As superstars cash in on vinyl LP boom, small labels and manufacturers struggle to meet demand
LOS ANGELES — When Liz Dunster, known to friends as Vinyl Mama, moves through Erika Records' 65,000-square-foot vinyl pressing plant in Buena Park, she's usually trailed by Elvis, her little Yorkshire terrier. On a recent morning, the two ambled through the facility, her in a stone-washed brown shirt, blue jeans and red boots, and Elvis trotting behind.
Steam-powered presses, operated by employees busy hand-stamping splatter-colored records, hissed with energy on either side. She passed one area stacked with piles of Madvillain's "Madvillainy" album sleeves awaiting records ordered by Highland Park label Stones Throw.
Noting a chill in the warehouse, she grabbed a warm-to-the-touch puck of vinyl used to create glitter-filled records. "These also make good hand warmers," she said with a smile, putting it into her pocket.
It's been a big year for vinyl sales, and the hum of activity overwhelming Erika's production facility, which employs 75 people, offers proof.
But — cue needle scratch — there's a problem: Buyers want way more records than pressing plants Erika and crosstown competitor Record Technology Inc. in Camarillo, the only two remaining pressing facilities in Southern California, can supply. That's true globally, too: There aren't enough manufacturers
