Did you grow up with a record player/console in your house, did your family listen to much music? 

I was an 80s baby so I grew up with cassette tapes mostly. For my 3rd birthday all I wanted was a pink tape player and a Bon Jovi tape. I can’t help but think that this moment was where my love of music and quirky design came in. As far as the music in my family, my dad was a huge Zeppelin, Van Halen, Lou Reed fan so those are some of my earliest musical memories. My mom loved people like Queen, Bowie, Skynard, and Aerosmith. However, I think my the person who had the biggest impact on my musical taste was my older brother, Jason, who sparked my love for a lot of weird alternative and indie bands. He taught me about The Pixies & Frank Black, Nirvana, all of Steve Albini’s projects, My Bloody Valentine, Magnetic Fields (Stephin Merritt), Jesus & Mary Chain and so many more that I could go on about this question alone for 10 pages! Also, I’m from Texas and have a lot of family members who play country music so there was a lot of Willie Nelson and classic country music happening during family festivities!

FUN FACT: I one time got hired for a job assisting a famous Japanese rock star because I told him that my favorite music was Nirvana and Garth Brooks. He hired me on the spot because he thought it was so ridiculous!

What was the first vinyl record LP that you purchased?

I believe it was Queen “A Night at the Opera” for .99 at Goodwill.

Do you have a listening room in your house, what’s your current setup like?  

We have about 10 “listening rooms” at our house thanks to Dan. Every room in our house has a record player/audio system of some sort. Even our bathroom has some sort of hybrid tube amp contraption Dan set up. Our living room has a Soundburger / Mister Disc portable record player that comes through our surround sound. Our bedroom has a Barbie Disco suitcase style record player I got at Goodwill that we refurbished and it actually sounds fairly good all things considered. Our office has a U-Turn turntable that Dan uses to test out a lot of our new speakers and listen to when he’s working. Last but not least, we finally just brought home one of our KC27 consoles that lives in our dining room. It sits at the end of our 12 foot dining table so it’s the perfect entertainment and conversation piece. (We would have brought the EGB2 but it didn’t fit properly, that thing is a beast!) We even currently have it voice activated so you can yell at it to play stuff for you which is pretty fun after a few cocktails!

What did you do before you started LUNO?

I moved to Los Angeles from Texas in 2003 to go to acting school – isn’t that why everyone comes to LA?! After a year of that, I realized that it wasn’t for me and I really like being behind the scenes. My boyfriend at the time was in a band and his manager also managed The Killers so I started helping him out occasionally. Also, all of my friends that I had met when I moved out here were musicians. I wasn’t even really aware of the “the industry” side of things before moving to LA nor had I considered it a career option, but found it fascinating and it seemed like everything was pointing me in that direction. I enrolled in MI and studied music business and interned at Interscope Records. From there, I went on to do radio promotion, marketing for a startup music platform, promotion for live venue, assisting a famous rock star, and artist relations for a guitar company. I dabbled in a bit of everything on the marketing side of the industry and absolutely loved it. It’s still my dream to someday own a beautiful live venue that I can design and Dan can do sound – future LUNO Lounge idea!? Working on the live side of things was by far my favorite experience. Everyday was something different and it was never boring. I loved being able to create experiences that allowed people to have a good time, which is something we try to do with LUNO. After I got laid off from my last industry gig, I had decided that I didn’t want to work for anyone ever again – it was natural for me as I’m stubborn as hell and both of my parents are entrepreneurs so it is in my DNA. While I was working on a startup I’d wanted to do for a while called BandPass (similar to MoviePass but for music) and trying to figure out my plan, I started painting vintage furniture in my garage as a hobby. I ended up putting some of it on Craigslist for fun and it sold. So I did more, and it sold. BandPass soon took a backseat. People soon started asking me for custom pieces, then started asking me build stuff for them (WTF) so I just sort of figured it out by being extremely obsessive and persistent! It was a very organic process and nothing I ever intended to do, but I fell in love with the design process. I studied and stalked everyone I could who knew anything about it sometimes hanging out at paint stores for hours on end. Just a few years later, we now have 2 successful furniture lines and LUNO has allowed me to combine my love of music & design. We’re planning on launching new products at ICFF 2019 and talking about doing a design show in NY this October, as well.

It sounds like you’ve met a lot of celebrities in your work, any stories you can share?

I think it’s inevitable that living in Los Angeles, you’re going to meet and know celebrities especially when working in the entertainment industry. One that stands out in my mind is when I met Paul Stanley of KISS when I was working at Daisy Rock. It was Halloween and I had no idea he was coming by and I was wearing a Kurt Cobain costume, as I would. He was not in a costume. It was such a random experience and he was super nice! I also got to meet Shonen Knife, who I had been a fan of for a while. We ended up becoming friends and they sent Dan and I a wedding gift that we still have, a beautiful Sake Set! Meeting Davey Havok from AFI deserves an honorable mention too because he’s one of the nicest people on the planet.

If you could make a custom hifi console for anyone, who would it be, describe the style and design for us?

My original intention of doing a lot of the custom designs (such as Prince, Bowie, etc) was to make them for the artists, sadly they never came to fruition. I really love the design and customization process and the ability to make something so wild that totally reflects a specific person’s style. I’m currently obsessed with trying to make a Yeezy console for Kanye. Dan and I are HUGE Kanye fans and Kanye is also a huge interior design and furniture fan and I recently read that he’s opening up a Yeezy architecture branch so I think it’s in the realm of possibility?!

