Benn Jordan Halts Vinyl Releases Over Toxic PVC Degassing Risks

Benn Jordan

Vinyl records are sonically obsolete media that outgas hazardous concentrations of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds into homes, warranting a consumer boycott until pressing plants replace toxic polyvinyl chloride with recyclable alternatives.

AI-assisted summary of VINYL: Maybe it's time we had an intervention. — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2019-08-23

Key ideas

Benn Jordan challenges the romanticized vinyl resurgence, arguing it is an economically driven push sparked by plummeting crude oil prices in the mid-2000s rather than an organic acoustic renaissance. (0:00)
Objective testing and audio engineering realities demonstrate that digital audio formats offer superior fidelity, as vinyl mastering requires severely limiting dynamic range and bass frequencies to prevent mechanical tracking errors. (4:06)
Indoor air quality experiments reveal that both vintage and newly unsealed records immediately off-gas hazardous levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde into domestic spaces without requiring needle friction. (11:14)
Unlike residential construction materials, the record pressing industry remains largely unregulated, frequently incorporating toxic stabilizers like lead and cadmium into non-recyclable PVC. (13:21)
Jordan urges artists and consumers to reject mass-produced PVC media in favor of sustainable, carbon-negative physical editions, estimating collective consumer pressure could force manufacturers to adopt safe alternatives within a year. (17:41)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by musician and audio producer Benn Jordan on August 23, 2019, this video delivers a critical intervention examining the modern vinyl revival. Reflecting the channel description's prompt—that true vinyl lovers should demand the format be modernized—Jordan interrogates why the music world continues to embrace an obsolete, toxic physical medium.

## TL;DR Musician Benn Jordan deconstructs the romantic mythology of the modern vinyl resurgence, challenging claims of analog sonic superiority by highlighting the severe mechanical compromises and distortions inherent to turntable playback. Beyond audio fidelity, Jordan investigates the heavy environmental and health hazards of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), performing an air-quality experiment that reveals alarming spikes in airborne volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde from routine record handling. Citing his own refusal to press his music catalog onto standard vinyl, Jordan calls on collectors, musicians, and pressing plants to phase out toxic PVC in favor of sustainable, recyclable materials while preserving the mindful ritual of focused listening.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries a candid, pragmatic, and mildly irreverent tone that balances technical audio expertise with sharp skepticism toward industry marketing. Jordan addresses the viewer with calm, conversational intimacy, using dry humor and empirical curiosity to dismantle audiophile dogmas before shifting into genuine concern during his makeshift laboratory testing. The narrative arc moves from playful technological debunking to a sobering environmental caution, ultimately resolving into an earnest, reflective plea to cherish music listening as an intentional mental space rather than a physical consumer fetish.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=0s) Benn Jordan challenges the romanticized vinyl resurgence, arguing it is an economically driven push sparked by plummeting crude oil prices in the mid-2000s rather than an organic acoustic renaissance. - [04:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=246s) Objective testing and audio engineering realities demonstrate that digital audio formats offer superior fidelity, as vinyl mastering requires severely limiting dynamic range and bass frequencies to prevent mechanical tracking errors. - [11:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=674s) Indoor air quality experiments reveal that both vintage and newly unsealed records immediately off-gas hazardous levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and formaldehyde into domestic spaces without requiring needle friction. - [13:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=801s) Unlike residential construction materials, the record pressing industry remains largely unregulated, frequently incorporating toxic stabilizers like lead and cadmium into non-recyclable PVC. - [17:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=1061s) Jordan urges artists and consumers to reject mass-produced PVC media in favor of sustainable, carbon-negative physical editions, estimating collective consumer pressure could force manufacturers to adopt safe alternatives within a year.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=0s) A standard 12-inch vinyl record stores around 11 songs with mechanical compromises, compared to modern memory cards holding thousands of lossless studio-quality master files. - [01:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=60s) The vinyl revival was economically driven by dropping crude oil prices that inflated manufacturing margins, coupled with initiatives like Record Store Day that primarily offloaded non-returnable stock for major record labels. - [04:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=246s) Physical limitations of the turntable stylus force mastering engineers to compromise bass response and stereo width, meaning praised analog 'warmth' stems from mechanical coloration rather than fidelity. - [05:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=315s) Double-blind scientific research, including a study with 40 music majors across diverse instruments, resulted in 96% of participants preferring digital recordings over analog. - [07:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=442s) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is an inherently unstable polymer linked to severe health conditions, including carcinomas, organ damage, and endocrine disruption. - [08:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=490s) Inhaled vinyl chloride metabolites are permanently retained in human liver and body tissue, and continuous molecular degradation causes records to shed microplastics and VOCs over their entire lifespan. - [08:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=524s) Microplastics generated by PVC readily bond with toxic persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins. - [11:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=674s) Controlled indoor testing with an industrial air quality monitor demonstrated that merely placing an unsealed record on a platter caused formaldehyde levels to surge sixfold and triggered hazardous VOC alarms. - [12:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=720s) Degassing spikes occurred even on vintage albums spun hundreds of times prior to stylus contact, proving chemical outgassing happens independently of mechanical groove friction. - [13:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=801s) While household plumbing enforces strict certifications and chemical alterations like CPVC to ban lead stabilizers, consumer audio pressing faces zero regulatory restrictions on toxic additives. - [15:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=937s) Vinyl records cannot be processed by municipal recycling programs and slowly leach hazardous compounds into landfills, making ordinary disposal environmentally detrimental. - [16:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=980s) Jordan refuses lucrative distributor advances to press his back catalog until pressing facilities transition to verified non-toxic or recyclable polymers. - [17:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=1061s) As an alternative to toxic factory media, Jordan released a carbon-negative physical edition of his album 'Piety of Ashes' by repurposing landfill waste, which sold out in 24 hours. - [19:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=1141s) The revered ritual of vinyl listening originates from intentional, undistracted human attention, which does not require obsolete, toxic PVC to experience.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=0s) The Absurdity of the Vinyl Revival

