition are simply as vital and visually hanging.

David Ireland: What’s the weirdest or most surprising place you found a collector?

Eilon Paz: That’s a tricky query. During the Volume One highway journey, Cool Chris from Groove Merchant tipped me off about Mickey McGowan in San Jose. He has this museum of records and curiosities known as The Unknown Museum. A quadrophonic setup, partitions 25 toes tall stacked with vinyl, psychedelic stuff in every single place. He even performed us a quadraphonic report of cricket sounds. It was mind-blowing.

David Ireland: What’s the very first thing you search for whenever you enter a collector’s room—not photographically, however emotionally or intuitively?

When I step into the room I don’t even pull out the digicam. I hold it informal—small digicam, no lights. Build intimacy. I often ask, “What’s taking part in proper now?” or “What’s one thing you’ve performed just lately?” It will get individuals speaking. Then we simply sit and pay attention. That all the time works—even with shy or self-aware topics.

David Ireland: Do you suppose vinyl gathering is a type of fashionable anthropology?

Eilon Paz: Totally. Most collectors are pleasant geeks—music nerds. They have deep curiosity, consideration to element. They don’t intend to be archivists, however they’re. Every assortment reveals one thing private. I attempt to keep in mind at the very least one report from every session as a strategy to construct my very own understanding of music.

David Ireland: What does a report assortment reveal that Spotify by no means may?

Eilon Paz: The tangible facet. Liner notes, images—it’s all there. But greater than that, the gathering is in entrance of you on a regular basis! You keep in mind the place you bought each report. Spotify has every thing, however the paradox of selection is actual. Record collections are private, curated, and emotional.

David Ireland: Your portraits really feel cinematic. How do you strategy lighting when surrounded by partitions of wax?

Eilon Paz: I attempt to use pure gentle as a lot as potential. I ask forward if there’s good gentle within the room. Digital cameras right this moment don’t want a lot gentle. I virtually by no means use flash. That intimacy—that’s what I’m after. I work with what I’ve acquired. Almost all the time use a 35mm or 50mm prime lens. Rarely go vast angle. That’s how my collage type developed—working in tight areas.

David Ireland: Final query: If Dust & Grooves had a soundtrack, what’s one monitor that must be on it?

Eilon Paz: Wow. That’s robust. But possibly Roy Ayers—”Life Is Just a Moment.” Something groovy, with mud in it. Something that avoids pop and feels lived-in. That’s what Dust & Grooves is about.

David Ireland: Perfect reply. Thanks, Eilon.

Eilon Paz: Pleasure, man. Great questions. I loved it.

With Dust & Grooves, Eilon Paz has created greater than a photograph e-book—he’s captured a tradition. These volumes transcend the act of gathering; they highlight the individuals behind the crates, the love behind each sleeve, the historical past behind each groove. Volume 2 provides depth and variety, whereas Portables reminds us that even the gear has its personal soul.

Together, they’re a celebration of every thing that makes vinyl magical: the texture, the sound, the hunt, and the group. In a world the place music has turn into invisible and algorithm-driven, 

Dust & Grooves offers us one thing we will see, maintain, and really feel. It reminds us that music, like reminiscence, is healthier when it’s tangible.

Whether you’re a lifelong digger or new to the format, these books are an invite—to decelerate, to pay attention extra deeply, and to rediscover the enjoyment of music made bodily.

More details about Dust & Grooves Here

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July 10, 2025 at 02:39AM