New vinyl pressing! Tim Easton – North American Songwriter Vol. 1 and 2 – the first two parts of a five-volume fan favorites song collection. Coming soon on vinyl!
Gotta Groove Records
Record Pressing Specialists – The Best Sounding Records On Planet Earth.
Author Archive
Vinyl Pressing — Cigarettes After Sex
New Vinyl Pressing – Cigaretts After Sex: Frontman Greg Gonzalez’s ability to set a scene and sustain a mood reels you in deeply. On album opener ‘K.’, a tale of blossoming love etched in tiny details luxuriates over chiming guitars; on the hymn to romantic compulsion of ‘Each Time You Fall in Love’, the suspended animation of Angelo Badalamenti’s heart-stopping Twin Peaks music is echoed. ‘Sunsetz’ and the gently lilting ‘Sweet’, meanwhile, showcase Gonzalez’s ability to weave impressionistic snapshots of romance into melodies that haunt like memories of past loves, all coalescing around his melting vocals.
Vinyl Pressings — Medeski Martin & Wood
New vinyl pressings – available from Real Gone Music. Medeski Martin & Wood – Shack Man and Friday Afternoon In The Universe:
Though the trio of John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood had already expanded the jazz genre with their first three records (two of which we have reissued here at Real Gone Music), it was this 1996 album that really crossed over and won the ensemble a whole new legion of listeners in the “jam band” camp. Recorded in a remote, solar-powered plywood shack in Hawaii (hence the title), Shack-Man brought the ‘70s soul-jazz beloved by the band firmly into the ‘90s, propelled by Medeski’s simultaneously nostalgic yet forward-thinking excursions on the Hammond B-3. A masterpiece of groove, out on vinyl for the first time!
Friday Afternoon In The Universe
For the last 30 years, Medeski Martin & Wood have explored the boundaries of modern jazz, incorporating hip hop, avant-garde, world music, and electronic funk influences into their fearless improvisational style. Its title taken from the first line of “Old Angel Midnight” by Jack Kerouac (himself a legendary improviser), 1995’s Friday Afternoon in the Universe flings a whole lot at the wall and just about everything sticks, with mid-‘70s Miles Davis the predominant hue in an ever-changing sonic palette. “Chubb Sub” is a favorite, and was used prominently in the Get Shorty soundtrack, but even the most abstract numbers groove and move. First time on vinyl!
Vinyl Pressing — Angela Perley
New vinyl pressing! Ohio’s own, Angela Perley new album — Turn Me Loose.
Preorder Now: Abdul Wadud – By Myself
This long out-of-print holy grail private press album, originally released by the late Abdul Wadud himself in 1977, is finally being reissued on vinyl. This reissue was originally sanctioned by Abdul himself. Unfortunately, he passed away on August 10, 2022. We thank his family, and particularly his son, Raheem DeVaughn, in assisting us see this masterpiece through to become available on vinyl to a new generation.
There really is no easily comparable album in existence. Abdul Wadud used the cello to make music in a way that was never foresought for the instrument, and this album was the first physical representation of his solo genius.
Sourced from the only copy of the original master tapes in existence. However, due to the severe deterioration of some sections of the tape, the vinyl master lacquers were cut from a DSD transfer of the audio tape. The tape restoration and DSD transfer were conducted by Grammy-award winning mastering engineer Paul Blakemore. Lacquers were cut by Clint Holley and Dave Polster at Well Made Music.
Vinyl Pressing — Rachel Baiman
New vinyl pressing! Rachel Baiman – Common Nation of Sorrow.
Produced by Rachel Baiman
Engineered by Sean Sullivan at The Tractor Shed in Goodlettsville, TN
Mixed by Tucker Martine at Flora Recording and Playback in Portland, OR
Mastered by Jon Neufeld in Portland, OR
Pre-Production Assistance by Riley Calcagno
Gotta Groove Records Acquires NiPro Records Division
In 2009, Gotta Groove Records set out to disrupt the vinyl record manufacturing industry. Our goals were 1. To simplify the record making process; and 2. To pursue pressing the best sounding and looking records that have ever been made.
Within our first 12 months of operating, we accomplished our first goal by launching an immersive and information-rich website. We incorporated the wisdom so graciously passed to us by veterans of the industry at that time, along with easy-to-understand pricing information, and a seamless manner to place orders through the web. We also set up a system for rapid communication with customers.
Our second goal, to produce the best sounding and looking records that have ever been made, is more easily said than done. We spent the next 10 years of our existence perfecting our craft, learning from our mistakes, and wherever possible, advancing the technology, materials, and machines we use daily. We became obsessed with quality control. As in most types of manufacturing, every day is a new adventure, and often a new learning experience. We are extremely proud of the records we produce today, and we are humbled and thankful to be allowed to press records for a new generation of listeners – Generation Wax.
