Dictionary

crate-dig en · VERB

Etymology

From crate + dig, first attested in 2005.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive, slang) To shop for vintage, rare, or otherwise obscure recordings, especially by looking through crates containing secondhand merchandise.
   • Earlier this year, German crate-digging label Analog Africa released a retrospective of Mayorga’s more exploratory electronic works, while a new album of original compositions titled Cumbia Pishcodélica is slated for release in the coming months via Musicoteca Ecuador. 2023 February 10, Richard Villegas, “Three Latin American Music Legends Protecting the Past To Secure the Future”, in Rolling Stone:
   • There’s definitely a nonzero chance that samples from this record might be found in ’90s releases from DJ Shadow and his fellow crate-digging beat miners. 2023 June 11, Phillip Sherburne, “Croaking Frogs, Buzzing Hornets, Squealing Dolphins: A Guide to Smithsonian Folkways’ Best Science and Nature Recordings”, in Pitchfork:

Forms

Relateds

cratedigger