Once one delves far enough into a hobby or an interest, they become curious about its inner workings. When it comes to records, you might enjoy those discs on a certain level before you start wondering how music comes from those grooves at all. Who is responsible for producing this material? How are the pressing machines maintained? How does the industry make all of this stuff?
Enter Larry Jaffee and Bryan Ekus—both of whom wear many hats, but who oversee, and co-created—the Making Vinyl conference which is an event bringing together industry professionals, enthusiasts, and experts from the vinyl record manufacturing and music industries. The popular conference serves as a platform for sharing knowledge, networking, and discussing the resurgence and future of vinyl records. The “Making Vinyl” conference continues to be a must-attend event for anyone with an interest in learning more about the nitty gritty of the vinyl trade. Additionally, Larry is an author and professor who literally wrote the book on Record Store Day, Record Store Day: The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century. So, of course we discuss the current happenings at RSD.
If you love records, then there is plenty of information to enjoy in this episode. It’s an opportunity to not just enjoy records from afar, but to begin to scratch the surface in appreciating the hard work and back-end of an industry that grows bigger each day. It’s a chance to investigate and uncover some of the intangibles that make vinyl so darn fun.
Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.