So, in our ever-present pursuit of making a more perfect record, not just within our own pressing plant, but also with the hope of advancing quality and sustainability within the supply chain of the vinyl record industry at large, we are excited to announce that Gotta Groove Records is absorbing the NiPro Optics Records plating division, and will be moving the operation from California to Ohio over the course of the next several weeks. NiPro has been an instrumental partner in our success over the past seven years, and several NiPro employees will continue to be directly involved in this transition both in Ohio and in California for the foreseeable future.
We are particularly excited to begin supplying existing NiPro customers with the same or better level of service that they have been accustomed to. While there will inevitably be a brief period of potential shipping delays while we move the NiPro operation from California to Ohio, the quality of the stampers produced will not waiver, and we will be prioritizing stamper shipments for existing NiPro customers.
Also, lacquer engineers will continue to have access to blank MDC lacquers as they have been accustomed to receiving from NiPro as Gotta Groove Records assumes the U.S. distribution of MDC lacquers.
We accentuate, our goal is to use this opportunity to improve the consistency and reliability of the supply chain to the entire record making industry, not just to benefit Gotta Groove Records and its customers.
We are excited for this opportunity to simplify and improve efficiencies within the supply chain from cutting to plating to pressing.
For the latest updates, please visit www.recordplating.com.
Vinyl Pressing — Rudy De Anda
In 2020, Rudy De Anda moved his homebase out of California for the first time. He was headed East. Somewhere in the back of the U-Haul, among the boxes and baggage, was a mostly finished record. Upon arriving in Chicago, Rudy quickly found the final pieces of his new LP, Closet Botanist. It’s due out April 28, 2023, on Colemine/Karma Chief Records.
The album was recorded in Austin, Texas at the Electric Deluxe recording studio. The space is owned and operated by Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), who helped produce and engineer Rudy’s new LP. “In the past, I’ve done most of my recording in California,” Rudy explained. “The new location changed the vibe. The band and I were 100% focused on the process.”
Rudy’s previous releases have grown synonymous with California sunshine. He was born in Los Angeles and spent most of his formative years in Long Beach. “People often tell me my music reminds them of the beach and the sun,” Rudy said of his older songs. Closet Botanist isn’t a total departure from Rudy’s beachy, psych-rock roots, but it does sound more mature. “These songs are personal to me. More than ever before, I was able to get to the point and get some things off my chest. It’s about lost love and lost friendships – it’s more visceral than any music I’ve made before.”
Most of the songs were written back in California with the help of Rudy’s previous bandmates. “Tu Mirada” was one of the first songs he wrote in Chicago. Then, a local friend helped him find “Hey Mr. Sun.” Rudy connected with Blake Rhein (Durand Jones and the Indications) during the final weeks of writing. “He showed me a song and asked if I wanted to record it. I hadn’t done that before, but I loved the song. It felt like I had found the missing piece.”
To get the sound just right, Rudy called his California bandmates to the studio. Jon Rivera played bass, Daniel Villareal laid down the drums, and Kyle Davis took care of the organ, piano, and synth leads. Adrian Quesada produced the album, and Aaron Glembowski engineered the sessions. “Adrian saw my initiative and trusted me to direct the band. He and Aaron made me feel extremely comfortable. They helped us get to where we wanted to go.” The band recorded directly to tape to channel a classic rock n’ roll sound. Rudy points to The Velvet Underground and The Kinks for direct inspiration. “I glorify those bands – I’m a 60s psych-rocker at heart.” For the seasoned listener, there’s a trail of psychedelic breadcrumbs to find throughout the track list.
Rudy dedicates the album to those who love so hard that they neglect to water their own garden. Even in a much colder climate, the closet botanist continues to grow.
RELEASE DATE: 04/28/2023 – via Colemine Records.
Vinyl Pressing — Pale Dian
New Vinyl Pressing — Pale Dian – Feral Birth. A follow up from Narrow Birth the album Feral Birth explores the dark and light of existence and the thin string that holds society from spinning into chaos. Recorded during a global pandemic this album serves as an auditory emotional sample for futures to come.
Vinyl Pressing — Isabelle Antena
New vinyl pressing! After Belgian electro-samba wunderkinds Antena split at the end of 1985, singer Isabelle Antena immediately shed her cold wave crown for a sophisticated pop princess tiara. On 1986’s Martin Hayles-produced En Cavale, echos of Madonna and city pop abound, with a lipstick stain of L80s Euro dance and spilled cosmopolitan’s worth of bossa nova stirred in for good measure. This elegant second chapter of a French pop diva has been expanded to include Antena’s shelved Island Records demo, adjacent B-sides and rarities, plus an expansive essay and previously unpublished photographs.
Courtesy of Numero Group.