Time magazine has declared the next big thing in music media to be the rebirth of vinyl. The news couldn’t come at a better time for DJ Hut. We told you about the fire last summer that devastated the businesses, located at 2010 P Street NW, and the reopening of Alberto’s in the dwelling’s basement. Tomorrow, DJ Hut will be back in business at noon.

DJ Hut was established in 2002, taking the place occupied by the well-regarded 12-Inch Dance Records. It sold vinyl almost exclusively, specializing in hip-hop, reggae and house.

It’s been a long road back, according to Hut co-owner Chris Stiles. The store was a total loss, with damages well in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and destroyed items including an aquarium, along with numerous records.

“Aesthetically, it’s completely changed,” said Stiles. The post-fire DJ Hut will feature more record bins, as well as a larger stock of rock, jazz, and 180-gram vinyl reprints. Additionally, there will be more merchandise available for purchase such as microphones, cords, and DJ bags.

Along with these upgrades, there is also a noticeable change to the store’s web site. Online, customers will now be able to purchase music files, as well as records. “In this day and age, you can’t mention music without mentioning MP3s,” Stiles said. This follows suit with what other online music sellers have found, however, those merchants have gone even further and eliminated their vinyl sales all together.

While there’s seemingly been a resurgence in the popularity of LPs and 12-inch vinyl, there has also been a death of brick and mortar record retailers. This truth became even more evident with a Post article that ran Sunday announcing the imminent closing of Clarendon’s notable Orpheus Records.

Photo of Orpheus Records by zenfrisbee.