They also inspect the grooves on the discs in search of a drum break. “Usually good soul records will have a drum break, and you can look at the record and see where it actually breaks,” says Gray. “If it reflects on the light, you can you see how the grooves are different.” He tilts a 45 so I can see it in the light; there’s a small band that stands out from the rest of the grooves. “Like right there the music is going to change. So when it completely drops out and it’s just drums, it’s going to be obvious.”

Quinn takes over: “You can jump right to the break and see if it’s something you’d be interested in.” Isn’t this whole thing a bit time-consuming? “People have different hobbies, you know? Buying records is certainly one of mine.”

Both Quinn and Gray say they got into soul music by way of hip-hop, hearing samples on rap records and searching out the original sources, their love of soul growing from there. “The more I started listening to soul music, I felt it was such a positive influence on me that I just couldn’t deny it,” says Quinn. “I like the way it makes me feel.”

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On the Web:

PJ Gray's "Galactic Fractures": //www.galacticfractures.com
The Soul Club Jukebox: //www.soulclub.org