Sony to open a new vinyl pressing plant for Japanese market:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/29/sony-to-open-vinyl-pressing-factory-in-japan-records

Interesting article. Although the market for vinyl includes young people who have a fascination for it, I wonder if the main clamour for vinyl production is based around high-end expensive packages for older people who grew up with the format? How often do we see nowadays '180 or even 200grm virgin vinyl', 'half-speed mastering' high quality laminated sleeves etc as selling points for the £40+ price tag for a reissued LP rather than just a 120grm vinyl LP in a bog standard quality card sleeve? I guess supermarkets getting in on the act and pressing up runs of re-issued LPs in coloured vinyl etc might be one route to quantity rather than physical quality sales. I'm just glad the format continues to increase in popularity.

PM

This appears to have gone beyond a brief fad now and vinyl is rapidly becomming the physical format of choice. And it isn't just old people either, but young 'hipsters' and quite ordinary people of all ages. It makes sense to me that we will have 2 distinct markets, one for digital and one for physical. It was not really any different in the old days when many people, myself included, made do with home recorded tapes of records, objects that had no real value or appeal in themselves.

Records are aesthetically much more pleasing than CDs and perhaps they are now rightly being seen as the perfect non-digital format for those who want an 'experience' with their music and a physical object to collect. They are just much more pleasing objects than CDs.

Yes, I certainly think it is something more than a fad. It's interesting that vinyl sales grew against falling sales of digital downloads for instance because streaming is more popular. I wonder if that might have anything to do with the fact that 'invisible' music is now seen as just one thing you can put on a smartphone now that Ipods are no longer being made as a dedicated platform for downloaded music?

I think though CDs can be just as well packaged and presented as vinyl or even more so. A silver disc in a brittle old jewel case these days doesn't do much for anyone. The wide variety of options for presentation however can be very pleasing, box sets, mini LP CDs, mixed media sets (vinyl and CD) etc. I only stopped buying vinyl because I have run out of room for it and only a clapped out old 80s stereo to play it on, but I don't think I could part with any of it even so.

PM

lets face it a properly produced vinyl record is a work of art not only to the eyes but to the ears also I for one are glad its back not sure about the rip off prices tho