What speaks to you about mid-century modern style?

Mid Century Modern style evokes a nostalgic feeling. When we launched at ICFF almost every person that came into our booth (one of them being Terry Crews) immediately would smile and say “this brings back some memories.” This is the exact feeling we wanted to create and the Mid Century Grandma aesthetic brought that to the table.

If you could choose one record to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ because damn near every song on that record is perfect and relatable.

“Think I’ll pack it in and buy a pick-up

Take it down to L.A.

Find a place to call my own

and try to fix up.

Start a brand new day”

Can you explain to someone what the experience of having one of your record consoles is like?

From someone who doesn’t know much about audio, I can say that they sound like being at a live concert. Dan is a phenomenal live sound engineer and really makes it feel like an immersive experience. We even had a customer once say as soon as we turned up the volume “Sounds like a concert!” – there is a video to prove it! In terms of the design, we tried to take a lot of aspects of the vintage players that we liked and clean them up a bit. I used Marshall Grill Cloth to really make it feel as authentic to the old stereo cabinets as possible. For our custom consoles, the sky’s the limit, you want me to wrap one in hundred dollar bills or add a mini-fridge – let’s do it! The funkier, the better! I’m up for the challenge.

What was your first concert, who did you see and what impression did that have on you?

The first concert I saw alone with friends was The Smashing Pumpkins Zero Tour in 97 or 98, I believe. I was hooked from that day forward. I remember going to the after party at a local club called Numbers hoping they would be there (they weren’t.) I’m still upset about that. Call me, Billy.

Can you tell us about the creative process of making one of your record consoles? Where do you take your inspiration from?

Typically it starts out with me seeing something I like and trying to incorporate it into one of our pieces somehow. No matter if our cabinet makers tell us it’s not possible, we always figure out a way! I’ll send my sketches to our designer and he’ll make them actually look good (and realistic) not like a 5 year old drew them. From there, my cabinet makers and I figure out what is and isn’t doable – the former always wins if I have anything to say about it! Dan spent a lot of time developing the audio components and sound quality of the consoles so we do have certain restrictions we’re working with but in terms of the cabinets & design aspect, we can get pretty funky (within reason) as long as the materials don’t affect or hinder the sound in any way. It’s a bit of trial and error when working on new designs. Most of my inspiration comes from pop culture, I would say, I’ve always been fascinated by it.

You’ve designed a lot of very unique custom hifi record consoles, can you tell us about a couple of your favorites?

My favorite to date by far is the new Limited Edition piece we just designed. I can’t get too much into it until we announce it but it’s stunning and was an extremely complicated process. It took multiple people with various skills to pull it off.  Besides that, I did a really cool Louis Vuitton piece that I’m in love with, and the Bowie was very interesting because the base had a welded constellation pattern which looked really amazing.

Can you tell us a little about what’s coming up for LUNO?

We have a new Limited Edition console coming up that we collaborated on with a famous artist so keep your eyes peeled for that! I’m extremely proud of the design, it was a long  process but the end result is phenomenal and some of the best work we’ve done. We also have a desktop/portable type console that we’ve been working on for a while that will be announced soon, as well as several cabinet designs sans equipment. We also collaborated with a whiskey company on multiple pieces that they’re using for a giveaway so you may have a chance to win one! Lastly, we’re in the process of moving our listening room aka “LUNO Lounge”, production facility, showroom, all under one roof so that’s really exciting! We’ll be able to hold inventory, have listening parties and all that cool stuff that’s been difficult to do so far.

I hear you’re also a musician, can you tell us a little about that and your current project?

I wouldn’t really call myself a “musician” per se. I learned to play bass for a band called Ghostel than Dan, I, and our friend Bryce had for a little while. It was super fun and our song “Buckley Get Your Gun” got a placement in the trailer of an Oscar nominated film called “Mustang” so that was pretty wild and got us a decent amount of attention. I’m not formally trained on any instruments and pretty much only know how to play our songs! I sort of made up my own tablature and Dan worked with me and taught me in a way that I understood.  It’s a really fun experience and I love the rush of being on stage and hope to do it again soon. The full album entitled 1414 was just released on Spotify. Currently, we’re so busy with LUNO and MVV that Dan and I write some songs here and there for fun and hope to turn those into a new project at some point in the future and release it on vinyl!

If you could give anyone a single piece of advice what would it be and why?

My dad always told me you gotta spend money to make money! So basically buy one of our damn consoles and it’ll make you rich!!!! No, but seriously, in the words of one of my favorite professors “Try to make one room in your house as beautiful as possible.”

The post INTERVIEW: FOUNDER JENNIFER FARMER appeared first on Luno.

SELECT A STEREO CONSOLE

The stereo console is the centerpiece of the listening room, make no mistake it is an investment, but it’s meant to be an heirloom piece, and the hours of enjoyment that this sound system brings are priceless. Not to mention the style points that a piece like this brings to your home are off the charts! LUNO’s flagship model, EGB2, is a timely update of the classic record consoles of the 50’s and 60’s. The beautiful Mid Century inspired design, boutique minimalist turntable, pull out MiniBar and custom gold rimmed whiskey glasses effectively evoke the luxurious style and modernist design of the Mad Men era. Each EGB2 is crafted by skilled artisans and craftsmen in Los Angeles, CA using American Walnut and would undoubtedly be a conversation piece based on it’s stylish design alone.

