Twenty-five years ago, Kevin Lewandowski founded Discogs, arguably the destination online for obsessive vinyl collectors and music nerds of all stripes. It is a marketplace for buying and selling records, obviously, but it’s also become so much more. It’s a shockingly comprehensive database that covers not just albums and singles, but all the various versions and pressings. It’s a really fun rabbit hole to disappear down when you’re trying to figure out what obscure pressing of Ministry’s The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste or Psalm 69 you had in high school, because you definitely blasted the cover of “Lay Lady Lay” all the time and 100 percent never owned Filth Pig.
In the years since it debuted, Discogs has grown to be much more than just a site where audiophiles go to trade rare first pressings of Beach Boys records. There are forums, groups, user-created lists, and more. It’s part eBay, part Reddit, and IMDB — just specifically for music.
With more and more people turning their back on the algorithm and rediscovering physical media, now seemed like a perfect time to check in with Lewandowski.
What is your most indispensable tool?
My AeroPress. I use it multiple times a day. In fact, I just made a coffee with it [sips coffee].
How many tabs do you have open right now?
Probably around 30 on my work computer. My personal computer is worse — probably 40 or 50.
Which social media platform do you use the most?
I look at X and Instagram occasionally, but I don’t really post.
What is your favorite gadget you’ve ever owned?
It’s not really a gadget, but I like to tinker. Lately I’ve been playing around with Home Assistant software and built my own setup to control things like the garage door and outdoor lights. So I guess my favorite gadget is one I made myself.
What is one thing you wish you had created?
Probably a game like Rez, which came out around 2000. It’s a rhythm game where you’re almost controlling the music as you play, about as close to DJing as a video game can get. I’ve actually had an idea for my own version with a similar concept. It’s still just an idea, though.
What do you do when you need to focus?
I’ll either clear everything off my desk or change locations completely. Go to a coffee shop or sit outside. Sometimes I just need a different environment.
What’s the last piece of physical media you bought?
Records. I was at Mint Gallery in Portland last week and picked up four. I still really like going into a record store and finding something to bring home. And I also recently picked up three reissues from the Moodsville / Acoustic Sounds series.
What would the tagline for your biopic be?
What’s the last GIF or meme you used?
I don’t use memes very often, but one I was kind of proud of was putting a Discogs screen into a North Korean war room photo. I was advised that maybe it wasn’t one for the company chat.
