Chapter 1
The physics of the groove
Chapter 2
From shellac to stereo
Chapter 3
The art you can hold
Chapter 4
The global vinyl revival
Ch 4 · The global vinyl revival
Quiz
What are the exclusive, one-off acetate records used by Jamaican sound systems called?
Quiz
Which Jamaican music genre, characterized by dropping vocals and emphasizing heavy bass, was born from dubplate culture?
Quiz
In what year was the first official Record Store Day celebrated to support independent shops?
Quiz
What is the soft, hot chunk of vinyl plastic called before it is pressed into a flat record?
sonia The Vinyl Revival
Dust off the turntable, drop down the needle, vinyl is beating the CD again!
Quiz
What is the heavy metal plate used in a hydraulic press to stamp grooves into hot vinyl called?
Quiz
In which country did jazz kissas—cafes dedicated to quiet, high-end vinyl listening—originate?
Quiz
Why did vinyl records experience a massive commercial sales resurgence in the 21st century?
Quiz
Which European country is home to GZ Media, the largest vinyl pressing factory in the world?
Fun Fact
Czech vinyl: A single factory in a quiet Czech village called Loděnice presses over 60 million vinyl records every year for artists worldwide.
Glossary
vinyl (noun)
A synthetic plastic made from polymerized vinyl chloride, typically used for making phonograph records. In 2023, United States sales of these physical records surpassed CDs for the second consecutive year.
A synthetic plastic made from polymerized vinyl chloride, typically used for making phonograph records. In 2023, United States sales of these physical records surpassed CDs for the second consecutive year.