[Background]
For years Vinyl Records were the most popular mode of music. Their popularity started to decline with the evolution of Compact Disks and Digital Music. By the mid-90s, the culture pretty much died down, except for hardcore music fans still collecting and buying. Most artists and bands also stopped releasing albums on Vinyl Records, as they weren't selling much.
Somehow they caught a rush again in the late 2000s. It mostly started as a nostalgia that people were collecting. The sales slowly increased, and they became more and more popular over time. They became so popular that in 2019 the sales of Vinyl Records exceeded the sales of Compact Disks!
[My addiction]
I purchased records here and there throughout my life. I only started a dedicated collection in 2017. At first it was just bands I liked, but then started supporting small local bands, and/or small labels and such. My music taste, while still centered around Heavy Metal, broadened a lot. I found many new quality artists and musicians through this habit of collecting. I do purchase a lot of colored records, but I also purchase standard black records. My record collection kept growing, so last year I started an IG account to show off where my hard earned money is going, and why am I always poor!
[Colored Records]
Back in the 70s, there was a small rush of colored record pressing. This died down mostly because they never became too popular back in the day, and the production cost was also high. When records became popular again, colored records became the key to their new found popularity. At first, it was just records of different colors, as well as, glow-in-the-dark and clear records. However, more and more techniques and styles were introduced and really helped with the increase of sales. Splatters, stripes, merges, cloudy, clear, smokey, pinwheel, multi-techniques, translucent (records that react differently when held against light)....there are many different kinds and styles that exist. Some labels even pressing liquid/sand/objects inside records! Each of them is a piece of art on their own! Although, when it comes to technique and uniqueness, Wax Mages definitely takes the crown. Wax Mage Records is a one-man-show run by Heath from Cleveland. His techniques are the most unique, completely out of this world!
With all these techniques, labels have also become smarter. They are releasing the same record in multiple variants and making more sales, as often collectors buy multiple of them, increasing sales and bringing more profit towards the artist and the label!
[Colored vs. Black]
There really is no comparison. There is a common misconception of colored records sounding worse than black records. It simply cannot be proven since the sound quality of records can depend on multiple variables, not just color or weight of the records. Of course, as it is with most things, there's an elite group of collectors that despise colorful records and only buy black records, or visa versa. I think neither group is right or wrong. It all comes down to, whether by making the purchase are you helping the artist or not! If you are just buying black records, that's ok, if you are only buying colored records, that is also OK! After all, many artists and small labels simply thrive on the sale of physical media, so it doesn't hurt to support them when you can!
[Conclusion]
Well, collecting records can definitely be an addiction, healthy addiction (unhealthy for one's wallet however)! They carry more than just the music pressed on them!
If you would like to learn more, or talk about a certain artist or record, or even just to see more of these beauties, feel free to reach out to me on my instagram! If you are a content creator yourself, I would love to see your work too!
Who knows, maybe you can show me a new artist or, I can show you one!
More info: Instagram
TRNA - Earthcult, splatter vinyl.
Amorphis - Elegy, splatter vinyl.
Ravena - Laocoon, translucent record. Without & with light.
Ravena - Laocoon, how light activation works.
King Gizzard - Polygondwanaland, LED filled record.
Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog, clear with white and black splatter.
Amorphis - Tales from the Thousand Lakes, splatter.
Amorphis - Tales from the Thousand Lakes clip
Andrew WK - I Get Wet, split color with splatters.
Crawl Soundtrack, Wax Mage.
Clouds Taste Satanic, splatter with blob.
Myrkur - Folkesange, stripes.
Behemoth - ILYAYD, color merge.
Different variants of ILYAYD, including Box Sets and singles.
Extra Medium Pony - Traffic, Wax Mage.
Tiamat - Wildhoney, splatter
Bendigo Fletcher, Wax Mage.
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum, Glow in the Dark.
A Black Rose Burial, Wax Mage.
Some Colorado based bands and their records.
Dream Phases - So Long Yesterday, Wax Mage.
Amythist Kiah, Wax Mage split.
Katatonia - Night is the New Day, transparent red.
Fort Defiance, Wax Mage.
Person L, Wax Mage
Kelsey Rae, Wax Mage bandana pressed in. Only 4 made.
This Pine Box, Wax Mage.
The Weeks - Two Moons, Glow in the Dark sand filled.
Type O Negative - Dead Again, transparent green.
