How to clean vinyl records, deal with scratches, and store LP records properly: All you need to know about caring for your LP collection, including how to clean vinyl records properly, and where NOT to store them. Vinyl fans spend a lot of time lusting after the perfect record collection – floor to ceiling, dotted with first pressings, valuable vinyl records and boutique oddities. It’s safe to say that the same passion and focus isn’t reserved for the maintenance of vinyl once it’s safely slotted onto our shelves at home, or regularly spun on a turntable. In order to help you learn how to care for your vinyl records, including how to clean your vinyl properly, we recently spoke to experts at Leeds-based Norman Records, who have offered up some tips on how to clean your vinyl records so that they kick out the jams for years to come. “Who knows, maybe your grandchildren, years from now, will be able to experience the same musical joy as you do from your collection today,” say Norman Records.
East Anglia, UK | Could you have £10k in the attic? These 30 vinyl albums are worth a mint: Britain’s lofts, garages, spare rooms and cellars have never felt so much love as they have in the past three months. If lockdown has had you rummaging around among your possessions, you may have blown the dust off your long lost record collection, or if you’re still a regular collector, you may have been having a good old reorganisation. Either way, there’s probably some gems in there worth a bit of money. It was around 40 years ago that record sales first began to dwindle – cassettes took a share of the market and gradually, as compact discs became the format of choice for recorded music through the late 80s and into this current century, our love affair with vinyl records started to wane. With the digital download age dominating the first decade of the 21st century the value in second hand records dipped – nobody wanted these large relics of past times when they could own a file containing dozens of tracks and store it on a computer hard drive.
Elipson Chroma 200 and 400 turntables go big on features and value: Two of the six new Chroma models offer pre-amplification, Bluetooth connectivity and USB outputs. If you’re after an affordable turntable that does more than just spin records – by which we mean one that can record vinyl to digital files and stream vinyl over Bluetooth – then you may well be interested in Elipson’s new range of decks. The Chroma 200 and 400 ranges, which replace the brand’s decent Alpha and Omega series, each comprises three models – a standard deck, one with an integrated preamp, and one with a preamp, Bluetooth connectivity and a USB record output. The six new Chroma models – all designed and manufactured in France – range from £279 for the standard Chroma 200 to £699 for the flagship Chroma Carbon RIAA BT, and are available in the UK from this month. Elipson has made a smattering of improvements to the Chroma range over its predecessors to advance its aesthetics, ease of use and sound quality.
Federal Government Loan Program Lends Millions to Indie Labels: Sub Pop, Third Man, Stones Throw, Light in the Attic, and ATO among the businesses to receive Paycheck Protection Program loans. On July 6, the Small Business Administration released a list of all the businesses that have borrowed between $150,000 and $10 million as part of the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program loan program to help keep employees on payroll in the middle of the pandemic. The list includes multiple companies in the music industry, including several major and independent record labels. Sub Pop Records, Third Man Records, and Knitting Factory Records each received a minimum of $350,000. Stones Throw Records received between $1 and $2 million. J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, ATO Records, Dim Mak, Rostrum, and Cleopatra each received at least $150,000. Other labels that received loans include the punk and hardcore label Equal Vision, the Americana label New West, Christian hip-hop label Reach Records, and metal labels Sumerian and Metal Blade.
Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 vinyl albums receive new printing: If you’re like me and have fond memories of playing the Sonic Adventure games on your friend’s Dreamcast for hours as a kid, then the music from those games probably awakens emotions deep within your soul. If that’s the case, then the folks at Brave Wave have your back! The record label tweeted that the sold out vinyl albums of the Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 soundtracks will be receiving a new 180g black vinyl reprint. The exact date that orders will be open wasn’t provided, but the vinyl could sell pretty quickly, so act quickly if you want a copy. Then you can live out the dream and listen to the “Station Square” song on repeat for the rest of your life, as it’s the only song you’ll ever need!
