An Afternoon at Vinyl Listening Bar, Slow Boat

Singapore's first vinyl listening bar where you're the curator

I’ve been buying and listening to vinyl records for more than 15 years, which equates to just over half of my life. I can’t really explain why, as I’m always on the go, so most of my listening is via digital streaming services. But there’s something special in the physical and tangible. You can hold it in your hands, look at the artwork up close, and rest easy in the knowledge that some corporation can’t just remove it from your library on a whim.

Physical media also demands your attention and respect in a way that digital music can’t. You put on a record because you want to sit and listen to it, not because you want to have something on in the background to drown out the silence.

I was in Singapore a few months ago when I stumbled across Slow Boat, the city’s first vinyl listening bar. It’s essentially a cafe, just like any you would regularly visit in your own city, but here each table is fitted with a record player and a set of headphones. You’re free to browse the racks of over 500 records and select an armful to take back to your table and listen to with a cup of hot coffee. Whereas in Japan you place your trust in the hands of a knowledgable master or mama (you can read about some of my experiences at jazz kissas in Japan here), Slow Boat is a listening bar where you get to be the curator.

One thing that I was struck by when I first walked in to the cafe was the sound of silence. It’s jarring in fact, as I normally think of cafes to be loud, bustling places, but at Slow Boat everyone is plugged into their own systems and fully wrapped up in their own listening experience. What makes it even more special is the cafe itself, which is such a cosy and intimate space that is welcoming and, most of all, comfortable to sit in.

Too often these days we’re out in public and attached to our phones, barely aware of what’s around us or feeling like we’re actually in the space we’re sitting in. What I love about Slow Boat is how you’re forced to sit and be present, to pay attention to the music you’ve selected. That’s the power of physical media, and it’s incredibly evident at Slow Boat, where everyone is completely locked into their small corner of listening.

A place like this is also a wonderful outlet for discovery. You can pick up a stack of records that look interesting and just give them a go without having to commit to a purchase. I probably should have heeded this advice, as I ended up selecting John Coltrane and Miles Davis records that I already own on vinyl. I think I was just so swept up in the joy that this place evokes that I wanted to commemorate it by listening to some of my very favourite albums.

What I also loved about Slow Boat is the sense of community that you feel just by sitting there. There’s a real shared passion for music that’s infectious, and you can’t help but glance around and catch a glimpse of what others are listening to (and even quietly judge some of the more questionable choices).

Listening to records has always been a solitary exercise for me, so it was somewhat of a revelation to see it thrive in a social setting. How nice it would be to have a Slow Boat in every city in the world where you can find a small haven of solace and disconnect from the world.

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Thanks for reading! I’m keen to hear if there are any similar listening bars in your city so feel free to write in the comments and let me know.

My album recommendation for this week is Surrounded by the Sea by Andy Sheppard Quartet. I’m a huge fan of the ECM label and have been really enjoying listening to this release whilst working. It’s interesting but not too intrusive.