Eilon Paz talks to Billboard’s Phil Gallo

Leading up to the launch parties in California, Billboard‘s Phil Gallo interviews author Eilon Paz about the recent release of his (now sold-out) book Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting. Below is an excerpt from the interview feature, and you can read the full article at here:

‘Dust & Grooves’ Author Eilon Paz on OCD Record Collectors, Photography, and Comfort Albums

By Phil Gallo

Eilon Paz spent nearly six years photographing record collectors, starting in New York’s East Village at the store Tropicalia in Furs before moving onto the private rooms where collections are kept in all manner of order and chaos.

What began as a blog became the book “Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting,” released on Record Store Day and currently being promoted with events on the West Coast. An exhibition opened June 5 at the Sonos Studio in Los Angeles, which on June 7 will become a pop-up record store with a series of DJs. On June 8 in San Francisco, Terroir Wine Merchants will host a book launch event.

After that, Paz will take a break before heading to Brazil and Columbia, where he will begin another similar photography project, this one dedicated to South American collectors.

“Going into a person’s private record room is what makes this book special, I think,” says Paz at the opening of the Sonos exhibit on June 5. “It’s getting into the people’s shrines, those rooms that no one else sees.”

Paz photographed about 130 collectors and nearly all of them made it into the book, which he published and is about to start a second run. It has been sold record stores and his website; round two will include distribution to book stores as well. We asked him what he learned about records and collectors on his journey.

You moved from Israel to New York in 2008. Why did you want to shoot record collections?
When I arrived in New York I had no work so I just spent all my time in record stores enjoying my time. I didn’t have this quantity in Israel. It was like a party. My assignments in Israel were to shoot a lot of musicians. I was thinking, how can I have a better use of my time and do a project for myself. I met with Frank Gossner, a German collector who collects West African records — he specializes in disco and funk records … talked about my idea and he took me took a few record stores.

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Read the full interview at billboard.com.