2023-06-28 22:57:09
One of only two vinyl presses in Quebec ceases production. The owner company, the Société des loisirs, declares bankruptcy. Artists and music lovers here lose one of their landmarks at the same time.
The Recreation Society has been pressing vinyl records in Lower Town Quebec since 2021. It took shelter from its creditors this week.
“I’m at a time when I can’t talk regarding the story that brought us here,” sighs the only administrator of the Société des loisirs, Audrey Lapointe, on the phone.
Growing tensions have been building lately between the company and certain Quebec record companies, according to information from Le Devoir. Artists have even had to delay the release of their album since their vinyl might not be ready in time.
The discs produced by the company were very often unique, colorful. Artists like Valaire, Tire le coyote, Les Louanges, Dumas, Mon Doux Saigneur, Thierry Larose and Flore Laurentienne have done business with her. About 120,000 copies came out of his press.
I’m in a moment where I can’t talk regarding the story that brought us here.
Administrators from the Société des loisirs recently jumped ship, which left Audrey Lapointe little room for manoeuvre. “I decided to leave the company to return to practice architecture, [ma formation professionnelle]. My departure seemed to tumble into a closure, ”she explains.
The pandemic and the ban on opening a café adjoining the press that it caused also certainly weighed in this failure. “Buying 100% upfront equipment, then having commercial rent… I remember I had a plan A, B, C. […] There is nothing in there that predicted a pandemic that would prevent us from opening for a long time, ”she says.
“What I am concentrating on right now is honoring the contracts we had with Quebec artists to place them elsewhere, to try to have as little impact as possible. All our customers who had purchased vinyl will soon be contacted so that they can pick them up. If they can’t pick them up, they’ll be able to make a claim. I try to do the right thing on every level. It takes a while, there are going to be little hiccups here and there, but it should be smooth. »
The other press still “healthy”
There is now only one vinyl press in operation in Quebec, at Le Vinylist, also in Quebec City.
The co-owner of the latter Pierre-Luc Savard says he is saddened by the news, but immediately reassures lovers of physical albums: his business is “in very good health”. The vinyl market has grown steadily since it began production in 2019. “For artists, it has become the number one commercial object. When it started to get popular once more, we were talking regarding something tucked away. So far, it has exceeded expectations. »
Several music lovers were already talking in 2021 of an “overheated” market.
While the Recreation Society press required a human hand to print every time, the Vinylist machine is fully automated and can produce around a hundred albums per hour. ” It works very well. We see the future on the bright side. […] We focus on volume,” notes Mr. Savard.
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