FIND A MATCHING LISTENING CHAIR

Once you sit in a listening chair, you’ll realize why they were made, and you may not ever want to get up from it again. Our Buckley Listening Chair is the perfect companion piece for our consoles. Built with the speaker height in mind, it’s positioned for you the get the maximum listening experience, so kick back with a glass of whiskey and enjoy your favorite record! Ottoman included. No mid-century modern listening room is complete without one of these!

FIND STYLISH MID-CENTURY MODERN ACCESSORIES

Finding utility in accessories and room decor makes the piece all the more cool. This simple vinyl storage solution is made of solid walnut and solid brass. It’s perfect to sit on top of your desk or credenza and makes flipping through your collection ever so easy. Choose your favorite records and add them to your everyday rotation. When you start equipping your mid-century modern listening room you’ll recognize the value of having record storage that keeps a selection of your favorite vinyl LP’s accessible.

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH RECORD STORAGE

Once your begin developing a vinyl record addiction, this storage solution and decorative piece will not only make sense, but it may save your life. This stunning modern storage unit is for the serious and stylish collector holding up to 500 records. Made from exotic Zebrawood with black lacquered legs, it’s a one of kind showstopping item that will hold a large record collection with sophistication. Custom finishes & sizes available. This is an essential item for any mid-century modern listening room!

The post How To Create A Mid-Century Modern Listening Room | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

Dear LUNO,

I’ve been looking into purchasing a vintage mid-century modern record console from the 1960s, and some of the models I’ve considered look like they’re in excellent condition, but are selling way above what I’ve noticed the original price tags were. Are vintage vinyl console record players worth the price, and how do they stack up against just investing in a new stereo console? What should I look for in a record console beyond the basic style that I’ve been seeking? 

