QUICK TIME

We asked some music fans: Where and how do you discover new tunes now? Where do you go to “be with your peeps” in a music collector’s sense? And what do you miss most about the pre-digital analogue music world?

“I use Shazam a lot: If I hear something good playing in a restaurant or bar, it’s easy to find out what song it is. Also, every now and then, I watch a video on Youtube with a catchy song, and find out what’s playing.” – David H., web designer

“I am personally a bit sceptical about the algorithms. I still prefer being exposed to new music through the curation of websites or critics: like thequietus.com or Simon Reynolds.” – Sharon, stylist

“[Since I’ve started streaming], I miss the effort I had to make to switch albums and CDs. Used to end up listening to the whole album... and growing to like most of the songs.” – Shareen, retail brand owner

“I feel the decline of album sales, as we knew them, forced bands I love to make their money from touring, leaving me spoilt for choice when 20something years ago it was a wasteland of good gigs.” – Sonja, schoolteacher

“Singapore has a number of really excellent vinyl shops, and they’re a go-to for me to relive the experience of going to Tower Records or HMV. The shops are typically smaller, so the experience is more intimate. And of course, by digging through crates and crates of old vinyl, you sometimes chance upon really great stuff.” – Amber, creative director

“I miss the weird word-ofmouth that built over certain bands or albums in the early Internet days. I still remember hearing about (and spreading the word on) bands like Animal Collective and Sigur Ros, before you heard their albums. I used to love reading album reviews, imagining how they sounded before only getting to hear them a month later. Nowadays, everything’s accessible instantaneously.” – Keith, head of content

“I like reviews to check out new releases, and as a filter for those worth a listen. Pitchfork is the most consistent;

Rolling Stone is patchy now, though it always was. I recall they first gave Nirvana’s Nevermind 3/5 stars, raising it to 5/5 a decade later!” – Paula, business writer