Collector Interview: Kristian S.

Posted on March 28 2017

Casting director, Kristian Sorge, is also a co-host of the podcast Recordnerdz, runs the Instagram account @recordnerdz and is a vinyl collector/recordnerd with an excellent collection. He’s a huge music fan and loves the tangible experience of listening to vinyl. He cherishes those moments of finding a fun amazing LP and in his words, he feels that, “there is really something exciting and life affirming in finding something rare or seeing a record you love while digging.” Read on if you'd like to take a peek inside Kristian’s collection!

Size of your collection:
Somewhere in the area of about 4 -6k with about 1200 45's. (it used to be around 1600 but slimmed down recently)

Current top 3 albums:
OH lord ...  Top 3 right now that I have been listening to:
1. Run the Jewels 3 (4LP version with instrumentals, 2016)
2. Pinegrove - Cardinal (blue vinyl, with limited hand painted cover, 2016)
3. Tied for third   Spill - Top Ten (clear vinyl, 2017) / True Widow - AVVOLGERE (milky clear w/ splatter, limited to 100, 2016) / Whores - Gold (gold purple, limited, 2016)

Favorite or biggest music genre in your collection:
My collection is really all over the place.  Growing up, I was a huge metal and hip hop fan (my locker in high school featured a Public Enemy sticker along with a Metallica "Master" poster) however I really got into alternative, punk and indie in my late teens and early 20's.

Recently I have been focusing on first pressings of classic punk records (Adolescents, Cramps, Clash, Circle Jerks, Black Flag) while also focusing on late 90's early 00's indie and emo / screamo (Jimmy Eat World, Karate, At the Drive-in, Saetia, Orchid, Jawbreaker, etc..)

Some other stuff I absolutely love is contemporary garage like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees.  Pop punk from the 90's like NOFX, Vandals, Lagwagon, etc.  And 90's alternative music like Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Melvins, Primus, etc..
And also really love some of the newer punk / emo bands like Lee Corey Oswald, Dirty Nil, Prawn, Dikembe, etc..
 
Best party album:
Any Low End Theory era hip hop (De La, Native Tongues, Main Source, Brand Nubian, 3rd Bass) record OR Sounds of Silver by LCD Soundsystem

Best album to listen to alone:
I feel like this is where my taste may diverge quite a bit from the normal but when I am alone is when I often like to listen to the most disonent, frantic chaotic punk or metal.
OR if I am working, I will put on something ethereal or instrumental like Sigur Ros, If these Trees Could Talk or Mercury Program.

Last record you purchased:
Well I just pre-ordered the new Smith Street Band, which I am very excited about.  And the last 'used" record I bought was the Replacements - let it be on blue vinyl, which was rare early color repress.

Album you're in search of:
A few years ago there was a vinyl / record fair in Spitalfields in London and before I could get a friend to go there, i missed out on these rare, limited to 50, hand screened LPs from Vampire Weekend, Sigur Ros and Atoms for Peace.

I've managed to get the Atoms but I am dying to get a copy of the Sigur Ros one.  Ugh. Ha (not to everyone, someone please sell me this...)

Give us a breakdown of your collection:
Everything in my collection is listened to, almost nothing stays sealed unless it's bought that way and I have a "playable copy." But I would say I pre-order quite a bit of new music and the rest of the music is bought used. 


How long have you been collecting records? How did you get into it?
I have been collecting for awhile now.  I started really going to punk / indie shows in like 94, so I would say I started around then.  Originally I really only collected 45's... but as of a few years ago I really started focusing on my LP collection.  I decided I want to collect every LP of every record I loved growing up...

Where do you hunt for vinyl?
I spend a lot of time working from home for work so I do spend a lot of time on my Discogs wantlist (currently like 1100 items in there).  But I really love traveling for records.  Recently, I went to Japan for vacation and would spend 1/2 of each of my day record shopping.  I came home with over 45 records. I also went to the Utrecht Record Fair in Holland last year for the first time and that was really fun.

How do you organize your collection? Where do you listen to vinyl?
Simply put: A to Z, and then chronologically.  Always last name unless it's a pseudonym.

I listen to all my records in my living room and I am a big proponent of Google, so I will stream any record I love on there (instead of using the digital downloads).

My living room is set up with about 32 squares of IKEA kallaxes filled and my friend at Boles Studio just built me a beautiful cabinet to hold my 45 collection.

All this doesn't include some safe boxes and highly collectible items, which I try to keep a little more safe.


Any thoughts you'd like to share about your method of record organization, how you store your collection or use your record dividers?
I am a pretty organized person generally, so I like to keep my records very organized.

I used dividers for my 45's.  I make sure all of my lps and 45's in sleeves.  I have unsystemically been putting every LP I own in a rice paper sleeve, (this is taking a life time to do).

I also have a square devoted to now playing and new records to be listened to. They are made to be heard, right?

[Note: Kristian uses our A-Z vertical 45s dividers to stay organized]

 

Be sure to check out Recordnerdz: Soundcloud and Instagram

To see more home collections, check out our full series of collector interviews.