Tech
18 close-up pictures that make your records look like Martian landscapes
by Mark Teo
August 13, 2014
Mind-bending images that look nothing like the record you put on your turntable.
Most vinyl enthusiasts know how their records produce music—generally, at least. When you lower your turntable’s arm onto your favourite piece of wax, a lot is going on: A stylus lands in a groove. The groove makes the stylus wiggle, which sends an electric charge through a coil, which… OK, OK, we won’t get into full detail here. Know, though, that every vinyl record carries its own unique pressings, which is even more apparent when you put one of the damn things under a microscope.
Placed under an electronic microscope, vinyl doesn’t even look like vinyl at all—instead, it looks almost like something that could’ve been captured by the Curiosity Rover, roaming the craggy landscape of Mars. Check out some mind-bending images above, and take special note of number 18—that’s what a scratched record looks like.
