It seems like the Ripatti label will no longer be doing the beautiful vinyls we seen earlier this year. After producing a total of 8 records, and seemingly losing money on every one, Mr. Ripatti has called it a day and gone down the digital route.
I’m not too sure how to feel about this.
On one hand, I liked being the able to buy fresh releases from Boomkat. The anticipation of waiting for a new record to be delivered can’t really be replicated by Bandcamp/Paypal combination.
Secondly, because they were bloody expensive items, I was compelled to listen to them. I’m not sure bulk buying the new digital only version will give me a similar compulsion to do so. All seven of the pressing were immaculate (I’m still waiting on the Ricky’s release to be manufactured), and you can clearly see the amount of work and thought that’s gone into producing them – something I’m sure Ripatti will continue to do for his digital ventures.
On the other hand, they are now available to everyone – not just people who can afford the £500 equipment to listen to them. That’s always good.
Another good point is that the vinyls and the digital copies are different mixes (in some cases, very different). I think that’s a fair compromise, and something I’ll write about a little more when I return home.
However, I am frustrated.
I’m frustrated that you fucks never bought these records. Frustrated that beard-wearing hipsters continually tell me how much they love this medium, but records of this quality couldn’t push sales of 500. I’m frustrated because the dicks on What.cd were complaining about the releases being vinyl only, and they would “buy it only if it came out on digital”. I know they’re lying. I know they’re waiting for the WEB release to be leaked so that they can download it for free, half listen to it, then add it to a collection of 20,000 other tunes they’ve never listened to.
Fucking arse holes.
This beautiful little record label died because of you.
These people suck