In a world of technology, one store holds onto music in its original form. Two decades after its opening, Spin Records remains a center of music in Carlsbad.

In 1989, after working in record stores for ten years, Ken Kosta and his friend opened their own record store in Temecula. After a few years, prompted by memories of working there in the 70s and 80s, Kosta opened a second store in Carlsbad. They soon decided to dissolve the partnership, after which Kosta took the store in Carlsbad, and his friend took the original Temecula location. Since then the store has remained mostly the same, providing customers with a trip to the past.

“People come in and they act like its just the same as it was in the 70s or 80s,” owner Kosta said. “And it pretty much is. They ask for music, and we help them find it.”

All that’s really changed is the competition created by online companies, like Spotify.

“It’s a lot harder to make a profit now than it used to be, because people can just download the songs they want,” Kosta said. “It’s everywhere now, and people don’t even have to pay for it if they don’t want to.”

Business was especially rough around 2006 when vinyl and CD sales were at an all time low. Then, surprisingly, vinyl became popular again.

“Now, a lot of people are buying vinyl,” Kosta said. “Young people and people my age who already threw out their old collection are buying vinyl again. So business is much better now than it was five years ago.”

Kosta can only guess what brought this sudden change in sales.

“Personally, I like holding the cover, flipping the record, hearing the sound of the needle hitting the vinyl,” Kosta said. “I just like the sound of vinyl better too. And I think its that same sort of thing that younger people are feeling who are buying vinyl now.”

Junior Aaron Moncrief notes that what is old for one generation is new for the next.

“I think it gives kids an entirely new experience,” Moncrief said. “Records could also provide this connection to the past that you can’t get through downloading music online.”

The store also has performances from local bands in the parking lot every Record Store Day (April 18), and during the Carlsbad music festival. Still, Kosta wishes he could have live music there more often, like he did in Temecula.

“Carlsbad is a much smaller store than we had up there [in Temecula],” Kosta said. “We have had neighbors complain about the noise, so unfortunately its not something we can do a lot.”

With the ups and downs of the record store, it’s hard to say just what the future holds, but Kosta feels that music will always attract customers.

“People always always always are going to want music,” Kosta said. “That has never changed and I don’t think it ever will. It is just how you get it.”