UPFRONTBEATS

Needs continue their journey into the future of vinyl production, partnering with Green Vinyl Records in Holland to produce a 100% recyclable record, which now uses 90% less energy cost compared to traditional vinyl production methods. This revolutionary chapter in vinyl history features the production skills of Maara, Priori, Rudolf C & HearThug, with digital exclusives from Adam Curtain, Anastasia Zems, B.AI & Kepplr.

For Needs010 we welcome yet another all-star lineup of producers from around the world across vinyl and digital formats. Featuring trancey techno from Montreal’s rising star Maara; chuggy, percussive, mysticism from Priori; sultry minimal grooves from Berlin based Rudolf C, and a constantly evolving spacey acid banger from Tunisia’s leading light HearThug. On the digital exclusives, Adam Curtain, Anastasia Zems, B.AI and Keplrr all deliver tracks which traverse the spectrum of electro, house and techno perfectly.

THE PROBLEM
With 4.3m vinyl sales in the UK last year (the 12th consecutive year of growth), it’s clear that vinyl is back in a BIG way. But the basic technological principles of record pressing have not changed for a century. While the vinyl boom has been a bright spot for physical media lovers and the record industry alike, pressing vinyl poses a more urgent environmental concern than it did in the format’s heyday. At times, the process can seem almost antithetical to green living. Records are made of PVC, which comes from refined oil and can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill. Traditional pressing machines are powered by steam boilers that require fossil fuels to generate heat and pressure; the water used is treated with anti-corrosive chemicals in order to prevent rusting, thus creating more wastewater. And that’s just the pressing procedure.

Consider, then, vinyl’s packaging and distribution. The ink that’s used to print cover art and liner notes is traditionally solvent-based, meaning it contains volatile organic compounds that can contribute to the production of ozone. Once the record is encased in a beautiful jacket, it’s then shrink-wrapped in plastic wrap before boarding a gas-burning, carbon-emitting truck to ship. Suddenly the choice to buy physical music shifts from an action that helps sustain an artist’s career, to one that potentially threatens broader sustainability.

THE SOLUTION
In 2019 Needs started conversations with Green Vinyl, a brand new pressing plant based in Holland, who have devised a revolutionary production method which uses injection moulding rather than steam energy, equalling 60% less energy cost than the traditional vinyl production. It also uses no PVC and is a 100% recyclable product, meaning you can dispose of it in your home recycling bin.

The other benefits are that the record sounds better (it has a wider frequency spectrum), it cannot warp, and it also has a longer play life.

The key features of a Green Vinyl produced record are:
– Injection Moulding instead of steam pressing
– 93% less energy cost
– No PVC
– 100% recyclable product
– Wider frequency spectrum – sound is equal or better than traditional vinyl pressing
– Longer stamper life time – can be played more than 400 times (traditional vinyl starts to deteriorate after 100 plays)
– Rapid vinyl turnaround of 8 weeks (wait times are generally 12-16 weeks)
– No warping of records
– No paper labels

Green Vinyl is currently the only pressing plant in the world with this technology and we are proud and honoured to be the first label to work with them and share this amazing new technology with you all.

Credited - For The Record