ABOUT
I Love Vinyl was founded by Ben Goldfarb aka DJ Scribe in the Summer of 2009 with five other seasoned djs hailing from NYC, Chicago, Baltimore, and beyond. They had a dream of carving out a sacred space for the music they love and a shared belief in its power. They would play vinyl only because they believed that "the medium is the message". Something about that felt special to them, and they bet they weren't the only ones... There were a few more ground rules. This is how it would work. This is how it would go down: All of the available residents would play every party together. No headliner. No "draw". Just the music, and the way it's played.
The wager paid off.
They launched the monthly all-vinyl oasis at the Gallery at LPR (Le Poisson Rouge), where it continues still, on 4th Saturdays. The clubgoing denizens of NYC showed up and made the dream a reality. The parties were equal parts therapy session, history lesson, homecooked meal, and cosmic journey. The music was deep, far-reaching, and always different. And the crowd was unusually diverse, unpretentious, and just downright nice. Everyone was welcome, and truly seemed to feel that way. And so the word spread. The party sprouted a second home in Brooklyn. Then a third in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Special events were held in other cities, internationally, and at cultural institutions from Lincoln Center to Celebrate Brooklyn, plus museums, colleges, and more. A radio show was born and continues to grow...
The sound of I Love Vinyl is mind-wide, foot-friendly, and snap crackle popping, which means that genre, time period, and recognizability take a back seat to quality, taste, and skill here, in the tradition of the innovators of the Art of Moving Butts. You will probably hear some Disco, House, Soul, Boogie, Jazz-Funk, and maybe some Hip-Hop, Techno, No Wave, New Jack Swing, Dancefloor Jazz, Latin, Funk, Electro, Punk/Funk or Afrobeat. Whatever you hear, it will be woven into a cohesively funky, and irresistibly danceable, revolutionary sonic manifesto.
THE DREAM TEAM
DJ Scribe
I Love Vinyl Founder DJ Scribe spins dynamic sets from the heart, ranging from deep soul to dancefloor killers, acoustic jazz to glitch-hop and techno. But a list of genres doesn't do justice to describing his repertoire because, for Scribe, it's all about the right feeling.
Spinning full-time since 2002, he taught himself how to mix on live radio on WOBC FM at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he then began to cut his teeth as a dj at house parties and campus events, eventually opening for A Tribe Called Quest in front of 3,000 people. It was the first show of their groundbreaking Low End Theory Tour.
Scribe has developed numerous acclaimed residencies: Love Revolution at Joe's Pub; Tag, in partnership with Wax Poetics Magazine; Stone Soup in conjunction with BBE Records; Soulnado, at the world-famous Knitting Factory, a joint effort with DJ Busquelo; and one of the most respected parties at Miami's annual Winter Music Conference since 2006: the Raw Fusion Miami party. In 2006, Scribe and partner OP! (Suite 903) founded Nu-iSh, a multifaceted venture dedicated to representing, supporting, and exposing the best new music. In 2008, Scribe and OP!, under the Nu-iSh umbrella, launched the monthly instant smash Raw Fusion NYC, the New York arm of the Raw Fusion franchise, at APT, one of NYC's top dj venues.
He has also shared the marquee at live music venues like the Highline Ballroom, Le Poisson Rouge, SOB's and Joe's Pub with Floetry, Roy Ayers, Black Eyed Peas, Scratch of The Roots, Omar, Eve, Dwele, Les Nubians, Stephanie McKay, Antibalas, Little Dragon, Chin Chin and others; moved the crowd all over Western and Eastern Europe; and traveled extensively within the US and Canada, including multiple appearances at the annual Candela Art and Music Festival in Puerto Rico, Winter Music Conference, and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival.
Amir Abdullah
Amir Abdullah is part of Hip Hop history as a sample excavator, music historian, compilation curator and DJ who’s already acknowledged alongside some of his childhood heroes. One of the few Hip Hop veterans who is simultaneously an artist and executive, Amir Abdullah continues to expose and celebrate a seemingly inexhaustible back catalogue of music for the benefit of sample-spotters, dancers, music nerds and adventurous music lovers.
