Kevin Bronson on March 6th, 2009

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Neil Schield is standing on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, smiling and saying, “I’m an oxymoron.” And if you were more cynical and knew he was opening a record store, you’d think he could lose the prefix.

In about three weeks, Schield is indeed opening a brick-and-mortar shop, Origami Vinyl, in a 400-square-foot space at 1816 Sunset Blvd., stocking new vinyl releases, record players and turntable supplies. And if that seems paradoxical to his other entrepreneurial half, his 18-month-old digital music label, Origami Records, well, it is. “Here I am opening a physical store while I own a digital record label,” Schield says, almost as if he’s disbelieving himself.

Both are keeping him busy. His music label is putting on this month’s residency at the Echo – two doors down from the shop – and next week’s bill features Wait. Think. Fast and Summer Darling.

• ||| Download: Summer Darling’s “Ride This Wave of Good Feelings”

Origami the label has nine artists and 14 releases to its credit – Wait. Think. Fast’s bilingual dream-rock has garnered the most attention (including nods from KCRW and NPR), and indie rockers Summer Darling are currently working on their debut album Chelan released its album in February, and Escalera, a San Diego quartet that counts three former pro skateboarders among its members, is picking up steam.

His label eventually will do physical product – “It’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of when,” Schield says – but for now he is concentrating on stocking his store with 3,000 new albums and equipment. Unlike other small vinyl outlets, he is staying away from used albums. “Most labels are pressing vinyl again, and many are reissuing the classics on vinyl,” he says.

“People have poked their heads in the door and asked what this space is going to be, and when I tell them, they ask, ‘You mean 33s?'” he says. “Most people seem to think it’s a pretty cool idea.”

Store hours are TBA. The outlet also will serve as a box office for shows at the Echo, Echoplex and Spaceland.

Photo: Albums await transferral to the new store, courtesy Neil Schield