Music inspires. It awakens the spirit and binds moments together. It soothes, excites and supports—and it’s a fundamental for many, including us at COOL HUNTING. Whether sharing our favorite songs, looking for records, testing headphones and speakers, playing instruments or reading about a favorite band, there are no limits to the pleasure of being in love with music. Inside our Musicality Gift Guide, you will find everything from record box-sets to audio recording devices, label merch, biographies, prints and more—chosen for those who play or listen to music. For more gift ideas, check out our full BUY section, which is updated regularly.
Beloved and talented musician, singer, producer and DJ, SOPHIE tragically passed away earlier this year, and now her debut album, Nothing More To Say (2013), is set for reissue on vinyl, and all proceeds will be donated to the Scottish Trans Alliance. Out via the Glasgow-formed, now London-based label Huntleys + Palmers, the short but radical record features vocals from Jaide Green. Price is in British Pounds.
Part storage and part decorative object, the Flip Record Display Shelves from Deep Cut create an illusion that your vinyl albums are floating. Show off your favorite records in these 100% hardwood shelves, which are handcrafted in the brand’s Minnesota workshop. Sturdy but sleek, they need no assembly and are ready to store up to 20 records right out of the box.
Ideal for professionals and rookies alike, the Moog Sound Studio provides an all-encompassing approach to exploring modulated sounds. Upgraded from their first iteration, this package offers a richer experience to build complex and complete songs, featuring three 60HP analog synthesizers: Mother-32, DFAM and Subharmonicon. The curated set also comes with a custom duvet cover, audio mixer, power distribution hub, audio and patch cables, synth exploration …
One of the most opulent pieces from Lil Nas X’s online merchandise, this robe is resplendent in the artwork for the artist’s debut studio album, MONTERO. Designed by Charlotte Rutherford, the visual sees a naked Lil Nas X floating over a mossy river with butterflies, enmeshed within a heavenly, prismatic world. Soaked in this image, this floor-length robe—available in size small to XXL—appears just as divine …
In this how-to guide and workbook, sound-healing practitioner and mediation teacher Lavender Suarez (who also releases music under the moniker C Lavender) delves into how listening can impact self-awareness, mindfulness and creativity. Through scientific evidence, illustrated meditations, anecdotes and insightful questions, Suarez offers advice on how to listen more thoughtfully and what can be gleaned from truly tapping into sound.
Limited to 500 copies and available only at Rough Trade, this special edition of Japanese Breakfast’s Jubilee comes on a clear green vinyl. The indie band, helmed by singer and author Michelle Zauner, crafts an infectiously exuberant, electropop sound for their third album, which catalogs a fight for happiness in nuanced, guitar-laden tones.
Judaica Standard Time combines faith and design in functional and meaningful objects. The Shabop Shalom Slip Mat—made in collaboration with Devendra Banhart—is one such example. The mat uses a classic cork board as its base, accentuated with Banhart’s light-handed, brushstroke typeface that reads, “Shabop Shalom.”
Wrensilva’s new Club Series features a gorgeous ash-colored exterior, mother of pearl inlays, tweed details and more. Matching mid-century elements with future-forward materials and tech, the luxury hifi object offers various listening options (Sonos, Bluetooth, mobile and aux) but the belt-driven turntable is the jewel. Of course the speakers provide clear, rich sound. Measuring 59 inches in length, this new console celebrates vinyl, classic design and …
From Luca Antonucci and David Kasprzak’s Colpa—a collaborative art practice, publishing house and curatorial team—comes NY Rave Flyers 1990-1995 Volume 2, a 76-page collection of clever, often colorful vintage imagery. Measuring 5.5 by 8.5 inches, the book acts as a design documentary of rave culture at the time, and the posters within the slender volume often surprise.
Atlanta-based Cody ChesnuTT’s The Headphone Masterpiece was first released back in 2002 and was imbued with influences from early American pop music to southern hip-hop, retro and neo soul and beyond. This three-LP reissue of the album includes the lo-fi ditty “Look Good in Leather,” “Boylife in America” and “The Seed”—a song many listeners will know from The Roots’ reworked version “The Seed (2.0)” from …
Flower-shaped and splash-proof, this daisy-shaped Bluetooth speaker livens up shower or bath time with music or podcasts. The speaker, made from 50% plastic and metal, is rechargeable thanks to a lithium-ion battery and cleans easily with a wipe. The suction-cup backing enables the three by two-inch frame to stick to a wall, fitting seamlessly into a bathroom.
As many DJs and audiophiles know, the more a record is played, the more warp and static noise can develop. MasterSound’s turntable weight is designed to solve that. At 405-grams, this solid, high-grade aluminum accessory has been engraved with surgical precision and reduces a turntable’s noise floor, while its anti-slip base stabilizes warped records, eliminating skips. Especially useful for DJs, it can be used to …