Amir’s love of jazz dates back to his childhood through his father’s expansive collection, which now makes up a good part of his own enviable vinyl library. His older brothers and sisters turned him on to Disco, Funk and those irresistible 80s R&B records we now call “Boogie”, which collectively and subconsciously laid the groundwork for his first claim to fame as one half of the legendary mix tape and DJ duo: Kon & Amir. Their half-dozen “On Track” mixes, culled almost exclusively from Amir’s collection and skillfully mixed by Kon, quintessentially captured the spirit of Hip Hop’s Golden Era and its obsession with magical moments buried in forgotten grooves. The duo signed to the U.K.’s BBE records and released three volumes of the “Off Track” series, which dug deeper yet and presented obscure, yet essential tunes and re-edits. This year (2016) finds Amir stepping out on his own with his first solo compilation for BBE, DJ Amir Presents: Buena Musica Y Cultura, a fiery mix of New York City Salsa pulled from his extensive collection of lost local hits and even some unreleased Latin jams from the legendary Strata Records catalogue.
Jazz music continues to guide Amir’s life through his own record label, 180-Proof (founded in 2011), which owns the exclusive rights to release Strata Records’ influential back catalogue and unreleased sessions. While he’s best known as a selector and compiler of choice tunes, Amir’s expertise also extends to the business side of the music industry hustle. Starting off in 1996 as an entry-level Fat Beats employee, he rose to Vice President before moving on to A&R for Rapster/!K7, then managing sales for ABB Records and running Wax Poetics’ record label from 2007-2010. His Strata Records expertise led him to produce an online exhibit for the Scion IQ Museum featuring his interviews with influential Detroit jazz icons, coproduce a Strata photo exhibit in Lille, France featuring the work of Leni Sinclair, produce “Strata In the Mix” for the Tourcoing (France) Jazz Festival, as well as a collaboration with Carhartt Work In Progress. Amir’s stature as an influential selector and historian within the Hip Hop world made him an ideal host for the Adidas Original Vinyl Swap event not mention an in-demand DJ opening for Cut Chemist, Q-Tip and Gilles Peterson for his influential radio show as well as opening sets at Gilles’ Worldwide Festival.
Amir lives for sharing his passion and knowledge about obscure and underappreciated music whether it’s from behind turntables or a lectern. Like the jazz musicians that continue to inspire him, Amir Abdullah keeps pushing the envelope of adventurous music into new and exciting places, shedding light on forgotten artists and sounds while inspiring future musicians and music lovers worldwide.
Jon Oliver
"Do you take requests?" are four little words guaranteed to make a dj's hair stand on end. But not Jon Oliver's. It's not because he's amenable to requests (he's not), or even that he sports a close shave (he does). It's because Jon has relished the opportunity to field (and summarily dismiss) the most outlandish requests in order to document the jilted's often jaw-dropping responses in a hilarious (and much retweeted) series, aptly titled "How Not To Request A Song", on jonolivermusic.com. Humor aside, Jon, the native Cleavelander but longtime expat, is a force to be reckoned with and certifiably world-class, despite having only started deejaying in 2004. Outside of I Love Vinyl, he is best known for his acclaimed independent/underground soul radio show, The Main Ingredient, on East Village Radio, and memorable jaunts outside the five boroughs, from Houston to LA and Sweden to Estonia.
OP!
Known in NYC and around the globe as a purveyor of all things soulful, OP! is a talented DJ and tastemaker who can hang on just about any dancefloor. From hip hop, house, and classics to future soul, UK funky and South African house, OP! can finesse them all, adopting musical diversity and focusing it into a beautifully cohesive vibe.
Through his current work with I Love Vinyl and Dubspot, along with his past works with Suite903, Raw Fusion NYC, OkayAfrica, and Party People South Africa, on the DJ side; and Decon, Cornerstone Promotion/The Fader, and Studio Distribution/BBE, on the industry side, OP! has been instrumental in shining a light on underground and global soul, and continues to champion its relevance on the world stage.
Shawn Dub
Shawn Dub is the only non-founding member of I Love Vinyl but quickly made up for lost time with his rapid ascent through the underground, since arriving in NYC from Long Beach, California via the Bay Area. He is an essential member of the NYC community, buying and selling records at Human Head Records in Bushwick, and a well-known and highly respected dj with a heavy vinyl collection, spinning at venues like Nowadays, Black Flamingo, Starvue, Kind Regards, alongside the likes of Dream 2 Science, DJ Spinna, Damon Bell, Ge-Ology, Turtle Bugg, and many more, at parties like Sublimate and Clairaudience. And stints abroad in Berlin, Amsterdam and beyond.
