Mr. Goodboy Record Carts Feature
Introducing:
Mr. Goodboy Record Carts
August 31, 2021
Elise Mills
Carson Lere and Ryan Wilson’s record carts act as mobile, personal listening stations or popup sound systems for just about any gathering you can imagine. Currently, you can experience the Mr. Goodboy record carts in LA at Deus Ex Machina or Flying Embers. Contact them if you’re interested in a collaboration, regardless of your location!
Photography by Dor Wand
Plant yourself in a street scene from the movie Bladerunner for a moment. The landscape is bombarded by thousands of kiosks and flashing lights. What might a record store look like in that world? Behold Carson Lere’s brainchild, the Mr. Goodboy record cart, which acts as a mobile, personal listening station or a popup sound system, customizable and accessible for just about any space and event you can think of. Alongside cofounder and star record collector and curator Ryan Wilson, Mr. Goodboy has been in operation since 2018, partnering with a variety of different venues to tease a little bit from vinyl culture into unsuspecting places. And they’re looking to collaborate! Battery-operated and complete with a pair of headphones, built-in speakers, a turntable, and a sidecar of vinyl, these record carts are ready for your perusal at just about any gathering you can imagine. Read on to learn more about what Carson shared about the inspiration for the project and how to get in touch with them for a potential collaboration!
Carson tells me that he has assumed the title of “cart mother” in his musical “retirement,” dedicating his energy and love for music into these carts for others to admire and enjoy. After years of playing in bands in the LA scene, he’s taken on multiple apprenticeships, all leading to the careful development of these beautiful, handcrafted, record carts. Carson has designed and built almost each major component, including the pair of headphones and built-in speakers that come with the cart. From the welding and the wood-working to much of the audio engineering, the Mr. Goodboy record carts are an almost complete amalgamation of Carson’s handiwork.
Carson Lere
Currently these unique “jukebox/vending machine/portable sound systems” are stationed in LA at Deus Ex Machina and at Flying Embers. Each cart comes with its own curated (and often very eclectic!) selection of records, conveniently located right next to its turntable. The records are most often compiled by cofounder Ryan Wilson. And while these carts are easily stationary vessels for musical enjoyment, they are intentionally nomadic as well: they’ve traveled as popup “record stores” to record shops, lifestyle stores, hotels, and apartment complexes in and around LA. They’ve even toured with the Japanese government to promote craft beer throughout several cities in California.
From cardboard prototypes to metal ones, Carson originally designed a system that would feature flashy designs as a nod to the iconic Bladerunner aesthetic. Over time though, Carson and Ryan decided on for a far more minimal setup, with the curated eclectic collection of records beside it as the real showstopper. Even with the current minimal setup, Carson is itching for more spectacular, customizable, designs in the future. Though a beautiful piece of functional furniture, these carts are primarily meant to give opportunities to djs and record collectors to interact with what they love in a new way. Carson tells me it’s all about music appreciation as much as it’s about accessibility to a very expensive hobby. People are still hungry for tangible ways of interacting with their music. In Carson’s words, these record carts prompt new perspectives about interacting with music that is more present, intimate, physical, and holistic in nature. Overall, this project has really demonstrated how music allows him “to be creative outside of music, through music.”
Check out their website to learn more about their past projects! If you’re interested in collaborating with Mr. Goodboy for an event or project, DM them on IG or shoot them an email at info@mrgoodboy.com!
Elise is a recovering 2020 graduate, sound artist, and noise lover born and raised in San Francisco. Especially interested in the metaphysicality of sound, she spends her time attempting to prototype DIY synthesizers and experimenting with (and lamenting!) the whims of magnetic tape, among other experimental electronic projects.