It took 9 months, but we finally figured out the closest analogue to crate-digging in the time of corona. If you miss thrifting for vinyl because you pretty much don't leave the house anymore, here's our recommendation: find a decades-old magazine from another part of the globe on ebay (culture-adjacent, covers music but is not like about music)—and buy it. Wait. When you get it in the mail, work your way through the internet trying to find everything you've never heard of. If you're lucky, discogs and YouTube will show the lion's share. It's a more satisfying treasure hunt than you'd think.

The October 1978 issue of Japan's men fashion mag Checkmate had a solid review slate of Mort Garson ambience, soft surf, jazz, classical, soul, forgotten favorites, and a whole slew of unheard gems. About 85% of it lives on YouTube, and we've collected it in a playlist here for you. Enjoy ✅