KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — The vinyl revival has hit Klang Valley and it is alive and well — and has been for quite some time now.
From the flourishing of physical and online record stores to the growing number of Japanese-inspired listening bars in KL alone and now vinyl cafes — where music lovers get to select and enjoy their own playlist in a personal cozy space over a cup of coffee or light bites.
From Japan’s jazz kissas to KL: The evolution of intentional listening
Listening bars might be relatively new in Malaysia but they have been around since the 1920s, with their origin famously attributed to the Japanese, who started with the jazz kissa (jazz café) concept that offers music lovers a quiet space for communal listening.
Personal listening cafés came afterwards, notably after the opening of the Hyundai Card Music Library in Seoul, South Korea in 2015, where its concept of offering music lovers the choice to select their own music and play it on their own turntable station with headphones sparked a worldwide trend.
And it has now made its way to Malaysian shores.
One example is Eternyl Vinyl Café, which has already opened up two branches in Klang Valley since last year, one located in Sea Park, Petaling Jaya and another in SS18, Subang Jaya.
Escaping digital fatigue through analogue rituals
Eternyl’s founder Lau Jay Earn, 25, told Malay Mail that the vinyl revival is more than just a trend; it reflects a growing desire from the general public for intentional listening where people just want to slow down and connect with music again.
“Vinyl forces you to listen differently — you choose a record, place the needle, and commit to the experience and that ritual was one of the biggest inspirations behind Eternyl.
“We wanted to create a space where people don’t just consume music in the background, but experience it fully, whether alone on headphones or together with friends over coffee.
“So yes, the revival played a role but more importantly, it confirmed that people are craving depth, warmth, and authenticity in how they engage with music today,” Jay said.
He also pointed out that there’s a clear shift among local young adults who are seemingly more interested in quieter and intimate nightlife experiences instead of going to loud and bustling nightclubs and other spaces.
Jay added that this shift can also be attributed to digital fatigue.
“We’re constantly stimulated by screens, notifications and fast-paced routines.
“Spaces like Eternyl offer an alternative, a slower, more intimate way to spend the evening, where music becomes the centrepiece rather than the background.
“In that sense, vinyl listening cafés aren’t replacing nightlife, they’re redefining it,” he said.
How Eternyl works
According to Eternyl’s director and business partner, Yap Ye Heng, better known as Bert, 22, the name for their stores, a wordplay on ‘eternal’ and ‘vinyl,’ actually stems from their love for vinyl and they believe that vinyl should be eternal or at least long lasting.
Bert said that both branches have around 13 two-seater seats along with several four-seater seats for groups and each seat will have its own vinyl player or turntable along with two to four headphones attached to it.
“Once you are here, you’ll just need to grab a ticket from the counter, although we highly encourage customers to make a reservation in advance so that it’s easy for them to secure seats.
“The ticket will be for 90-minute listening time which is RM20 and you can also order some coffee or snacks as well.
“Once you’ve got your ticket and place your orders, you can start browsing through our music library and enjoy your listening experience,” Bert said, adding that customers can also add on more minutes after their session expires.
Aside from providing customers with headphone covers for hygiene purposes, they would also encourage customers, especially first-time vinyl users, to watch a tutorial video which explains how to handle a vinyl record and how to actually use the turntables.
There’s also a printed brief tutorial on each table as well.
When it comes to the do’s and don’ts, Bert said that apart from handling the records and equipment with care, customers are free to enjoy their experience however he pointed out that customers should also be mindful of their surroundings.
“Sometimes, people can get carried away and sing along to the record they’re listening to but sometimes, they don’t realise how loud they could be.
“Another issue is when customers come for photos — since our space is dimly lit, camera flashes can be distracting and we do get a lot of complaints about this and we would ask our staff to interfere if a customer is doing too much or distracting others from their experience,” he said.
While when it comes to the do’s — Bert highly recommends group listening where one can have a shared music listening experience with their loved ones in a more intimate setting, adding that he has also met customers who found a way to make listening more interesting.
“I met a few groups who came in and they decided to have a ‘vinyl roulette’ where they just randomly pick a record and start listening to it together.
“There’s also those who came with their parents, it’s really nice to see that,” he said.
Nearly 1,000 records and counting: What’s in the library
Currently, both branches of Eternyl have a combination of close to 1,000 records with a heavy focus on Western albums from modern day pop stars such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Adele and Olivia Rodrigo to classic acts such as The Carpenters, Oasis, Queen and The Beatles.
There’s also quite a range of other genres such as jazz, hip-hop, R&B, heavy metal and indie albums, as well as a small collection of Cantonese and Mandarin pop as well as some Malay pop albums as well.
Bert said that the reason they focused mainly on Western music was because of its easy appeal to the general public and also it is much easier for them to find Western records from suppliers.
Meanwhile, talking to some of Eternyl customers, all of them have high praises for the vinyl cafes, lauding them for providing high quality music access to the public while some wished they had more time.
Nur Amirah, a 22-year-old student from a local university, who visited the Sea Park branch with a friend shared that she had an amazing experience, especially when it was their first time listening to vinyl.
“A great thing about this place is that it gives those like us access, because vinyl and vinyl players are expensive and not everyone can afford it.
“So, it is really great now that everyone can actually experience it on their own,” Amirah said, adding that the cosy setting and plug points are a plus for the vinyl cafe.
Darren Lam and his girlfriend, both aspiring dentists from University Malaya, also gave high praises for the joint.
“We were actually hoping to find more mandarin R&B albums but the western selections are good too.
“However, we do wish we had more time because it took us quite a while to find the right album from the library,” the 26-year-old said.
The Eternyl Vinyl Cafe is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 1pm to 10pm.
