This was a long time coming. Matsushita, the parent corporation of Panasonic, has decided to rename itself and all of its brands as "Panasonic." This will close a major era in popular music and dance culture. The Technics SL-1200 turntable, the staple of DJs for over 20 years, will be renamed the Panasonic SL-1200. Come October, the Technics name will be no more.

My grandad had a consumer / non-DJ version of the SL-1200 when I was a kid. The thing was indestructible. The SL1200 will live on under a different name, but the Technics name will live in infamy. Whenever I hear a rap song that mentions Technics, I will remember that I once used a few examples of products under that brand.

In fact, I'm going to spin the Analog Brothers CD and play the track, Analog Technics before I go to bed tonight.

Technics will be missed. If you ever wanted a Technics-branded turntable, go out (or login to Amazon) and get one now.