Viking's Choice: What I Learned From Aquarius Records, A Record Store For Big Ears
Feedback-worshiping drone, tranced-out occult rock, gamelan music played by elephants — Aquarius Records embodied the idea that you can always dig deeper for weirder, louder music.
Listen to a playlist of music discovered via Aquarius Records on Spotify or Apple Music.
On Saturday mornings, while roommates waited for coffee to drip or toast to burn, I'd take a cup of tea up to my room with a bowl of cereal, put on a record and open my email.
"Beloved Customers and Friends," every newsletter began. In each New Arrivals list, there'd be some shop news — upcoming in-store performances,'s tranced-out occult rock, Philip Jeck's ambient turntablism, a stylish compilation of decades-spanning Thai pop music, feedback-worshiping drone, gamelan music played by elephants (!) — there was no guiding principle to this coveted spotlight, only that the record had to flip the staff's collective lid.
