Q&A Remix With Alexei Shishkin

Q&A Remix is a frequent column on IHTOV in which people from all walks of life answer a set of questions about their vinyl collection. Today we welcome musician Alexei Shishkin

Have you ever bought a record just for the artwork?

Parquet Courts - American Specialties

Buying an album just because of the art is always a great experience, and when it’s a band you like, that’s even more fun. Normally buying because of album art is a bargain bin activity (and there are some amazing finds in there, for sure), but this Parquet Courts album was not that. I hadn’t heard of American Specialties at the time, and I didn’t recognize any tracks, but I went for it regardless. I will say, the cassette art is even better.

What is your most memorable vinyl buying/receiving experience?

The Clash - Sandinista!

Besides being one of the most underappreciated albums of all time, the vinyl experience is incredible. I think this was the first record I ever owned where I opened it and realized that albums can be packaged with “goodies” inside so to speak – in the case of Sandinista! there’s a big fold-out poster inside that has all the lyrics as well as drawings and more. I must have spent hours examining that thing.

What’s the most treasured album in your collection and why?

Sufjan Stevens - The BQE

I don’t recall where I found this one (maybe Mississippi Records in Portland, OR?). I was looking for Illinoise, but found The BQE instead. It had such an amazing booklet that came with it, so much crazy art, and then when I put it on, it wasn’t the Sufjan Stevens I knew at all – it was like, contemporary classical or something. It was like Glass, Adams, Reich, etc adjacent. Mind-blowing, and definitely treasured.

What one record in your collection would you be most eager to share with new friends?

The Clash - London Calling

First of all, this is the greatest album ever made. So, musically, whoever I share it with would be sure to love it. Then, from a collector nerd standpoint, this version is a Spanish pressing from 1980, so there’s some cool history there. And then finally, I got it while digging around a store in Barcelona while on a work trip, so there’s a bit of a cool personal story behind it.

Tell us a little about your favorite record store

I guess the answer would be whichever one I’m looking around in. To answer the question, it’s probably Human Head Records in Brooklyn. I used to work close to there and would stop in every so often to browse around. Really killer selection, especially for $5 or less. Got a friend a bunch of amazing records as a starter kit once, and it probably cost me like $25 total.

What’s the weirdest record you own?

It’s a toss-up. Either:

Pavement - “Sensitive Euro Man” b/w “Brink Of The Clouds” 7” Picture Disk

This was a gift from a friend, and I did what might be a cardinal sin among record collector heads: I framed it. Is that bad? I don’t actually care. I wasn’t gonna spin it anyway, and this way I can always have a look at it in all its glory.

Or:

Amerigo Gazaway - Bizarre Tribe: A Quest To The Pharcyde

This is some weird remix album that takes Pharcyde acapellas and puts them over ATCQ instrumentals. Weird in a different way than the Pavement one above.

How has your record collection and appreciation for vinyl evolved over the years, and what has influenced your tastes?

My record collection evolves radically every 3-5 years. This is going to sound insane, but I basically wipe out my entire collection every so often. Sometimes it coincides with moving. I’m sure this happens to a lot of folks, but every so often, I’ll look at my records and think, “Wow, I haven’t spun these in a while.” When that happens a few too many times, that’s usually when I know it’s time to purge. Luckily, I’ve always had friends who are really into records or just getting into collecting, and that’s when I pass a crate or two to them. Why not let someone enjoy them!?

Name the top three records you own that could describe you or your vibe

Destroyer - Rubies

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Mirror Traffic

Ryan Pollie - Stars

What’s the last record you played?

Real Estate - Days

A classic album. My second favorite Real Estate album, but I’ve never owned my favorite (S/T) on vinyl. But I’ve definitely played the hell out of Days.

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Self-described “DIY nobody of the internet void,” Alexei Shishkin is a musician, podcaster, filmmaker and radio host, based in Richmond, Virginia.

Ever-prolific, 2024 saw the release of ‘Play By Ear,’ his debut feature documentary, as well as three distinct musical releases. On September 5th, Shishkin will be issuing ‘Good Times,’ his eleventh full-length album.

Released via Rue Defense, this upcoming record saw Shishkin set himself another challenge as he sought to create the album from scratch in just a four-day session at Big Nice Studio in Rhode Island. 

In addition to producing podcasts on topics like film, comedy, politics, tech, and soccer, Shishkin also hosts ‘The World Cloud,’ a weekly show on Brainrot Radio, where under the name “Swampbug,” he themes his playlists around a word of the week. 

His latest venture, the Rue Defense Tape Club, will be launching in July, and combines a mixtape-centric podcast, a substack and a cassette subscription service.