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The Company That (Still) Feeds Your Vinyl Record Obsession

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Since 2007, vinyl record sales have seen a massive resurgence worldwide — and riding that wave is a Czech Republic-based company called GZ Media.

The factory, originally called Gramofonove Zavody (Gramophone Record) Lodenice, pressed its first vinyl record in 1951 and was the main producer of vinyl records for the Eastern Bloc. Even as vinyl faded from popularity toward the end of the 1980s, when CDs became the dominant format, GZ Media saved all of its record-pressing machines.

Yet while CD sales declined 14.5% last year, vinyl sales grew 32% from 4.5 million units sold in 2012 to 6 million sold in 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Today, GZ Media is the world’s biggest vinyl record producer; it has pressed more than 10.5 million records in 2013 alone. With production increasing 40% per year, its factory in Lodenice, just outside of Prague, is still expanding. GZ handles the pressings for some some pop and rock acts you may have heard of, like The Beatles, Abba, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones.

GZ Vinyl Factory

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    Iva Mangova works at the creation process department of the GZ Media vinyl record factory in Lodenice, Czech Republic. GZ handles the creation of all forms of records, from standard black through heart-shaped translucent red.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Stanislav Fatka works in the pre-mastering Department. All audio tracks need to be mastered so they can be put onto a lacquer disc for reproduction.

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    Sarka Pospisilova works on a master copy at an engraving machine in the metal work department.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    The electro-forming baths in the direct metal mastering department.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Separating the master record from a matrix copy after the galvanization process is complete.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Frantisek Pospisil holds a master record and a matrix copy. The matrix copy is used to create a metal record called ‘the mother,’ which is then used to create a metal negative known as ‘the stamper.’

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Vaclava Drapalikova uses ‘the stamper’ to create the grooves in a record. The manual double-press machine uses steam to soften the vinyl allowing the grooves to form. Afterward, the record will be exposed to cold water to harden the vinyl.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Marian Capkovic works on a printing machine. GZ has a full design department that handles all manner of packaging including labels, sleeves, boxes, and booklets.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Matej Ciz works in the metal work department.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Vinyl records of the band KISS on a wall in the metal work department.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Eva Bartunkova handles sound quality checks of vinyl records before they get packaged.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Anton Minik recycles vinyl records.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA
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    Matej Ciz works at the new and old metal parts archive area, where GZ keeps decades of old records.

    Image: Filip Singer/EPA

Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/08/22/gz-media-vinyl-records/

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