NEWS that a landmark New York record store is moving to a smaller location due to flagging sales is instructive, says musicologist Michael Barnett.

Moodies Records, the leading outlet for hard-to-find vinyl reggae albums and

singles, is moving to a “more affordable space” in the Bronx, New York City.

The dnainfo.com website interviewed the founder’s son Earl Moodie Jr, who spoke about the latest developments for his 31-year-old establishment.

He is not overly concerned about the change in fortunes.

“In life you can’t worry about the future. I’m a strong believer of destiny, and whatever is going to happen, will. Good and bad,” he said. “I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“Moodies enjoyed a long, successful run and the fact that they have to be downsizing is clear that the business is drying up,” Barnett told the Jamaica Observer.

Barnett blames technology for the decline in traditional record stores and doubts they can survive in the digital age.

“People burn CDs, download songs straight to ipods, phones. They don’t need to buy songs anymore,” he said.

Barnett and Moodie are longtime friends. They met during the 1970s when they were teenagers in New York City. According to Barnett, he introduced Moodie to the record business while working as a sales representative at Brad’s, one of the largest sources of Jamaican music in the United States.

“It was considered the Jamaican university of music in New York,” said Barnett. “On Saturdays people used to have to take a ticket in line to buy records, and from 9:00 am until 11:00 pm workers were kept busy selling.”

Moodies had a similar impact. It opened in 1982 and compiled a catalogue of rare Caribbean records. It also offered colourful vintage reggae posters and fliers for neighbourhood dances.

Ironically, there has been renewed interest in vinyl reggae product in the last five years, particularly on the US west coast and in Europe and Japan where there are thriving sound system markets.