Stories

The one and only annual gathering of vinyl record dealers and enthusiasts is the Hawaii Record Fair. And it's returning to Honolulu in greater glory on Sunday, October 9th, 2016. Founded in 2012 by the oldest record shop on Oahu—Hungry Ear Records—the fair continues to grow and evolve. This year it'll forgo its regular venue for a much-welcomed move to the Ala Moana Hotel's Garden Lanai ballroom. Thank goodness, because this means air-conditioning! Hungry Ear had us in mind when they looked back on those sweaty few years digging in the stagnant heat of the McKinley High School cafeteria. Admission...

Heavy mellow: two words that can describe so much of the music that's created in Hawaii. This is what inspired us in our latest mix, the relaxed sounds of our islands that move us deeply. On June 10th, 2016, clothing company Claymore Minds invited Aloha Got Soul to spin records for the launch party of their "Heavy Mellow" T-shirt series, hosted at About The Goods in Honolulu. We jumped at the opportunity, embracing the theme to curate a unique selection that showcases the seriously sublime soundscape of Hawaii's musical palette: new age and folk from the 1980s; psych from the...

"There is only one world and one race upon this earth. We all are children of the light knowing within our hearts that love will bring us all together again. To all of you who are sharing with us and seeking the light, I send you all the love in my heart and spirit." This is an excerpt of Howard Shapiro's introduction to the liner notes printed on the inner sleeve of the 1980 LP, Lead Me To The Garden, by the group known as ʻĀina. "Aloha ʻĀina, love the land Aloha ʻĀina, your fellow man Aloha ʻĀina, share as...

Aura has for a long time remained a mystery to me. I first heard their music on the oft-referenced "Hawaiian Breaks" mix that DJ Muro released in 2009. At that time I had no idea who the band was. Thankfully, with the help of a handful of dedicated individuals, I was able to identify the mix's complete tracklist and learn for the first time the name of this incredible band. But I still had much to learn about Aura. After identifying the mix's tracklist, I linked up with local music collector and blogger Kym Miller, who's been living in the...