Thanks in advance for your response,

“Confused Console Shopper”

~~~~~~

Hi “Confused,”

Where to begin? There are so many options out there for vintage record consoles, and a wide variety of quality. Depending on the brand you’re looking at, the price for some of the rarer heirloom vintage stereo record consoles, or collectors pieces, can be astronomical.

Here’s the main issue, most vintage 1960’s consoles weren’t known for impeccable sound quality, so depending on whether you’re looking to use the piece as a decoration, or as an actual daily use working hifi stereo system, should help you decide if you should look for a brand new versus a vintage unit. Consoles like our EGB2, and other brand new mid-century modern style consoles have significantly better components than they put into their classic 1960’s predecessors.

You should also check to see if the console you’re looking into has all of its original components, or if they’ve been updated to new equipment, which in many cases will give you much greater fidelity. For the money, purchasing a new unit can give you exactly what you’re looking for, and in many cases with LUNO’s consoles, you can customize some of the features, so you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Another suggestion is to look for units that are entirely analog, many new record consoles have equipment that allows you to output to a digital signal, and other digital equipment, which compresses the full original analog signal into a digital signal, and kind of defeats the purpose of listening to a vinyl record. LUNO’s record consoles are 100% full analog from stylus to speaker, giving you the warmth and fullness that analog records are so well known for.

If you have a specific console that you have questions about drop us another line, and we’re always glad to help out!

Yours truly in interior design,

LUNO

The post ASK AN INTERIOR DESIGNER – VINTAGE RECORD CONSOLES? appeared first on Luno.

HiFi Stereo Console Room Centerpiece

For years now we’ve allowed televisions to overtake a room and become the focal point, sometimes without even intending it to be. Now people want to return to a room that brings us back to making conversation and human interaction the focal point. HiFi record consoles are a great way to do that, providing pure analog sound quality and ambiance, and a conversation piece that will put the human touch back into your living space for entertaining.

Chrome Details & Hardware

The style of polished chrome and stainless steel has been an evergreen, but as this favorite has gone in and out of favor over the decades, but we’re seeing some incredible uses as details for furniture and hardware in 2018. The subtle use of chrome in both the kitchen and living room can provide an extra level of detail that gives you a look that’s both stylish and modern.

Matte Black Finished Accents

Matte black finish hasn’t been as heavily utilized in the past in both kitchens and bathrooms, but now we’re seeing a trend toward warmth and a more modern feel, rather than some of the more antique inspired styles that have been popular in recent years. Tying in black matte wood into your room’s accent colors can give your space a more intimate and inviting feel.

Vinyl Record Storage Furniture

Furniture that makes a statement about your personality is always a great idea, but this year we’re seeing furniture that displays your record collection come more into the forefront. Vinyl media storage allows your guests a window into your personality and you get to showcase all of your cool vinyl finds. Our Jax vinyl storage unit delivers a cool mid-century modern style, and provides you with ample multi-use storage space, that can be a blank canvas for your accents and interior design ideas.

Kitchen Dining Tables

Eating in the kitchen has been a trend at some of the world’s finest restaurants, now this trend is coming to a kitchen near you. Entertain your guests while preparing the meal, not only engages them in the process, but allow you to chat while you’re prepping to serve. They say the kitchen is the centerpiece of the home, now it can be the centerpiece for functional entertainment as well.

The post Top 5 Interior Design Trends For 2018 | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

The post Outrageous Interior Design & Home Decor Of The 80s appeared first on Luno.

Oakley’s Thump Sunglasses

These wearable works of art, created by Oakley were endorsed by Dog The Bounty Hunter, and sold for a whopping $495 when they were first introduced. Beyond their stellar celebrity endorsement, and style that looks like it could have hoped right off of one of Wesley Snipes enemies in Blade, they had extremely limited storage when they were first released compared to the standards of mp3 players of that time. People say they were difficult to use, however they also say you have to suffer for fashion, and inconvenience is a small price to pay to look this good.

ZUNE MP3 Player

Despite users who were so excited about the technology that it actually lead one man to get a Zune tattoo, these units couldn’t compete with the more ubiquitous Apple “Mp3” offerings. They actually had some cool features in which you could share music directly between Zunes, however there were some limitations, you could only play acquired tracks three times within three days of having shared them, among a few other drawbacks. They tried to reinvigorate interest with an updated HD version of the player, that included gaming, but it wasn’t long before the Zune became the first digital mp3 player to go the way of the 8-track.

Sony Mini Disc Players

Despite being promoted in almost every late 90s movie about hackers or futuristic crime, they never caught on as being a popular format. Not to say they didn’t have their extremely loyal cult, who still use mini discs to this day. Some extremely obscure sub-genres of music still put out albums on this format, but price and a transformation of digital downloads with the advent of Napster had already began to change the landscape of storage capacity, and how people were listening to music. From a design standpoint this was one of the most practical updates to optical format data storage, that allowed for protection of the media with a plastic covering, based on the same data access door used on computer floppy discs.

8-Track Cassette Players

8-Track players, and the associated audio equipment, were extremely cool looking, so many of the players had incredible design, however many users had various complaints about these audio players. Many would report that the unites functioning and track switching were very noisy. It was also not a very reliable format, they would frequently have issues with playback and track switching. The 8-track tape players were also most popularly installed in cars, however the tapes themselves couldn’t stand up to the extreme heat of being stored in cars, as they would warp and melt into an unplayable condition.

