Eraz and Al Cohen are a lot like their store: unassuming, easygoing, and, as Eraz says, “about as analog as they come.” The brothers run Recordland, a Calgary musical institution. The Inglewood shop has long been a staple stop for audiophiles since it opened in 1985 a couple blocks from its current location. The store was established by their father, Armand Cohen, whose vinyl collection filled the basement of their family home and who began selling albums at flea markets. Recordland has grown to be one of the largest independent record stores in Canada, selling both new and used releases. Cohen senior passed the kingdom’s keys down to his sons in late 2013, after working amid the store’s towering record-lined shelves every single day of the week for nearly 30 years.
In that time, music technology has changed. CDs and digital downloads “sucked a lot of the soul out of everything, for people cut from that analog cloth,” says Eraz. Though the store carries a wide selection of CDs, and a shrinking inventory of cassettes and 8-tracks, vintage and new vinyl comprise the bulk of Recordland’s business. Describing the store as “organized chaos,” the Cohen brothers have been tackling the gargantuan task of organizing its shelved and warehoused inventory of about 1.5 million records to “decompress” the shop. They’re keeping the stuff that sells, turfing dusty duds from Nana Mouskouri to Roger Whittaker.
Visiting Recordland is a bit going on a musical expedition. Its shelves are dense with 12-inch records. While it may seem overwhelming, the staff knows where everything is. You just have to ask. Or, better yet, start exploring.