Erika Records

SXSW Thank you!

2011-04-08T13:37:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much to those who were able to come by our booth at SXSW!!! Meeting all of you contributed to making this trip exciting and memorable! Thank you especially to those who had kind words for our hard work. Because of vinyl enthusiasts like you Erika Records Inc. has been able to KEEP VINYL ALIVE for the last 30 years and will KEEP VINYL a SIGNIFICANT part of the music industry for the next 30!!

Again thank you for the continued support. We hope you felt our appreciation at the festival with our hourly, daily deluxe and grand prize give-aways.

Make sure to check out the photos from SXSW on our Facebook! You just might see yourself in one of them. Follow us on Twitter to keep track of any upcoming vinyl specials!

Whether you want traditional black vinyl or specialty vinyl, Erika Records Inc. is your one stop for all you vinyl manufacturing needs!!

Sincerely,

Liz Dunster

President
Erika Records Inc.

Happy Valenties Day!

2011-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your sweetheart!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2010-10-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Slayer

2010-10-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Check out this picture vinyl record done for Slayer. This record is 1 of 2 picture discs done this way; one picture disc being silver, the other gold.

Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981. The band was founded by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax

This information and more found at wikipedia.org

Less Than Jake

2010-10-07T16:23:00.001-07:00

This Less Than Jake vinyl record is a great example of the versatility Erika Records has when it comes to record manufacturing: A vinyl record shaped as swiss cheese, with holes and all! So unique! Less than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative rock, third wave ska, punk pop and punk revival. To date, the group has released eight full-length studio albums and a number of singles and compilations.

This information and more found at wikipedia.org

Analog music on the uprising!

2010-09-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you who thought vinyl was dying, think again! Vinyl records are indeed making a comeback and Erika Records has been a significant part in the process. Since 1980, Erika Records never gave up on helping vinyl make its come back into the 21st century, and because of this effort and determination, people are starting to notice the slow, yet steady rise in sales of vinyl. "Keeping Vinyl Alive" is the Erika Records slogan, and we are by all means doing all we can to stay true to our word.

Check out this article to read it for yourself!
Forget digital tunes; analog music on the uprising

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

2010-09-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

The new Iron Maiden Picture Vinyl Record Set is here! This set includes 2 picture records along side very detailed inner sleeves and gatefold album jacket! The Final Frontier has amazing artwork and is definitely one to add to your vinyl record collection!

September Specials

2010-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Our September specials are going on now! Be sure to take advantage of this amazing offer today! If you are not on our newsletter email list please email us at office@erikarecords.com

New Website!

2010-08-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! The new Erika Records website is up and running! Its now easier to check for pricing, get a quote, track us down on your favorite social networking sites, go to our photo gallery and join our newsletter! Check it out at http://www.erikarecords.com/ and let us know what you think!

Remember To Smile!

2010-08-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this 12 in picture record just make you want to smile? The David Crwder Band,the artists behind this lovely image, are a six-piece Christian electronic rock and worship band from Waco, Texas. The band began when David Crowder, from Texarkana, Texas, realized that almost half of the students at Baylor University were not attending church, which he found surprising since it is a Christian university. He and Chris Seay started University Baptist Church (Waco, Texas in 1995 while he was still a student. Crowder led worship there and continued to do so throughout the year. The church's congregation grew, as did the band's lineup.

This information and more found at wikipedia.org

Happy Birthday Erika Records!

2010-08-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Lets celebrate! Today is Erika Records 29th Anniversary!! To celebrate this amazing day we have special anniversary packages!! And dont forget about our August special going on right now! If you are out of the loop with the specials, send an emails to office@erikarecords.com to let us know that you want to recieve our newsletters!

Making your way to Vinyl

2010-08-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

The first stage is to transfer your tune onto a lacquer master disk. This is a metal disk covered with a soft(ish) plastic coating.

Using a lathe - which works kind of like a backwards record player - the grooves of the record are cut into the plastic surface of the lacquer. The lathe is hooked up to a tape machine (or CD player) and your tune is played on it.

The cutting tip of the lathe responds to the music, making the groove that your punters' record players will eventually play.

Each side of the disk needs a separate lacquer - so you'll need a pair if you're planning to use both sides of a 12"".

As the lacquers need to be kept very clean, they have a handling area around the edge to keep thumbprints off the grooves, so they're bigger than a usual record.

Cutting lacquers is a nerve-racking and rather mysterious process which requires experience and a little guesswork.

This information and more can be found at creativechoices.co.uk

Facts about Vinyl

2010-08-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Vinyl Discs have their predecessors or what we called ancestors. It all started from a cylindrical disc that plays sound which looks like a canned sardines, because they are sold with cardboard tubes. These records are also known as Canned Music. Its popularity began from 1888-1915. The recordings were on the outside surface of a strip of tinfoil wrapped around a rotating metal cylinder.