DataPlay Disc Players

Almost an identical clone of Sony’s mini disc technology, however there were a few twists to DataPlay’s offering that was incredibly unique. As illegal downloading began to slowly dismantle the commercial music market, the DataPlay discs and players utilized a complex digital rights management system, which almost all but prevented the illegal copying or trading of tracks. It also allowed for those who have purchased a disc to pay to unlock additional content that was already recorded to the disc itself with a secondary purchase. With limited commercial releases available on the format, fans could however get their hands on Avril Lavigne’s first record and then pay to unlock multi-media and extra content. If that doesn’t give you a picture of why we aren’t using this today, then I don’t know what will.

Take a look at some audio equipment that we are very grateful for here.

The post Audio Equipment That Should Have Never Been Invented | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

Luxury design brand LUNO has teamed up with the Frank Zappa Estate on the creation of the SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition. This uniquely designed record console–only 10 of which will be available for purchase–is highlighted by a solid brass soundwave from Frank Zappa’s “Sofa No. 1” musical composition that is meticulously inlaid by hand and made flush with the walnut door.

The SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition also features a selection of vinyl recordings from Frank Zappa’s extensive recorded catalog, a minibar with Zappa whiskey glasses and space for four liquor bottles, storage for 150 records, a Groovewasher Kit, and a certificate of authenticity (signed, numbered, and dated). The console comes fully equipped with a Pro-Ject Esprit SB turntable, 2.1 speaker system, 100w subwoofer, 2 aux inputs and AirPlay so you can stream from any Apple device. The console design is the newest addition to LUNO’s luxury hifi console range. Featuring top of the line craftsmanship, the unit truly is a work of art.

Each SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition console is handcrafted and hand-wired in Los Angeles by experienced craftsmen and engineers. They are available by request only via LUNO’s website.

“We are big Zappa fans and when our paths crossed, we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate! We immediately went to the drawing board to present some ideas. After months of back and forth concepts, the idea of clipping a soundwave file from a song and applying it to the unit was born. We then spent another several months figuring out how to make that vision come to life. And while it looks effortless, complicated techniques were involved in making it happen. At LUNO, we pride ourselves on innovative designs and we’re extremely proud of the final result and are honored to have created this unit with the wonderful folks over at Zappa.” said Jennifer Farmer, co-Founder of LUNO.

“When I first came across LUNO’s record consoles, I immediately started drooling and knew I had to get my hands on one,” Ahmet Zappa says. “I telephonically stalked LUNO headquarters and was invited over for a visit to hear one of their consoles in all its glory. I was blown away.  Thus began the dream of collaborating. Our goal was simple, let’s make something unique for Zappa fans and all true audiophiles everywhere. Jennifer and Dan were up for the challenge and amazing to work with. We love the end results and I’m very proud of our Zappa LUNO Console. At Zappa Records, we take the manufacturing of our vinyl very seriously and it’s equally important to have an exceptional record player on which to play it. We conduct extensive testing for quality audio control during production and this console–capable of making sweet, sweet audio love to your ears–is being used for just this purpose. From the wood finish, to the original speaker fabric (authentic Marshall Salt & Pepper Grill Cloth, the same one used on vintage Marshall amps), to the brass inlaid soundwave file from Frank’s ‘Sofa #1,’ it’s just what The Grand Wazoo would want for you.”

The post Frank Zappa Estate / LUNO HiFi Record Console Collab (Limited Edition) appeared first on Luno.

“In April 1968, the unique and very special Beatles movie „Yellow Submarine“ came into the cinemas. It was one of their most famous pieces in history. Now, fifty years later Apple Corps Ltd and Universal Music Group are reintroducing this movie, restored in 4k digital resolution. In order to offer Beatles fans of all ages the enjoyment of watching this one of a kind experience. The movie will be released across many cinemas in Northern America with remixed 5.1 stereo surround sound.”

“As big fans of the work of the Beatles, we are proud to introduce this collaboration and number five of our Beatles series. The Yellow Submarine turntable has a unique shape and is sure to attract a lot of attention from Beatles fans. By adding a glass platter to the turntable it has been made sure that this masterpiece won‘t get covered and can be enjoyed in its full glory.
The supplied cartridge comes from Ortofon. Especially for this edition, Ortofon has created a yellow Concorde cartridge, called Sonar. The S-shaped aluminum arm adds a touch of harmony to the sound. Special decoupling feet make sure that the turntable is safely standing on its ground.”

• Unique special Yellow Submarine look
• Belt-drive with synchronous motor
• Ortofon Concorde quality pickup
• Vibration absorbing feet
• Glass platter
• Rigide MDF chassis
• Highly precise and light aluminium tonearm
• Saphire-tonearm bearing
• Gold-plated contacts
• Silicon belt with optimum dampening
• Hand-made in Europe

Speed 33,45 (manual speed change)
Principle Belt drive
Speed variance 33: 0.60% 45: 0.50%
Wow & Flutter 33: 0.19% 45: 0.17%
Platter 300 mm glas with felt mat
Main bearing Brass with teflon plate
Tonearm 8.6” aluminium
Effective arm length 218.5 mm
Overhang 18.5 mm
Effective tonearm mass 6.0 g
Counterweight for mass 2 – 5.0 g
Tracking force range 0 – 25mN Power consumption 4.0 Watt max
Dimensions 500 x 120 x 400 mm (WxHxD)
Weight 4.5 kg netto

The post Custom Record Players: Pro-Ject’s Yellow Submarine Turntable | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

They’re calling it Blackened American Whiskey, named after the opening song on their 1988 album, …And Justice for All. It’s only available in select stores in the U.S. this week, in a few cities on their upcoming American fall tour, and can be bought online. What makes Blackened different from all the other whiskeys on the market, other than being associated with Metallica?

“We are obviously not just slapping a Metallica label on a pre-existing mediocre whiskey,” said the band in a statement on their website.

