This newsletter is the one I always wanted in my inbox. It is packed with obsessively curated recommendations, inspiration, interviews, and essays on living an intentional music-minded life.

Way back in the 90’s I was an avid record collector, part-time DJ, and electronic music head. I was hanging out at the Cross, Blue Note, 303, Metalheadz, Solid Steel, Headz, Plastic People, Turnmills, and the gardening club. Buying tapes in Camden, records in Soho, and playing whenever I could. Over the years, I started a family, moved around, I sold my records, sold all my CDs, transferred things to hard drives, and started with streaming services.

Then Covid happened. I honestly thought the world would end! So what do you do at the end of days? You decide you need to get back to that level of Music - Music is medicine after all. By then I had already bought an old mixer from a strip club in Portland, I had one DJ deck for playing music and a high-end audiophile thing for the living room. I bought a Pioneer digital mixer, added Rekorbox, wired them all up and suddenly we had day raves in the house! We had virtual all night, weekend festivals thanks to 9128, and I even tried my hand at playing out. I was so expecting to be booed off, who wants a let 40’s white dad playing his old trip-hop. But it all seemed to give me life, and one thing would lead to another.

It is now 2025, I’ve had some big birthdays, I have fallen back in love with record digging - back to London, back to the old haunts in Brighton, LA, New York, Japan and living in Portland there are more stores per capita then anywhere in the world. (rebuying UK records in the US, seems like the worst financial decision ever made but 🤷‍♀️) I have a DJ residency in a bar in Portland, I opened for some big-name DJs at warehouse raves, and still fill our home with music. The highlight that I never thought would happen - on New Year’s Eve I did a back-to-back with my eldest from New York in a club, playing UK garage - what a life.

Why a newsletter?

I have since concluded that streaming is not only killing music production for artists, but it sucks the life of enjoying music at home. Digging for records with friends, hunting for that one lost find, discovering new records, and buying things based on the cover. And then at home the intention of finding the right record to play, taking the time to turn it over, playing it really loud on great speakers - not just tiny headphones.

This newsletter is a collection of thoughts and recommendations of new music - 4 releases a month.

Maybe some label specials, some artist specials, some curation, some direction.

I connect to an Instagram account (trying to give up insta) - Tobybarnes.Recco

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There is a paid tier that supports what I am doing, it goes directly to pay for records, and if it works more of my time. I will be very grateful and will start to do more in-depth projects if I get more paid subs.

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