I can’t remember the last time I bought a physical CD record. I used to buy a lot of CDs back in the day and very often I did it just to get one song that I liked. Usually the CD cases are just boring plastic but occasionally some artist (or record company) would do something that makes their product to stick out on the shelf, and the most striking example I have of such a CD is ”Rouge” by Fredericks Goldman Jones (1993). I remember I bought it without hearing any of tracks beforehand, I just simply trusted that FGJ would do no wrong. Well it turned out that I was half right – overall, the CD was a disappointment, but one of the tracks on the CD still gives me chills every time I hear it, ”Ne lui dis pas”.

And the CD case? I don’t even store it on the CD shelf with the other records. It is proudly displayed separately, as a lasting reminder of the days when music still came in a physical format.