For several years, Metallica collaborated with Dave Pickerell, a Master Distiller with a deep understanding of how sound can shape flavor. Through a sonic-enhancement process known as ‘Black Noise’, Metallica played a curated playlist of some of their heart-pounding music at the distillery, through a proprietary subwoofer engineered by Meyer Sound. By blasting the whiskey with their distinctive music, the low frequency sound waves disrupt and shape the whiskey in the wooden barrels on a molecular level. Not only does this process make the whiskey taste better, it gives it a unique Metallica taste.

Although many people know how to drink whiskey, and may even call themselves whiskey connoisseurs, what’s the best way to drink Blackened?

Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey. Photo by Lion & Lamb Communications.

Knowing how music and whiskey are two things that people love, we at LUNO collaborated with the Frank Zappa Estate to design and build a limited edition record console. Handcrafted at a factory in Los Angeles, the SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition is just under six feet long and made of American Walnut, with a hand waxed finish. It is equipped with a turntable, a subwoofer, a speaker system, two auxiliary inputs, and can be used to stream music using AirPlay.  On the doors of the record console is a solid brass sound wave, inlaid by hand and embedded into the walnut door. The sound wave comes from Frank Zappa, an artist that Rolling Stone listed as 22^nd greatest guitarists of all time in their top 100 ranking, just 11 spots back of Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, who they listed at number 11.

SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition by LUNO

Frank Zappa’s sound wave from his “Sofa No.1” musical composition, on embedded on the doors of the SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition by LUNO.

The Pro-Ject Esprit SB turntable of the SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition by LUNO.

Zappa’s unique sound wave of his “Sofa No.1” musical composition is not the only inspiration on this record console. There’s also a selection of vinyl recordings from his extensive recorded catalog, along with storage for 150 records. For the whiskey connoisseur, the record console also includes a minibar, with space for four liquor bottles, and some of Zappa’s personal whiskey glasses.

The best way to drink Blackened would be at the end of a long day of work, sitting on custom-built furniture, sipping out of a Zappa glass, and luxuriating in the moment while playing Metallica on the record console. Just sit there and indulge Blackened, forged by sound, as it comes alive within you, like a musical relaxant for your soul. While you feel the music in your stomach, listen to the authentic analog sounds pulsating from the SSKL Soundwave of two musical greats, as they immerse you in an unparalleled experience, within and without.

The SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition and this snug arm chair need an owner!

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Keep this in mind: LUNO created only 10 SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition record consoles. Buy yours while you still can, before people figure out the buzz you get while drinking whiskey and listening to that precious sound.

Keep this in mind 2: Visit blackenedwhiskey.com to see which restaurants and bars near you are serving Blackened.

The post Metallica Are Launching A Whiskey Called Blackened, And Here’s The Best Way To Drink It | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

That’s why we’re sharing our list of the Top 33 Luxury Hotels for Vinyl Lovers:

33 – The Dean Dublin – Dublin, Ireland

When you’re looking for an upscale and fun hotel in the Irish capital, The Dean is where you want to be. In every room, there’s a Rega turntable, and the hotel has a large collection of vinyl records that you’ll play throughout your stay.

Source: The Dean

32 – The Verb Hotel – Boston, USA

Packed with music memorabilia, a stay at The Verb is like lounging in the history of rock & roll, complete with in-room record players and albums. With its extensive vinyl library, this boutique hotel is oozing with the retro vibes of the 1960s and 1970s.

Source: The Verb Hotel

31 – The Thompson – Nashville, USA

The Gulch is one of the hippest neighborhoods in Music City, and that’s where you’ll find the Thompson. In the lobby is a mid-century record player, and guests can purchase records from the hotel’s minibar. You can order a whisky and buy an album at the same time. On some evenings, DJs host vinyl nights on the rooftop of the hotel.

Source: The Thompson Nashville

30 – The Asbury – Asbury Park, USA

This New Jersey-based hotel by the Atlantic Ocean is a clash between Victorian-era design and rock & roll style. While some rooms have black and white photographs of music legends hanging on the wall, the Soundbooth is where you’ll want to chill. Part vinyl library, part bar, part concert lounge – there’s always something “on” at this happening part of the Asbury. Just check out their listings.

Source: The Asbury Hotel

29 – Rathskeller Suite at Hotel Commonwealth – Boston, USA

From 1974 to 1997, The Rathskeller, locally known as The Rat, was a legendary live music venue in Boston. Today, part of the spirit of The Rat lives on in a suite at Hotel Commonwealth. Vinyl lovers can play records from some of the bands who made the underground venue famous, like The Ramones and The Police.

Source: Hotel Commonwealth

28 – Moxy Tempe – Tempe, USA

Just outside of Phoenix, this boutique hotel has a very youthful business vibe. Thanks to a partnership with Zia Records, Moxy has a record player and a few albums in every guestroom, as well as acoustic guitars. Care for some Miles Davis? Coming right up!

Source: Moxy Tempe

27 – The Distillery – London, UK

If you love to mix gin and music, then you should definitely spend some time at The Distillery. It’s kind of a one-stop-shop: It’s a working distillery, with two bars, a private dining room for tony socialites, and three guestrooms. Yes, you read that correctly, there’s only three guestrooms. All three of them come with a record player for you to enjoy their Rough Trade-curated vinyl collection.

Source: The Distillery

26 – Gold Owner’s Suite at Fairmont Pacific Rim – Vancouver, Canada

This suite is supplied with a custom vinyl collection and a record player to entertain you while you gaze out the windows at the majestic scenery around Vancouver. The mid-century modern interiors are full of sophisticated furniture, luxury finishes, and ritzy comforts that any elite guest will appreciate.

Source: Fairmont Pacific Rim

25 – Vinyl Room at 25hours Hotel – Hamburg, Germany

With over 1,000 records to choose from, the Vinyl Room is part of a larger club and lounge area for 25hours Hotel’s international business guests. Relax while listening to classic tunes from one of a few modern record players. Each record player is connected to headphones for your personal enjoyment.

