Pitchfork has reported that new vinyl pressing plant is headed to Oxnard, California. Amid reports of backlogs and bottlenecks, this is a much-needed development in the vinyl space. Reissue label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab and its parent company, Music Direct, have taken on the responsibility to make vinyl more accessible to artists and fans alike. Set to open in 2023, the plant aims to become America’s “premier vinyl production facility.” It is a partnership between MoFi, Music Direct’s Jim Davis and vinyl engineers Rick and Edward Hashimoto.
With eight presses from Nashville company Record Pressing Machines, the plant’s initial goal is to press 2 million records a year with a strict focus on “quality — not quantity,” according to a press release. This will allow MoFi to “issue records that aren’t just the standard classic rock and jazz for which we are known,” Davis said.
Earlier this year, Jack White, whose Third Man label is home to a pressing plant, issued a plea to major labels to open their own plants to help “accommodate the insane growing demand for vinyl product.” Watch the video below:
Leave a Comment