Of riffs and grooves: Adagio
Music has been a solitary pursuit since the CD arrived in 1985. But two young men are reviving a tradition that disappeared with its advent.
Perhaps, the correlation between learning to play music and listening to records was evident to Aman Singh Gujral and Ishan Joshi before they established Adagio in 2016.
Adagio is fresh in its approach because at its helm is a crew of dedicated young music enthusiasts. But make no mistake – it’s not just another place for guitar lessons. Its values draw from vintage and analogue practices and encourage productive lifestyle habits, which they call “The Adagio Experience”. It’s little wonder that they encourage audiophiles and music lovers alike to come together to listen to records.
Team Adagio: Aman, Ishan, Rohit, Kartik, Wildchild, Somesh, Rishikesh, Akash, Sreejata, Sundeep, Aashna.
“Since we teach music through acoustic guitar, we feel that listening to records is important for staying motivated to learn the instrument”, says Aman, “We want our members to explore the analog sounds of classic albums in their entirety.” Just last week they concluded their 52nd session.
Inside Adagio
Members of the 400+ strong Adagio community come from as far as Mira Road, Dombivali, and even further – Ulhasnagar. Not all of them own a turntable, but on several occasions in the past members have bought one after attending a Thursday Vinyl Night.
On a carpet spread under dim lights, members sit together through the entire album. Conversations that are usually peppered with artist/album/song/genre facts are kept for later. Buzzing cellphones are a strict no.
Few members of the Adagio community
“Everything including the grooves on the records, their weight, the sound, album artwork, the pressing details draws members toward the format”, informs Aman, “It’s hard to replace the magic of analogue with digital. It gives a sense of tangibility and possession to an art form everyone relates to.”
Our verdict – Thursday Vinyl Night is a welcoming mid-week relief from a stressful routine. We see no reason why you shouldn’t swing by Adagio the next time you are in Chembur.
When? Thursdays
Genres played: Mostly Rock, Blues, Pop, Metal, but members can get their records
Turntable used: Pro-Ject Debut recommended by The Revolver Club, Mahim
Records sourced from: Friends, members, Chor Bazaar
Prized collection: Led Zeppelin discography
Membership fee: Zero
RSVP on: 9930008054, or facebook.com/adagio72 and instagram.com/adagio72
New store: Opening in Bandra shortly