Music

Vinyl pressing may be coming back to Canada thanks to this Calgary upstart

by Mark Teo

Last Friday, vinyl enthusiasts were dismayed to hear that RIP-V, the only vinyl pressing plant in Canada, was shuttering after selling their equipment to an American manufacturer. While RIP-V hardly had a monopoly on Canadian record pressing—many still relied on U.S. plants, who were often more cost-effective and experienced—many still had a sentimental attachment to the Quebecois manufacturer. They were, after all, Canadian.

But days after RIP-V confirmed their closure, we’ve heard that another pressing plant may be opening—and this time, it’s a Calgary-based plant called Canada Boy Vinyl. While their website doesn’t have any specifics, it looks like they’re gearing to open up soon: They’re hoping for a revamped page in 2015, and they’ve already posted job postings for their pressing plant.

If you’re a Canadian with experience working with vinyl, you may want to hit Canada Boy up for a job opportunity. Here’s what they’ve written on their site.

CBV is the newest player in the world market of vinyl record production and we are setting up shop in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We are about to become Canada’s only full service, in-house stop for all your vinyl record needs. From our in-house studio and mastering, to our cutting, galvanics and pressing, we do it all. We’re also partnered with excellent printers so that we can provide high quality sleeves and labels.

In CLASSIC BLACK and all the COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW if you want it, CBV will press your music old school style.

So far, it’s been all blood, sweat, tears, and heavy duty cross-border shopping to put this epic dream in motion, but the principals of CBV have the old world talent and experience combined with the new world energy, commitment and vision to get it all operational. But it’s going to take skilled and specialized people to work the machines.

Interested? You should be. They’re currently looking for an electroplating / galvanics technician and production supervisor. Check the job postings here—we’ll keep you posted on details as they become available.

[H/T to Sled Island festival manager (and Napalmpom guitarist) Shawn Petsche, who posted this link on Facebook]