Music is part of everyone's daily life. For some, it is just an unobtrusive background yet for others, listening to music is a form of a ritual. In such an environment, there is no place for music from an online platform. It requires only the sound of a melody played on a gramophone. However, buying it is not an easy task if you are looking for really good sound, and it requires a solid investment. In countries with a higher standard of living the market for vinyls, turntables and accessories for them is better developed than in Bulgaria. Yet a Bulgarian entrepreneur has managed to establish himself in this vast yet very niche market. His name is Rangel Vasev.

Rangel settled in Germany in 2002, driven by his great dream and the love of his life.

"My dream was to study political science in a western country or in the United States, with the idea of ​​returning to Bulgaria afterwards and contributing in some way to the development of the country. I chose Berlin because of my love for my wife Maria. She had decided to study architecture there”.

His student years passed, as by a fortunate turn of events he started working in the administration of the German parliament, where he spent 7 years. Although married with two children, Rangel left his secure position last year. By then, he already knew that he could turn his hobby of making record brushes  into a lucrative business.

"In 2018, I spontaneously decided to renew my record collection, bought a new gramophone and started looking for accessories used by audiophiles. I soon realized that there was no record brush on the market that looked good on the one hand, and on the other hand – could impeccably clean the dust from the plates. So while I was still working in the Bundestag, I started developing this idea”.

Rangel opened his own online store in 2020, and orders started pouring in almost immediately. The reason - the many positive articles in US-published audiophile magazines, dedicated to the first model of brush designed by the Bulgarian. It is no coincidence that it was from the land of unlimited possibilities that Rangel received the largest percentage of purchase orders.

"The brushes are produced in series”, Vasev explains. “For example, 20 brushes are created together - they are sanded, varnished, magnets are placed to hold their two parts together. It is not uncommon for the brush to break during operation, as the wood I use is very fine. Approximately 15 to 20 brushes per week can be made”.

Extremely important for each brush is the fibre of which it is composed. However, as one can guess, this issue can also be the subject of controversy, even a fierce one that can divide the audiophile community into two camps.

"Some say the best hair that can be used is carbon fibre. They are quite fine and conduct electricity. With their help, the static electricity that is formed on the vinyl record when removed from its case can be removed. The other group is made up of opponents of carbon fibre. According to them, this material is quite hard and can scratch the plate when the brush is used too often, and therefore prefer natural fibres. My idea was to combine the two types in a special way and arrangement, so as to obtain the best brush on the market”.

Rangel still yearns to make one of his biggest dreams come true - to open his own gallery where he could exhibit his accessories. Will this happen in Bulgaria? - Rather not. Sofia is only 2 hours away by plane from Berlin, which makes the Bulgarian happy in the German capital, where his family and business are. We wish him success in all his future undertakings in any part of the globe!

English version Rositsa Petkova