The wager paid off.
They launched the monthly all-vinyl oasis at the Gallery at LPR (Le Poisson Rouge), where it continues still, on 4th Saturdays. The clubgoing denizens of NYC showed up and made the dream a reality. The parties were equal parts therapy session, history lesson, homecooked meal, and cosmic journey. The music was deep, far-reaching, and always different. And the crowd was unusually diverse, unpretentious, and just downright nice. Everyone was welcome, and truly seemed to feel that way. And so the word spread. The party sprouted a second home in Brooklyn. Then a third in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Special events were held in other cities, internationally, and at cultural institutions from Lincoln Center to Celebrate Brooklyn, plus museums, colleges, and more. A radio show was born and continues to grow...
The sound of I Love Vinyl is mind-wide, foot-friendly, and snap crackle popping, which means that genre, time period, and recognizability take a back seat to quality, taste, and skill here, in the tradition of the innovators of the Art of Moving Butts. You will probably hear some Disco, House, Soul, Boogie, Jazz-Funk, and maybe some Hip-Hop, Techno, No Wave, New Jack Swing, Dancefloor Jazz, Latin, Funk, Electro, Punk/Funk or Afrobeat. Whatever you hear, it will be woven into a cohesively funky, and irresistibly danceable, revolutionary sonic manifesto.
The Medium Is The Message
Music Saves
Laptop-Free Since 2009
THE DREAM TEAM
DJ Scribe
I Love Vinyl Founder DJ Scribe spins dynamic sets from the heart, ranging from deep soul to dancefloor killers, acoustic jazz to glitch-hop and techno. But a list of genres doesn't do justice to describing his repertoire because, for Scribe, it's all about the right feeling.
Spinning full-time since 2002, he taught himself how to mix on live radio on WOBC FM at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he then began to cut his teeth as a dj at house parties and campus events, eventually opening for A Tribe Called Quest in front of 3,000 people. It was the first show of their groundbreaking Low End Theory Tour.
Scribe has developed numerous acclaimed residencies: Love Revolution at Joe's Pub; Tag, in partnership with Wax Poetics Magazine; Stone Soup in conjunction with BBE Records; Soulnado, at the world-famous Knitting Factory, a joint effort with DJ Busquelo; and one of the most respected parties at Miami's annual Winter Music Conference since 2006: the Raw Fusion Miami party. In 2006, Scribe and partner OP! (Suite 903) founded Nu-iSh, a multifaceted venture dedicated to representing, supporting, and exposing the best new music. In 2008, Scribe and OP!, under the Nu-iSh umbrella, launched the monthly instant smash Raw Fusion NYC, the New York arm of the Raw Fusion franchise, at APT, one of NYC's top dj venues.
He has also shared the marquee at live music venues like the Highline Ballroom, Le Poisson Rouge, SOB's and Joe's Pub with Floetry, Roy Ayers, Black Eyed Peas, Scratch of The Roots, Omar, Eve, Dwele, Les Nubians, Stephanie McKay, Antibalas, Little Dragon, Chin Chin and others; moved the crowd all over Western and Eastern Europe; and traveled extensively within the US and Canada, including multiple appearances at the annual Candela Art and Music Festival in Puerto Rico, Winter Music Conference, and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival.
Amir Abdullah
Amir Abdullah is part of Hip Hop history as a sample excavator, music historian, compilation curator and DJ who’s already acknowledged alongside some of his childhood heroes. One of the few Hip Hop veterans who is simultaneously an artist and executive, Amir Abdullah continues to expose and celebrate a seemingly inexhaustible back catalogue of music for the benefit of sample-spotters, dancers, music nerds and adventurous music lovers.