These cylinders are like toys which you can replace over the machine which played them. Though the cylinders easily wear and tear following a number of times being played. The owner can go to stores and replaced the worn out records or trade it with other records.

In 1890 Carnauba Wax became as a replacement for the common mixture of paraffin and beeswax used on phonograph cylinders. Over the years the type of wax used in cylinders was improved and hardened. Thus, cylinder records could be played over a hundred times.

“Edison Gold Moulded Records” had been the top of the line of hard wax covered cylinder records introduced in 1902 by Edison Records.

Later on, hard plastic cylinders appeared before the public made of celluloid that can be played a thousand times. Moreover it will not break if drop. This high end plastic disc had been purchased by Columbia Phonograph Company.

The short live Amberolas, a type of cylindrical player which was introduced by the Edison Company to play cylindrical discs made of material called amberol. It doubles the playing time of ordinary cylinders and prolongs wear and tear.

During the early period of World War 1, Cylindrical Discs and Disc Records battled for supremacy. It’s obvious who won the format war.

Vinyl Discs sprang up on the early 1900s. Many people are skeptic about what can it offer to the public. Undeniably speaking these vinyl discs are cheap to mass produce compared to cylindrical records. It doesn’t break easily but is sensitive to scratches. Though they are bulky but they are appreciably great for sound fidelity.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Zarzoso

Mr. Hudson

2010-08-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

Record of the week, Mr. Hudson’s 7” two-color record.

On 13 May 2009, Mr Hudson confirmed his second studio album, Straight No Chaser, would be released on 5 October 2009, with preceding single Supernova receiving a world exclusive play on Zane Lowe's radio show later that day.

He has listed various influences, most notably Chet Baker, David Bowie, The Police, Andre 3000, Marvin Gaye, The Specials,Billie Holiday, Rosster, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzee Rascal. When he was with The Library they were known for their energetic live performances which include steelpan and a piano. They were nominated for "Best Newcomer" at the 2007 UK Festival Awards.

Mr Hudson has worked with acts such as Kanye West, Dizzee Rascal, N-Dubz, Kid Cudi, Tinie Tempah, Jay-Z and Big Seanand toured with Calvin Harris. His vocal performances have been compared to those of Sting. He is accompanied by Joy Joseph (vocals and steel drum), Rob Barron (electric keyboard), Raphael Mann (bass guitar) and Andrew "Wilkie" Wilkinson (electric drums).

This information and more found at wikipedia.com

Extra, Extra, Read all about it!

2010-08-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

The first issue of our Erika Records e-newsletter has just been sent off! If you didn't receive one of these lovely newsletters full of special deals and information about our plant, please feel free to email us at office@erikarecords.com and we will have you put on our mailing list asap!

40 Oz. to Freedom

2010-07-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sublime was an American reggae fusion band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988.The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums and percussion), and Eric Wilson (bass guitar). To date, Sublime has released three studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, three EPs and one box set. The band released its debut album 40 Oz. to Freedom in 1992.

The plaque above was in done for the 40 Oz. to Freedom Vinyl Record, and placed with one of four Sun Picture Records. Once you walk through the door of Erika Records, you will be immediately greeted with this brilliant plaque.

This information and more found at wikipedia.org

The First Cylinder Record

2010-07-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Before there was such a thing as a circular record, Thomas Edison’s records came as cylinders. In 1888 the Edison company debuted the Perfected Phonograph, Edison produced wax cylinders 4 inches (10 cm) long, 2 inches in diameter, playing some 2 minutes of music or entertainment, which became the industry standard. Experimental music records were made around this time. The "brown wax" cylinder made its debut in March/April 1889. "Electric Light Quadrille" byIssler's Orchestra is an example of an 1889 brown wax cylinder (Superbatone #734--"The Real Sound of Ragtime").

Blank records were an important part of the business early on. Most phonographs had or could be fitted with attachments for the users to make their own recordings. One important early use, in line with the original term for a phonograph as a "talking machine", was in business for recording dictation. Attachments were added to facilitate starting, stopping, and skipping back the recording for dictation and playback by stenographers. The business phonograph eventually evolved into a separate device from the home entertainment phonograph. Edison Record's brand of business phonograph was called The Ediphone andDictaphone.

In 1902, Edison Records introduced Edison Gold Moulded Records, cylinder records of improved hard black wax, capable of being played hundreds of times before wearing out. These new records were under the working title of "Edison Hi-Speed Extra Loud Moulded Records", running at the speed of 160 RPM instead of the usual (ca. 1898-1902) speed of 144 RPM or (ca. 1889-1897) 120 RPM. Until ca. 1898, Edison's speed was 125 RPM.

