Platurn
When DJing went digital in the mid-2000s, and vinyl fell out of favor on the dancefloor, Iceland-native DJ Platurn decided to throw a party to celebrate the 45 rpm 7-inch format. What started as a get-together among vinyl-admiring friends has turned into the 45 Sessions–‘the West Coast’s premiere all-45 RPM outlet.’ Platurn helped restore 45s' status as an iconic DJing medium because he devoted the better part of his career to being a vinyl DJ.
Five Records: A Music Exploration Series with The Gaslamp Killer
Over four evenings, The Gaslamp Killer invites us into his record collection and his memory — tracing connections between genres, eras, and the sounds that shaped him.
Kevin Cole
“The magic of radio and the magic of music combined was always very powerful for me,” says Kevin Cole, who has been deeply involved in both over the last six decades, first as a fan and musician, and then as a record store clerk and radio and club DJ. Since 1999, Cole has been a fixture on Seattle’s KEXP (formerly KCMU), where he served as Director of Programming/Chief Content Officer for 18 years, as well as one of the station’s best-loved disc jockeys.
Charlie Dark
Born in the early 1970s in London’s salubrious East Dulwich to Ghanaian parents who sacrificed for their children, Charlie Dark’s upbringing was anything but run-of-the-mill. As a teenager, he found himself in private school, feeling like something of a misfit, an “alien,” to use his own words.
Zoë ‘Lucky Cat’ Baxter
Arriving in Zoe Baxter’s living room is like stepping back in time and entering a contradictory cultural space. Her beloved Jamo speakers stand on either side of the Technics decks, powered by an amp older than she is.
Raregems
The only thing better than one record collection? Combining two with your equally music-obsessed partner. The only downside? “The paranoia that arises when a record gets lost!”
DaM FunK
Damon “DāM-FunK” and I go way back. In 2008, captivated by the rawness of Rhythm Trax Vol. 4 (and “Burgundy City,” the single that followed) I was determined to know more about this emerging, seemingly elusive artist. The swells, the swing and the synth of his sound drew close to the touchstones of soulful dance music. Yet, Dam’s drum programming, arrangements and tempos had a musical intellect that felt distinctly unique.
You Dig? | Issue #08
Issue #08 | August 2025 | Curated by DB Burkeman | Artwork by Pia Dehne | | | Down at those crossroads we reckon you’re sure to find this month’s cover art, from NY-based artist Pia Dehne. The painting’s based on her 2004 photoshoot, which recreated Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland cover – the one that didn’t make it to the then-prudish US market in 1968. The stencil-cum-cave painting style gives the iconic cover a whole new, yet curiously fitting vibe.
Paola Puente
If Paola Puente’s records, portable turntables, vintage toys and ephemera were housed in a museum, it would be enough to make The Smithsonian envious. The fact that one individual has single-handedly amassed such a meticulously curated collection is extraordinary.
Carter Van Pelt
Carter Van Pelt had an inauspicious beginning for a reggae DJ, event producer, and historian. Born and raised in Nebraska, Van Pelt grew up surrounded by the sounds of John Denver, the Eagles, Simon & Garfunkel, and Bread—music beloved by his ever-encouraging, artistic mother. Although he had an ear for soft rock, Carter’s musical passion was grounded in something Nebraska knew little about–reggae. He found the genre as many would in the ‘70s and ‘80s, through Bob Marley and The W