Why do people play records backwards?

The backwards playing of records was advised as training for magicians by occultist Aleister Crowley, who suggested in his 1913 book Magick (Book 4) that an adept “train himself to think backwards by external means”, one of which was to “listen to phonograph records, reversed”.

How is music played back from a record?

The phonograph could record sound and play it back. The receiver consisted of a tin foil wrapped cylinder and a very thin membrane, called a diaphragm, attached to a needle. Sound waves were directed into the diaphragm, making it vibrate. The amplified vibrations played back the recorded sounds.

Why does music played backwards sound scary?

Our brain uses the wave shape and variations in volume and other aspects of a sound to extract musical information. When it’s listened in reverse the lack of familiarity with the sound structure makes it sound “odd”, “scary”, “demonic”.

Is it bad to rewind records?

Doing so could cause permanent damage to the vinyl records, which may include cracking or warping. Use this brush after every use, to ensure the record’s sound quality remains pristine. Once you are finished with a record, make sure to always place the record back into its sleeve.

Is it bad to spin a record backwards?

Playing records in reverse is very hazardous. By playing it in reverse you’re gouging the needle into your records and will seriously damage them.

What happens if you play a record to fast?

Playing vinyl records at the wrong speed does not do any damage. The audio will not sound as intended, but there will be no lasting extra damage if the standard RPM speeds are used.

How did records work?

Essentially, the phonograph recorded and stored sound mechanically by etching sound waves (or more accurately, the electrical signal of the sound waves) with a needle, onto tinfoil cylinder. The cylinder was rotated by a hand crank and the needle moved to cut a groove into the tinfoil, recording the sound wave signal.