Amir’s love of jazz dates back to his childhood through his father’s expansive collection, which now makes up a good part of his own enviable vinyl library. His older brothers and sisters turned him on to Disco, Funk and those irresistible 80s R&B records we now call “Boogie”, which collectively and subconsciously laid the groundwork for his first claim to fame as one half of the legendary mix tape and DJ duo: Kon & Amir. Their half-dozen “On Track” mixes, culled almost exclusively from Amir’s collection and skillfully mixed by Kon, quintessentially captured the spirit of Hip Hop’s Golden Era and its obsession with magical moments buried in forgotten grooves. The duo signed to the U.K.’s BBE records and released three volumes of the “Off Track” series, which dug deeper yet and presented obscure, yet essential tunes and re-edits. This year (2016) finds Amir stepping out on his own with his first solo compilation for BBE, DJ Amir Presents: Buena Musica Y Cultura, a fiery mix of New York City Salsa pulled from his extensive collection of lost local hits and even some unreleased Latin jams from the legendary Strata Records catalogue.
Jazz music continues to guide Amir’s life through his own record label, 180-Proof (founded in 2011), which owns the exclusive rights to release Strata Records’ influential back catalogue and unreleased sessions. While he’s best known as a selector and compiler of choice tunes, Amir’s expertise also extends to the business side of the music industry hustle. Starting off in 1996 as an entry-level Fat Beats employee, he rose to Vice President before moving on to A&R for Rapster/!K7, then managing sales for ABB Records and running Wax Poetics’ record label from 2007-2010. His Strata Records expertise led him to produce an online exhibit for the Scion IQ Museum featuring his interviews with influential Detroit jazz icons, coproduce a Strata photo exhibit in Lille, France featuring the work of Leni Sinclair, produce “Strata In the Mix” for the Tourcoing (France) Jazz Festival, as well as a collaboration with Carhartt Work In Progress. Amir’s stature as an influential selector and historian within the Hip Hop world made him an ideal host for the Adidas Original Vinyl Swap event not mention an in-demand DJ opening for Cut Chemist, Q-Tip and Gilles Peterson for his influential radio show as well as opening sets at Gilles’ Worldwide Festival.
Amir lives for sharing his passion and knowledge about obscure and underappreciated music whether it’s from behind turntables or a lectern. Like the jazz musicians that continue to inspire him, Amir Abdullah keeps pushing the envelope of adventurous music into new and exciting places, shedding light on forgotten artists and sounds while inspiring future musicians and music lovers worldwide.
Jon Oliver
"Do you take requests?" are four little words guaranteed to make a dj's hair stand on end. But not Jon Oliver's. It's not because he's amenable to requests (he's not), or even that he sports a close shave (he does). It's because Jon has relished the opportunity to field (and summarily dismiss) the most outlandish requests in order to document the jilted's often jaw-dropping responses in a hilarious (and much retweeted) series, aptly titled "How Not To Request A Song", on jonolivermusic.com. Humor aside, Jon, the native Cleavelander but longtime expat, is a force to be reckoned with and certifiably world-class, despite having only started deejaying in 2004. Outside of I Love Vinyl, he is best known for his acclaimed independent/underground soul radio show, The Main Ingredient, on East Village Radio, and memorable jaunts outside the five boroughs, from Houston to LA and Sweden to Estonia.
OP!
Known in NYC and around the globe as a purveyor of all things soulful, OP! is a talented DJ and tastemaker who can hang on just about any dancefloor. From hip hop, house, and classics to future soul, UK funky and South African house, OP! can finesse them all, adopting musical diversity and focusing it into a beautifully cohesive vibe.
Through his current work with I Love Vinyl and Dubspot, along with his past works with Suite903, Raw Fusion NYC, OkayAfrica, and Party People South Africa, on the DJ side; and Decon, Cornerstone Promotion/The Fader, and Studio Distribution/BBE, on the industry side, OP! has been instrumental in shining a light on underground and global soul, and continues to champion its relevance on the world stage.
Shawn Dub
Shawn Dub is the only non-founding member of I Love Vinyl but quickly made up for lost time with his rapid ascent through the underground, since arriving in NYC from Long Beach, California via the Bay Area. He is an essential member of the NYC community, buying and selling records at Human Head Records in Bushwick, and a well-known and highly respected dj with a heavy vinyl collection, spinning at venues like Nowadays, Black Flamingo, Starvue, Kind Regards, alongside the likes of Dream 2 Science, DJ Spinna, Damon Bell, Ge-Ology, Turtle Bugg, and many more, at parties like Sublimate and Clairaudience. And stints abroad in Berlin, Amsterdam and beyond.
