High frequency

  COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Frequency 8 owner
Chris Allen (right) checks the new releases as
customer Brian Kang samples various records on the
turntables.

By Kenny Chang
Daily Bruin Reporter

Of all the kinds of stores that seemed unnecessary in Westwood,
one of the most apparent would be another music store.

There’s already Tower Records and Wherehouse Music, not to
mention Moby Disc, right here in Ackerman Union. However,
underground trance music has found a new home and it’s right
on Weyburn Avenue.

Before, it was difficult to find a large selection of
underground trance music near campus, and if anyone wanted a store
with a diverse range of its subgenres, why, they might as well have
wished for a store to provide only modern British rock. That was
then, this is now.

Introducing Frequency 8, also known as F-8, which opened the
doors of its Westwood location Aug. 11. Frequency 8 is not only a
record store chain with three locations, but also an international
record label. Included on the label is the popular duo Mars and
Mystre.

Frequency 8 sells records, CDs and mixed tapes, as well as DJ
accessories. The only issue now is how Frequency 8 intends to
affect the UCLA community and survive the competition from the
Village’s big-time chain stores.

Carrying a large selection of trance itself, Tower Records does
not anticipate a great deal of competition from Frequency 8.

“I don’t see what more they can do than us ““
how many DJs are there in the world?” said Robert Coleman,
store manager of the Westwood Tower Records. “It’s not
really going to affect us.”

“Now I don’t have to drive down to the trance record
stores in Orange County to try to get some vinyl.”
Rex Camerino UCLA student, trance DJ

Frequency 8, however, has a different opinion.

“They don’t put as much time and money into buying
(trance music) because they don’t have the room,” said
DJ Chris Allen, co-owner of Frequency 8. “And because we have
so much room to put just trance, we can basically get all sorts of
each genre we want.”

Just as the larger chain stores have an established customer
base, Frequency 8 has its own, and is looking to build it here in
Westwood.

“Someone hears Frequency 8, they hear trance. Someone
hears Wherehouse or Tower, they don’t know exactly if they
will have it. Just to know that we will have a bigger selection
might bring them in here,” Allen said.

Some students are excited about the addition of a trance vinyl
store to Westwood.

“This is great that (Frequency 8) opened up here,”
said Rex Camerino, a third-year business economics student and
local trance DJ. “Now I don’t have to drive down to the
trance record stores in Orange County to try to get some
vinyl.”

Frequency 8 also has another unique feature. Most music stores
have CD listening stations, as does Frequency 8; however, Frequency
8 also allows customers to listen to records on turntables with
headsets.

  COURTNEY STEWART/Daily Bruin Turntables are available for
sale, as well as for customer use, in Frequency 8. Though its
opening hasn’t been widely publicized, Frequency 8 intends to
do a lot of promoting. They plan to post flyers and may host shows
on campus. If everything works out well, they hope to bring out
Mars and Mystre for a performance and signing session as well.

Eager to tap into the large base of college-aged trance
enthusiasts, Frequency 8 also hosts festivals, including the recent
Festival of Light, a two-day gathering just north of San Francisco
that took place Sept. 8-9. Though nothing has been planned for Los
Angeles yet, Frequency 8 does intend to hold special events at the
Westwood location.

Competing against the larger, established stores, Frequency 8
has quite a task ahead of it. However, its owners feel confident in
their customer base of DJs and underground trance enthusiasts, and
have optimistic goals for the future.

“I want to be the number one destination for people
seeking a wide variety of trance,” Allen said. “I want
people to know of Frequency 8 and know that we’re here, and
know that if they want to get trance, that this is the place to
go.”

Frequency 8 is located at 10959 W. Weyburn Ave. They can also be
found online at http://www.frequency-8.com.