In November 1912, the new Blue Amberol Records, made out of a type of plastic similar to celluloid invented by Edison labs, were introduced for public sale. The first release was number 1501, a performance of the Rossini's overture to his opera Semiramide, performed by the American Standard Orchestra. The Blue Amberol records were much more durable than wax cylinders. The Edison lab claimed a 3000+ playback quota for the Blue Amberol. In that same year, the Edison Disc Record came out.

This information and more found at Wikipedia.org

History of a Phonograph

2010-07-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

In American English, phonograph was the most common generic term for any early sound reproducing machine, until the second half of the 20th century, when it became archaic andrecord player became the universal term for disc record machines. In contemporary American usage phonograph most usually refers to disc record machines or turntables, the most common type of analogue recording from the 1910s on.

Gramophone was a U.S. brand name, and as such in the same category as Victrola, Zon-O-Phone, Graphophone and Grafonola referring to specific brands of sound reproducing machines. (Similarly, in German, das Grammophon (literally "the Gramophone") was the most common generic term for any sound reproducer using grooved records, hence the brand name Deutsche Grammophon.) Emile Berliner's Gramophone was considered a type of phonograph.

The brand name Gramophone was not used in the USA after 1901, and the word fell out of use there, though it has survived in its nickname form, Grammy, as the title of the Grammy Awards. The Grammy trophy itself is a small rendering of a gramophone, resembling a Victor disc machine with a taper arm.

Modern amplifier equipment still labels the input that accepts the output from a modern magnetic pickup cartridge as the "phono" input (abbreviated from "phonograph").

This information and more found on wikipedia.org

Record of the week: The Police

2010-07-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

The Police were a rock band from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The band consisted of Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar),Andy Summers(guitar, vocals) and Stewart Copeland (drums, vocals, percussion). The band became globally popular in the late 1970s and are generally regarded as one of the first New Wave groups to achieve mainstream success, playing a style of rock that was influenced by jazz, punk and reggae music. Their 1983 album, Synchronicity, was number one in the UK and the US and sold over 8,000,000 copies in the US. The band broke up in 1984, but reunited in early 2007 for a one-off world tour lasting until August 2008, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their hit single "Roxanne" and also, to a lesser extent, their formation as a group. The Police have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and became the world's highest-earning musicians in 2008, thanks to their reunion tour. Rolling Stone ranked The Police number 70 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time

This police badge shaped picture record was done for The Police for there his song Message in a Bottle. Message in a Bottle came off of their second CD, Regatta de Blanc, and quickly topped the charts as well as giving the band their first Grammy Record for the single Regatta de Blanc.
This information and more found on wikipedia.com and thepolice.com

The Locust

2010-07-07T09:08:00.001-07:00

This 2 color puzzle shaped record, done by The Locust, is not a common find. This set is one of two puzzle sets from this band. The second puzzle set actually won first place in the first annual Aleks Packaging Award on August 19^th, 2003.

Formed in 1994 by Justin Pearson, Bobby Bray, Dylan Scharf, Dave Warshaw and Dave Astor, The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California known for their unique miz of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.

This information and more found at wikipedia.org

Laser Etch Mastering

2010-07-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

Laser etch mastering is a technique used to etch artwork into one side of the mastering record. When getting a laser etch mastering done, the master will only be able to have one side of music. Unless, of course, the client would like etching on the outside rim of the record and music in the center.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-06-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Firework season has arrived! Everyone from Erika Records wishes you a happy, fun and safe holiday weekend!

Record of the week: The Misfits

2010-06-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Misfits are an American rock band often recognized as the progenitors of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk rock and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. Founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig, the group had a fluctuating lineup during its first six years with Danzig and bassist Jerry Only as the only consistent members. During this time they released several EPs and singles and, with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The Misfits disbanded in 1983 and Danzig went on to form Samhain and then Danzig. Several albums of reissued and previously unreleased material were issued after the group's dissolution, and their music became influential to punk rock, heavy metal, and alternative rock music of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

This 7” glow in the dark vinyl record is one of many vinyl records pressed on behalf of the Misfits.

This information and more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misfits_(band)

Making a Statement

2010-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

When you have a record pressed, you always want to make a statement, but to catch the eye of the consumer creative packaging is a must! Record jackets are an easy way to catch anybodies attention by simply using an elaborate picture or colors!

This Iron Maiden jacket, comes with a 2 disc set, along with detailed picture sleeves holding the records:

While The Mars Volta packing contains an elaborate Oujia board display to coincide with the 3 disc set, all with sleeves to match:

Locked Grooves

2010-06-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

Locked grooves are grooves that intentionally repeat every turn of the record. There are two forms of locked grooves:

1. Fall in locks: these locks are put at the end of a selection. The groove is locked forming a concentric circle at the end of the music making the last 1.8 or 1.3333 seconds repeat until someone lifts the tone arm

2. Stand alone locks: these locks are a single groove cut as a concentric circle

One of the first albums to ever used a locked groove containing music was the The Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in 1967.