During a recent impromptu trip to an out-of-town record store, I stumbled across one of my personal ‘holy grail’ albums… Or at least that’s what I thought… The record in question was an original 1969 copy of Unicorn by Tyrannosaurus Rex (later known as T-Rex, of course) on the British Regal Zonophone label. I’m not old enough to remember the … Read More
When you pull a record from its sleeve, place it on your turntable, and lower the stylus, you’re witnessing a beautiful playback mechanism over 100 years in the making. What began as an inherent human desire to preserve our mortal voices eventually unfolded through a series of incremental breakthroughs that gave birth to a cultural music revolution. Your modern turntable … Read More
In a recent feature, we explored the weird and wonderful world of run-out groove messages. From mastering engineer signatures to hidden messages and inside-jokes, there is a whole world of interesting etchings to explore. Closely related to this topic is the world of audible locked grooves. Standard records have a locked groove at the end of each side, usually in … Read More
Browsing the used section of your local record store is one of the best ways to expand your love of music and vinyl. Used records are a treasure trove of musical history. There are thousands of titles from across many decades just waiting to be discovered, but finding the right record at the right price can feel like searching for … Read More
Traditionally, the dead wax between the final grooves and the record label is a relatively benign, uninteresting space. You might find a matrix number, or perhaps a few extra digits referring to the cut or take of a particular record—or maybe, if you’re lucky, the mastering engineer or pressing plant will add their own signature. Look a little closer, though, … Read More
For over two decades, Austrian-based company, Pro-Ject, has made a considerable impact on the turntable market. Their ability to create high-quality, minimalist turntables that deliver audiophile results without breaking the bank has won them a loyal following among the vinyl community. To learn more about the secrets behind their success, I spoke with the company’s CEO, Heinz Lichtenegger, about how … Read More
According to the Vinyl Alliance, a quick survey amongst their members shows the commitment and resilience of the industry. As if the vinyl record industry hadn’t suffered enough in the wake of February’s disastrous Apollo Masters fire, along comes a global pandemic. The fallout of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is hitting the entire economy hard, and the vinyl record industry is certainly … Read More
So here we are. Has it really come to this!? At the time of writing, Europe is currently the epicenter of a worldwide pandemic, with the US not far behind if the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to advance. I’m writing this piece from my UK home, where we are currently experiencing a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to nip this … Read More
When it comes to buying records, I’m sure we can all agree, it’s not always a walk in the park. The continuous hunt for vinyl-nirvana is a never-ending pilgrimage that lasts a lifetime. When I first started, buying records was somewhat of a minefield, and a learning curve, but over the years, I’ve developed several red-lines that a) help keep … Read More
Earlier this month, a fire ripped through the Apollo/Transco vinyl production facility leaving only one remaining lacquer production factory in the entire world. The loss of such an integral facility is a massive blow to the vinyl record industry, with the aftermath undoubtedly affecting many businesses across the entire supply chain. Initially, the outlook was pretty bleak; vinyl lacquers are … Read More