Vinyl is dead… or it will be !
Did you know that vinyl will be dead by 2009? Apparently, the last company in the world still producing the chemicals are closing down in 2009… bad news for DJs and collectors, so, should we be embracing the future or is this final turn (get it? - Ed.) a crime against music?
Vinyl, the medium that took over from Shellac, Bakelite and even earlier the wax pressing, has had its final play – well, almost…
A press release last year from The Institute of Chemical Engineering, advised that key by-products of the current petroleum refining process would no longer be generated by 2009, due to deadlines agreed, in principle, with the chemical industry back in the 90’s. These deadlines were however, only finalised in 1999, in the face of increasing environmental concerns and lobbying…
Have we gone green mad?
The IoCE went on to advise that a voluntary co-funded research and development program to seek a green alternative, possibly a polycarbonate based compound had been proposed in the 1999 summary.
However no members of the industry wide syndicate had been able to substantiate a sufficiently high market demand for a replacement for the petroleum by-product…
SO, will this early warning would mean a silence in the thousands of DJ booths and radio stations around the world?
Tower Records recently stated “For some, existing skills will need to be adapted for use with the rapidly advancing Compact Disc DJ equipment” Towers spokesperson continued “it promises to be a very exciting transition as older techniques are retained and used alongside the plethora of new features that CD technology already offers todays forward thinking DJ’s and turntablists”.
“It is unlikely that we will continue to carry vinyl into 2009. We believe the needs of the DJ will be totally digital, in one medium or another, prior to the cessation date.”
Broadcasting is unlikely to be affected since almost all of the music played in a modern broadcast scenario is primarily from Digital archives owned under licence by the larger radio stations.
With the advent and domination of varying digital mediums could this really be the end for vinyl? Or will it simply make it more collectable andsought after? Have your say…