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Apollo Masters/Transco Fire

We are still reeling from the news of the catastrophic February 6, 2020 fire at Apollo Masters, the Banning California lacquer production facility that has been supplying at least 70% of the world’s “blanks” for record mastering, as well as their cutting styli.

The message on the website of Apollo Masters Audiodiscs, as of February 8, 2020.

We send best wishes, sympathy and support to Terry, Sam, and all the crew at Apollo, and wish them the best as they deal with this major trauma. (We are greatly relieved that nobody was injured.) We also extend our best wishes to those customers in the record production chain who depend on their product for their livelihoods. We hope for good short term and long term solutions for all impacted.

Thank you, Apollo, for all you have done to keep the vinyl record industry alive, and for years of wonderful customer support. We hope you are back in the game soon. Lots of love from Making Records and from The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls.


https://patch.com/california/banning-beaumont/fire-rips-through-banning-commercial-structure

https://pitchfork.com/news/devastating-manufacturing-plant-fire-threatens-worldwide-vinyl-record-supply/

https://thevinylfactory.com/news/apollo-transco-vinyl-lacquer-fire/

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/apollo-masters-fire-vinyl-records-lacquer-production-949648/

https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2020/02/07/apollo-masters-fire-vinyl-records/4692215002/

“Since the incident, MDC has responded to a bombardment of phone calls, explaining that they will not be accepting any new customers. “
https://www.residentadvisor.net/news/71906

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/major-vinyl-production-catastrophe-apollotransco-lacquers-burns

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Mike Dixon “Keeps Craft of Cutting Records Alive”

We Lathe Trolls are always proud when one of our own gets some much-deserved media attention. Here’s an awesome article and video about Mike Dixon, often known around here as “piaptk” (“People In A Position to Know”). The video spotlights his contagious exuberance, his passionate supercool-geekitude about record-making, and his beautiful and unusual individually cut records. It shows off his ridiculously extensive collection of Presto 6Ns, each with an attractive new carrying cabinet. And, it contains an unusually succinct and understandable explanation of just how record cutting works.

(We will therefore forgive the fact that the article link uses the horrendous and incorrect term “vinyls.”)

This month Mike is cutting records in Paris with Kris Dorr, for Converse. I am hoping they will post some blog items of their own, but in the meantime, do read this.

https://www.azpm.org/s/18568-tucson-artist-keeps-craft-of-making-vinyls-alive

https://media.azpm.org/master/video/2014/4/17/hrhd/041714_mike_dixon_lathe_cuts.mp4

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Flaming Lips “pressing” video: A+R plant (March, 2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioq70dsUmqI

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips explains how the band’s psychedelic vinyl is pressed.

“Many thanks to A+R for letting us take over their plant!!! Pressing vinyl like this slows the process down a lot. We hope you guys dig the results. Thanks to Daniel Huffman and Zac Cox for the 12 hour days!!” -The Flaming Lips

http://flaminglips.com
http://twitter.com/theflaminglips
http://twitter.com/waynecoyne
http://www.arrecords.com/

In the comments section:

mackjackson1982: The presses and stampers are actually designed to be pressed with a paper center label. That amongst other things is the reason why all their records are coming out pre-warped.

An article on the same topic here:
“I Poured Flaming Lips Vinyl, and Boy Are My Arms Tired” by Audra Schroeder
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2012/03/i_poured_flaming_lips_vinyl.php