IN THE GROOVES OF TIONG BAHRU
FEATURING CURATED RECORDS
55 TIONG BAHRU ROAD. #01-53
“KEEP AN OPEN MIND WHEN LISTENING TO MUSIC, IT LETS YOU REDISCOVER YOURSELF” is the thought-provoking philosophy that dwells between the sleeves of Curated Records, Singapore’s freshest stop for vinyl. Front man and sole creator of the store Tremon Lim opened his doors on September 19th, a dream that sparked when his own record collection began.
Located in one of Singapore’s oldest residential areas, Tiong Bahru, Curated offers a solid mix of genres that include Indie, Alternative, Electronica, R&B, Hip Hop, Hardcore, Punk, Heavy Metal, and Pop. With the estate streaming with coffee shops, bookstores and boutiques, a visit to the store is quite refreshing.
Curated, despite its youth in the record store scene, has already been commended by customers for its sweeping range of genres at affordable prices. Through the tightly knit community of other equally passionate vinyl enthusiasts, its name was rapidly spread by word of mouth.
“THERE IS A CERTAIN CAMARADERIE AMONGST THE STORE OWNERS WHERE WE SHARE A COMMON GOAL TO SUPPORT THE SINGAPORE MUSIC SCENE IN OUR OWN SMALL WAYS. TO US, IT IS MORE THAN A RECORD STORE.”
With a unique physicality to a record and a delicacy giving extra personal value, the experience of record shopping and a lifetime of collecting gives the process a quality unlike any other.
“WHAT IS LACKING IN SHOPPING RECORDS ONLINE IS THE EXPERIENCE YOU GET FROM BEING IN A PHYSICAL STORE WHERE MUSIC IS PLAYING AND FELLOW MUSIC LOVERS ARE DIGGING THROUGH THE CRATES – YOU GET TO MEET LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE WHERE PEOPLE INTERACT AND SHARE THEIR INTERESTS. [IT] IS ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC, AND NEVER THE DOLLARS AND CENTS ONE MAY SAVE BUYING ONLINE, BECAUSE IT IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT COUNTS.”
Nonetheless, the experience of listening to a record is similarly indulging. Appreciating the album in its entirety according to the song sequence the artistes/ producers intended makes it more engaging from the first song of Side A to the last of Side B.
In an online culture and world of free music streaming services, the vinyl format has awoken from a hibernation of the CD era to an increasing demand. “Record labels and artistes responded enthusiastically, which created a massive wave of a comeback” assures Tremon whose love for vinyl begun with his cousin’s 80s dance records back when he was 10 years old. With more and more musicians opting in for their hits to be pressed, the record culture has taken the younger generation under its wing. Naturally, Curated’s customer age range starts from the teen years.
To those who have an interest in starting their own collection, Tremon offers his advice and urges youths to resist initial temptations to buy limited editions for their undeniably attractive coloured/picture discs to avoid burning their pockets.
DO NOT RUSH, TAKE YOUR TIME TO BUILD THE COLLECTION, YOU HAVE A LIFETIME.