IDM Mailing Archive

quoted 8 lines Has anyone on this list been to a Virgin music

>Has anyone on this list been to a Virgin music >store? Is it worth going to? How is thier selection >of idm/ambient? Do they only carry major labels >(like Tower)? I know this one is supposed to >have vinyl...but would they have hard to find stuff? >I doubt it... I'd appreciate any advice, it's kinda >out of my way to go there, but if it's worth it, I will. >take care

Well its a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. Their selection is hit and miss for idm stuff, though it was the only store around that had Surfing on the Sine Waves in stock when I first bought it. Their import selection for singles is decent but overpriced at times. They have some indie Viynl and 7's. However if you're looking for that Japanese import Pizzicatto 5 album from '89 or the first Mc Solaar album on French import its a good place to look. Most of the staff doesn't know shit though so you're kind of on your own. The Virgin's I've been to are on Sunset in Hollywood, Costa Mesa. /""'' /"'RESH Live and Direct from the G-Spot Orange County, California, USA

On Wed, 24 Apr 1996, and-e wrote:

quoted 3 lines Has anyone on this list been to a Virgin music

> Has anyone on this list been to a Virgin music > store? Is it worth going to? How is thier selection > of idm/ambient? Do they only carry major labels

The Virgin in S.F. is huge, but it's mostly empty space. It's a very nice environment, but the selection is surprisingly poor and the prices are mostly out of sight. I'd guess that any city large enough to support a Virgin will also have several independent shops with better stock and prices. I'd also much rather buy music from people who understand and love it as much as I do, rather than a kid with a summer job.

I've been dropping by the one in San Fran. The prices are often way over the top - $34 for "Logical Progression" 2CD, $44 (yes, $44) for the "Story of Mo'Wax" 2CD - a BIT more than what you'd pay in smaller stores. Virgin however can often have import stuff in pretty quickly; last weekend I spotted Logical Progression as well as Carl Craig's DJ Kicks CD, which even Mod Lang didn't have. They also have a separate "techno" section as well as an "acid jazz" section where Mo'Wax or Ninja Tune stuff pops up. Their CDingle section is small but has most latest stuff, for those remixes of not-so-IDM artists. I think the best part about Virgin is the import section that's mostly non-IDM. If you're willing to pay the price, you can get Japanese imports like older Pizzicato Five or the Japanese edition of the Dubstar album. (Good thing I got them all in Japan. :) James Jung-Hoon Seo // Oracle New Media (415) 506-3829 // jseo@us.oracle.com Excuse me, do you like pineapple? // Chungking Express

On Wed, 24 Apr 1996, James wrote:

quoted 3 lines I've been dropping by the one in San Fran. The prices are often way over the

> I've been dropping by the one in San Fran. The prices are often way over the > top - $34 for "Logical Progression" 2CD, $44 (yes, $44) for the "Story of > Mo'Wax" 2CD - a BIT more than what you'd pay in smaller stores.

$44 for a new double CD? Wow. That's crazy. Is there anyone in their right mind who would ever pay this much for a newly released double CD? It may get to that point one day. Prices seem to keep going up. And I thought $25 for a domestic double was high... I've seen some crazy prices as Tower. I'm starting to regularly see some single European import Cd's for $30 (US). Man, if this ever becomes the norm it's just not worth it. I'll just buy the odd release here and there and keep listening to what I already have if it comes to that...unless I win the Lotto or something. Props to people like Fax (and Ear/Rational and other good stores) that make import CD's available here at domestic US prices. They could certainly charge more (and sell them) if they wanted to. T.

Remember in the 80's that we were told that CD prices will come down from $15 (US) to around $10 as economies of scale occur? We all got used to $15 so - just like taxes, they never came down? - Anthony

quoted 2 lines I think the best part about Virgin is the import section that's mostly

> I think the best part about Virgin is the import section that's mostly > non-IDM.

That's certainly what impressed me the most when I visited the SF store last month. They had quantities of a number of titles I was interested in that I'd never seen anyone else bother to stock. -- ::: Lazlo (lazlo@swcp.com; http://www.swcp.com/lazlo)