Source: 25hours Hotel

24 – Haymarket Hotel – London, UK

All the large suites at this hotel feature a record player with a selection of albums. The interior design is luxurious with strategic touches of color, and each suite is a little on the stately side. Haymarket Hotel offers regal hospitality for the vinyl lover.

Source: Haymarket Hotel

23 – Kimpton Shorebreak Resort – Huntington Beach, USA

At this Southern Californian hotel, they don’t only have a record player, they have a recreated, handcrafted, mid-century record player console. On site, there’s a record library full of classic rock and surf tunes from the 1950s and later (yes, of course they’ve got The Beach Boys). Shorebreak’s record library is the perfect spot to get pumped up before grabbing a surfboard and heading out to the water.

Source: Kimpton Shorebreak Resort

22 – Brae – Birregurra, Australia

What began in 2013 as a modest and classy small restaurant in rural Australia, and quickly became one of the top 100 restaurants in the world, Brae has expanded to include a mini boutique hotel with six guest suites. Each suite is adorned with handmade luxury furniture, a cocktail bar, a wine fridge, and a lounge with a record collection and a Thorens turntable. Guests can put on some David Bowie and be moved by both the sound and the landscape.

Source: Brae

21 – Kimpton Saint George – Toronto, Canada

This artful boutique hotel in Canada’s largest city has a TEAC turntable system and vinyl albums in every suite. The hotel curated the albums with the help of a local independent record store, making the Kimpton Saint George a fitting place to indulge in Canadian rock, like Barenaked Ladies and the Tragically Hip.

Source: Kimpton Saint George

20 – Hotel Max – Seattle, USA

With modern hospitality amenities surrounded by Beaux-Arts architecture, Hotel Max is promoted as a place where art and vinyl lovers are specifically catered to. If you’ve ever thought that it would be cool to have a turntable on your bedside table, you’ll experience that on the 5^th floor of the hotel. The doors of each suite on that level feature large photos taken by Charles Peterson, of Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, and other iconic artists. Each suite is inspired by Seattle’s most famous indie record label, Sub Pop Records. Nirvana, and other records can be purchased in the lobby.

Source: Hotel Max

19 – Soho House – Berlin, Germany

At the Soho House, vinyl lovers can do way more than listen to the over 100 records in their library that were curated by The Vinyl Factory. You can even do more than buy records at the hotel’s ground floor store. If listening to Róisín Murphy or Jerome Hadey on vinyl is not enough, there’s also live music at The Store Studio, where an 8-speaker Vinyl Factory sound system handmade by Funktion-One will rock you into a fervor.

Source: Soho Berlin

18 – The Berkeley – London, UK

The history of The Berkeley in London goes back over 300 years to when it was only a coffee house at a site less than a mile away from its current location. Just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, this hotel offers modern luxury fit for a monarch. Their record library is full of the sounds of iconic British artists. Simply order a record player and the concierge will bring one to your suite. The Berkeley sometimes offers exclusive packages which can include concert tickets to sold-out shows, a Revinyl record player, and a collection of albums by the performers.

Source: The Berkeley

17 – Hotel Saint Cecilia – Austin, USA

Inspired by American rock & roll of the 1960s and 1970s, Hotel Saint Cecilia is a Victorian estate with six poolside bungalows, five suites, three studios, and a lounge. In the lobby, you can also visit the retail store, where records and biographies of musicians can be borrowed during your stay. In every room, you’ll find Whetstone Audio Rega RP1 and RP3 turnstiles to listen to the albums of your choice with Geneva sound systems. The hotel also offers private vinyl record shopping services to help you find that one album that you’ve spent years searching for.

Source: Hotel Saint Cecilia

16 – The Chatwal – New York, USA

Vinyl lovers who adore Broadway musicals will be enthused by what the Chatwal has to offer. The hotel has a selection of records from famous Broadway shows from a variety of eras. All rooms have Crosley record players for you to savor your favorite musicals in a cozy, luxury décor.

Source: The Chatwal

15 – The W Hotel – London, UK

The W Hotel brand is known for its eclectic style and vibrant interiors, but its London location is known for its vinyl room service. From a main collection curated by Annie Mac, a legendary English DJ and BBC Radio presenter, guests can choose albums from any genre. They also have a Britpop collection hand-picked by Lauren Laverne, another English DJ and BBC Radio presenter, for all those lovers of Manic Street Preachers, The Verve, Blur, Oasis, and Coldplay.

Source: The W Hotel London

14 – Penthouse at The Ludlow Hotel – New York, USA

When you’re staying in a 1,500 square foot penthouse, with another 1,000 square feet of terrace space, adding music to the mix makes the setting seem even more grandiose than it is. Just put Frank Sinatra on the Technics 1200 turntable and do things your way under a Moroccan chandelier. When it’s done, follow it up with some Bruce Springsteen. And if you really want to feel what an Arnold Wolf for JBL floor speaker can do, wild out on some Run-D.M.C. This penthouse is so nice, we put photos of it twice.

Source: The Ludlow

Source: The Ludlow

13 – The Donghia Patron Grand Canal Suite at The Gritti Palace – Venice, Italy

The Gritti Palace was built in the 15^th century, making it a coveted destination for those in need of a romantic getaway. This Venetian palazzo, home to a wealthy nobleman over 500 years ago, is today an example of premium hospitality unmatched by few other places. Each suite at The Gritti Palace looks as beautiful as the next. Your best choice would be The Donghia Patron Grand Canal Suite. It’s a magnificent space for a love triangle, between your better half, you, and your favorite album on the record player.

Source: The Gritti Palace

12 – The Elizabeth Hotel – Fort Collins, USA

An enchanted modern luxury hotel close to the natural wonders of Colorado, The Elizabeth is full of high-end handcrafted furniture. There’s a grand spiral staircase in the lobby with celestial-like steps bringing you up to your suite. The diversity and detail of the design in this place makes it a very attractive hotel, well worth repeat visits. In-room record players, album collections, and guitars handing on the walls are so carefully placed that they look like artwork.

Source: The Elizabeth Hotel

