Marshall Blonstein On Rock ‘N’ Rolla Turntables & His Company’s New Rechargeable “UFO” Model

Since launching a year ago, the Rock ‘N’ Rolla brand is known for making incredible portable briefcase turnables. Nicknamed “vinyl’s new best friend,” Rock ‘N’ Rolla unveiled a UFO-shaped record player, as available in red, black and white. Selling for well under $150, the UFO model not only plays vinyl records, but it is connectable to Bluetooth and USB-enabled, allowing users to also utilize it for digital purposes. As vinyl album sales reportedly represented 14 percent of all physical album sales in 2017 — up from 11 percent in 2016 — these products’ multi-generational approach to audio is sure to keep music fans of all ages happy with their collections.

These Rock ‘N’ Rolla players come from a partnership between veteran record industry executive Marshall Blonstein — now the president of Audio Fidelity/Morada Music — and ROK Group Chairman Jonathan “JK” Kendrick. Kendrick’s U.K.-based company Rok Mobile was notably the first wireless provider in its country to offer mobile and music services together for one price. I had the pleasure of speaking with Blonstein about his company’s turntables, and what else he is currently working on. In the meantime, more on Rock ‘N’ Rolla can be found online at www.myrocknrolla.com.

Where did the UFO model’s design concept come from? What was it inspired by?

Marshall Blonstein: One of our techs in the U.K., who is a big science fiction fan, came up with the idea of the round portable player.

Have you always favored vinyl? Or did you come back to it at a certain point?

Marshall Blonstein: Vinyl has always been my favorite format. There is nothing that beats the warm sound of vinyl and holding a 12 x 12-inch album jacket, reading the liner notes.

Around how many vinyl records do you have in your collection?

Marshall Blonstein: Literally hundreds, which includes jazz, rock, soul and classic comedy from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

What was the last album you bought on vinyl?

Marshall Blonstein: Smokey Robinson and The Miracles’ Greatest Hits.

What sort of external speakers work best with the UFO player? Is there criteria that you recommend looking for or a particular brand or model that you would recommend to plug in via the port for enhanced sound quality?

Marshall Blonstein: I never recommend a brand only because everyone’s ear is different.

When did you start to notice that millennials were gravitating towards vinyl again?

Marshall Blonstein: I really noticed when a lot of the underground, unsigned bands started releasing their music on vinyl, especially on colored vinyl.

Rock ‘N’ Rolla turntables aside, what is coming up for Audio Fidelity/Morada Music?

Marshall Blonstein: We are looking at several artists we are considering doing box sets on. Nothing is set yet, but it will be interesting.

The SACD and DVD-A formats were looked as being part of the future of music consumption about a decade ago, but both formats seem to have dried up. Why do you think that vinyl is still moving forward?

Marshall Blonstein: The SACD and DVD-A formats were expensive to begin with and were dedicated to just those formats, whereas vinyl is much less expensive and buying the equipment to play the vinyl on is much more accessible and less expensive.

Morada released a Soupy Sales collection last year. Being a music industry veteran, had you ever worked with his sons?

Marshall Blonstein: No, never had the pleasure to meet his sons, but I did spend time with Soupy, and there was not a nicer, more talented man than Soupy.

Given how successful you’ve been within the entertainment industry in several facets, have you ever considered writing a memoir?

Marshall Blonstein: No, I prefer to look forward and not backward.

When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?

Marshall Blonstein: I spend time with my family, my four grandsons, and playing golf.

What was the last concert you attended for fun?

Marshall Blonstein: Uriah Heep.

Finally, Marshall, any last words for the kids?

Marshall Blonstein: If you are lucky enough to make your business your passion, you’ve got it made.

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Tags: Marshall Blonstein, Record Players, Rock 'N' Rolla Turntables, Smokey Robinson, Soupy Sales, Uriah Heep, vinyl

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."