a letter from the desk of the editor

Hail, and well met, Vinyl Tap readers!

This is a bit of a wacky one. If you’ve ever wanted to be whisked away to impossible worlds, frolic with mythical beings, or finally hold a sword, our Spring 2023 issue is for you. Our theme is “high fantasy,” which has been simultaneously exciting and challenging, because there are very few limits to what that could entail. We wanted to capture the way music can appeal to the dreamiest parts of the mind, expanding the imagination beyond the confines of our universe. This issue is playful, dramatic, contemplative, and everything in between. Fantasy, in all its breadth, has been an instrumental part of my life since childhood, and it’s been wonderful to see how everyone has interpreted such a boundless concept to fit their personal tastes. And, let’s be honest, we all deserve a little escapism.

If you’ve ever played Dungeons & Dragons, or participated in any other form of collaborative storytelling, you’ll know that daring to embrace a reality other than your own can be invigorating. But more than that, the spirit of community and the joint effort of building something creatively satisfying is genuinely (and unashamedly) magical. Our publication, and this issue in particular, feels a lot like that. So many unique perspectives came together to form the final product, and that’s truly invaluable. It was also a ton of fun. We donned silly costumes, crossed swords, tempted fate, leapt, lurked, and desperately avoided the gazes of tourists and townies on a crowded CW Saturday. We closed our eyes and imagined soundtracks to far away realms. We balked in horror and amazement at cursed medieval creatures (seriously, Google medieval cats). Within this dusty tome, you will discover the fantastical elements of doom metal, breathe in an ekphrastic ode to some of the great album cover art of yore, embark on a harrowing journey through the movements of a bewildering, opium-induced symphony, sift through the layers of the enigmatic and surprisingly influential baroque pop, spiral into the experimental storytelling of Phish, and unearth the hidden inspirations for classic rock icons. And, of course, we have album reviews, a playlist, and haikus, not to mention gorgeous art and photography, as well as a few other surprises.

A sincere thank you to everyone who participated in this issue, be you writer, copy editor, artist, designer, or photographer. Your time and energy throughout such a chaotic semester is deeply appreciated. And thank you, reader, for taking the time to cast your eye over this letter. I hope you peruse the pages to follow as well!

On a personal note, this will be my last issue as Editor-in-Chief, and I just want to express how grateful I am for this publication. It’s been an honor, a pleasure, and a wonderfully unique creative outlet. I look forward to reading Vinyl Tap for years to come.

Your Knight in Rather Tarnished and Ill-Fitting Armor,

Nathan Hall Editor-in-Chief