11 – The Redbury South Beach – Miami, USA

The vinyl collection at The Redbury is curated by Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises, ensuring that you’ll be well pleased by any album that you select. The Art Deco interiors are calm, but that Miami vibrance is still present. Discerning guests will never forget the spacious, 12,000 square foot poolside rooftop, with its glamorous views of the South Beach Skyline. It’s a refreshing spot to take in the sun when you feel like giving the Crosley a rest.

Source: The Redbury South Beach

10 – Autor Rooms – Warsaw, Poland

With a library of Polish albums to choose from, Autor Rooms is a boutique hotel that embodies the 19^th century charms of Warsaw. There’s a simple elegance to this place that is deeply beautiful, in all of its four rooms and one common area. Guests can sample Polish recording artists on the hotel’s stereo turntable system.

Source: Autor Rooms

9 – Hotel Zoso – Palm Springs, USA

It’s always party time at this hotel in the middle of Palm Springs. Hotel Zoso is not for buttoned-up party poopers. It has a style of youthful opulence, expressed in the artwork, maximalist wallpaper and carpets, luxury furniture, and chic lighting. If you need a break from the rollicking poolside atmosphere, order a portable turntable and albums for the room. Zoso also has a room-service program that allows guests to choose from 20 Fender guitars, in case gazing up at the skies of the Coachella Valley inspires your creativity.

Source: Hotel Zoso

8 – Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, USA

Inside the revered architecture of the United Artists building in Downtown L.A. is where you’ll find Ace Hotel. Built in 1927, you’ll get a strong taste of old L.A. at this spot, where each suite has its own Ace x Rega RP1 turntable and selection of records. If strumming the Martin acoustic guitar in your room gets tiring, you can go down to the 1,600-seat theatre for a live performance. For the night owls, go up to the rooftop to revel with the poolside crowd and a DJ under the L.A. sky.

Source: Ace Hotel Los Angeles

7 – RYSE Hotel – Seoul, South Korea

At this hotel for high performing creatives at the top of their game, the rooms at RYSE all carry names like Creative, Editor, Director, and Producer. The best room for vinyl lovers is the Executive Producer Suite. At 2,000 square feet, it almost feels like a house, equipped with a DJ table and a collection of albums to complement those in their main library and in the bar below. Some nights, DJ Soulscape is there spinning hits from the early days of hip-hop.

Source: RYSE

6 – Suite 5000 at Mandarin Oriental – New York, USA

Way above Columbus Circle, 50 floors up in the Time Warner Center to be exact, is this 3,300 square foot suite. It is, without a doubt, one of the most expensive hotel suites in New York City. Inspired by the rock & roll history of the Big Apple, Suite 5000 has an extensive vinyl collection. The nightly rate is so astronomical that you should look at it as an investment in leisure time. That’s to be expected for a suite with fantastic views of Central Park and the Midtown Manhattan skyline. Suite 5000 is so exclusive that it’s not even listed on the Mandarin Oriental’s website. It’s one of the open secrets of New York’s luxury hotel world.

Source: Suite 5000 at Mandarin Oriental

5 – The Roxy Hotel – New York, USA

With an in-room vinyl program, The Roxy Hotel caters to your love of music at check-in. You’ll find a TEAC turntable in your room just waiting to be played, and a fine set of Marshall speakers with a sound you will cherish. Even if you don’t like the curated selection in the room, they’ve got a back catalog for you to choose from. If you’re still not satisfied after looking through their back catalog, they’ll recommend three or four vinyl record stores right there in Lower Manhattan. Plus, The Roxy has live music on two floors almost every night. What more can you ask for?

Source: The Roxy Hotel

4 – Hotel da Baixa – Lisbon, Portugal

Named after Lisbon’s most energetic neighborhood, Hotel da Baixa is a charming boutique hotel with a style that is traditional, yet modern. Under the bright lights of their library, they have a fireplace, a collection of books about Portuguese culture and heritage, as well as a selection of albums and a handsome record player.

Source: Hotel da Baixa

3 – Kimpton The Goodland – Santa Barbara, USA

Yes, another Kimpton hotel makes the list! They sure know vinyl lovers well.

The Goodland is a posh surf lodge with a vibe as cool as its décor. With a turntable in every room, you can get in the right musical mood by borrowing or purchasing albums from their record shop. The hotel even collaborated with SONOS to create a listening station for guests to experience.

Source: Kimpton The Goodland

2 – Sir Adam – Amsterdam, Netherlands

The interior design of Sir Adam can be described as the luxury expression of the industrial aesthetic. Artwork from local artists is displayed on the walls of each room, where guests can play any number of albums on a Crosley Cruiser record player. If that inspires you, they’ve also got a Gibson guitar in the room for those composers at heart.

Source: Sir Adam

1 – The W Hotel – Austin, USA

The W Hotel Austin’s Record Room has over 8,000 vinyl records, from a wide range of decades and genres…(we’ll give you some time to recover from the shock, so that it sinks in…8,000 vinyl records). Almost every weekend, DJs rock the Record Room with familiar albums and hits. The wonderful thing about the W Hotel brand for a vinyl lover is that they have in-house music directors in charge of making sure that the right album collections are available at their hotels across the globe. No matter which W hotel that you stay at, the hippest music is being played all the time.

Source: The W Hotel Austin

Honorable mentions:

• John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite at Queen Elizabeth Hotel – Montréal, Canada

Even though there’s no records to play, this suite gets a mention because it was where John Lennon and Yoko Ono composed and recorded “Give Peace a Chance” during their 1969 Bed-In for Peace protest. Recently, the suite was renovated, but some of the vintage furniture from the era was restored. Staying at this suite is like following in the footsteps of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Watch this video with English subtitles to get a sense of the space.

Source: Queen Elizabeth Hotel

• Ace Hotel London and New York

Although the New York and London locations of Ace Hotel do not offer vinyl lovers what the Los Angeles location does, the London hotel is next to Sister Ray, a very popular record shop in the city. In terms of vinyl collections, there’s something for everyone at almost all of Ace Hotel’s locations worldwide.

Source: Ace Hotel New York

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