The Mystery Vinyl Co. - Order of the week.

We had a lot of strong orders come through this week, all pulling in different directions and all well judged in their own way. A few stood out internally, not because they were louder or more ambitious, but because they left space to work with. This one sat at that point where the brief was specific without being prescriptive, which is usually where the best selections come from.

We love a tricky selection, and this order was exactly that. The request listed Masayoshi Takanaka, Led Zeppelin, Nujabes, Czarface and Rainbow, alongside a Discogs handle to avoid duplicates. It’s the sort of brief that looks wide on the surface but makes sense once you stop treating it like a list and start thinking about how those records tend to get played.

That’s where the choices came from.

The opener, The Concerts in China by Jean-Michel Jarre, was pulled from the same listening logic as the Takanaka and Nujabes references. Long sides, space in the arrangements, and a structure that rewards leaving the needle down rather than jumping tracks. It sets a pace early and makes it clear that this box isn’t about quick hits.

Moonflower by Santana followed for similar reasons. It sits between live and studio, movement and control, and keeps the sequence open without forcing a change in direction. It connects more than it contrasts, which mattered here.

Machine Head by Deep Purple tied back to the classic rock side of the request without pulling the box into obvious territory. Familiar records still earn their place if they behave in the same way as everything around them, and this one does.

The closer, Rising by Rainbow, was the most direct nod to the brief. It finished the sequence cleanly, without escalation or shift in listening style.