Benn Jordan introduces the vinyl revival by contrasting modern digital storage with the physical reality of a 12-inch record. Holding up a tiny memory card, he points out that it can easily hold around 4,364 lossless-quality songs identical to their studio masters. In contrast, a typical vinyl LP holds roughly 11 songs imperfectly copied from those same masters, costs a substantial amount of money, is environmentally taxing to ship, picks up audible surface noise from the smallest speck of dust, warps under heat, releases toxic chemicals into the home, and cannot even be recycled once discarded. Despite these drawbacks, the medium is widely embraced as trendy and fashionable.

While popular narratives frame the mid-2000s resurgence of vinyl as an emotional rediscovery of musical purity—where fans crave an intimate physical connection and artists deliver bespoke artifacts—Jordan offers a far more cynical commercial explanation. Around that time, crude oil prices took a steep dive, which drastically lowered the raw material cost of pressing records and expanded profit margins. This occurred right as independent musicians were realizing they no longer needed to surrender publishing royalties to major labels to cover physical manufacturing plants. Jordan notes that events like Record Store Day, established in 2008, served corporate record labels far more than grassroots artists: independent stores are often forced to take on non-returnable stock of overpriced, repackaged back-catalog merchandise, while major labels reap effortless profits. Reflecting on his own career and the broader industry landscape, Jordan points out: “We are creatures of habit and we're nostalgic, but sometimes it's good to have a little insight and think about how the music industry used to be 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, and how hopeless it was for independent artists.”

Around two years prior, Jordan published a brief blog entry explaining why he would no longer manufacture or release vinyl for his musical project (The Flashbulb), primarily as a stock response to constant fan requests. The essay provoked widespread indignation. Jordan reveals that the owner of one of the world's largest record manufacturing plants tracked down his personal email solely to insult him. Yet, despite interviews and discussions across mainstream music outlets, record labels, and pressing plants, no one provided an empirical counter-argument; the backlash was purely defensive. The situation grew so absurd that journalists writing about the environmental and logistical issues of vinyl began citing other news articles that were ultimately referencing Jordan’s original post, creating a bizarre circular loop of citations. Jordan stresses that he speaks as someone who has collected, cut, mastered, and profited from vinyl for decades, bearing no personal grudge against collectors, but rather attempting to address the obvious issues everyone chooses to ignore.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Vinyl Revival Cycle accDescr: Diagram illustrating the commercial and marketing loop driving the vinyl resurgence.

subgraph IndustryPressure["Economic Drivers"] A["Crude Oil Prices Drop"] --> B["Vinyl Production Margins Rise"] B --> C["Major Labels Push Reissues"] end

subgraph RetailChannel["Distribution"] C --> D["Record Store Day Campaigns"] D --> E["Shops Obligated to Buy Non-Returnable Reprints"] end

subgraph ConsumerBelief["Consumer Culture"] E --> F["Nostalgia & Perceived 'Pure' Audio"] F --> G["Listeners Purchase Expensive, Obsolete Discs"] end ```

---

[04:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=246s) The Myth of Sonically Superior Vinyl

The primary justification consumers give for spending significant money on large, clunky physical discs is the widespread belief that vinyl is sonically superior to digital files. Jordan challenges this claim directly: “Well, the thing is, digital audio is superior—yeah, I said it.” The romantic view of analog as a medium free from the digital realm's technical constraints ignores the severe physical and mechanical bottlenecks inherent to phonograph playback.

Low frequencies, such as sub-bass sweeps and heavy kick drums, demand wide, deep physical groove excursions that consume enormous surface area on the disc, starving the rest of the frequency spectrum. Conversely, high frequencies—like delicate synthesizers and hi-hats—require grooves so minuscule that standard phono needles struggle to physically track them. If an audio signal is cut too loudly, the needle oscillates violently across the groove wall, producing harsh mechanical distortion. Mastering an album for vinyl therefore requires aggressively compromising dynamic range and stereo width. While the resulting sound is often praised as "warm," that warmth is an artifact of frequency coloration and analog inaccuracy rather than fidelity to the master recording.

Jordan notes that an equalized digital file or even a high-resolution digital rip of a vinyl disc replicates the exact same sonic characteristics. Objective science consistently upholds this reality: in a rigorous double-blind study conducted in 2000 by researchers from the University of Texas and Florida State University, 40 music majors evaluated identical performances recorded in both digital and analog across diverse sound sources (from solo piano to full string orchestras). The results were decisive, with 96% of participants preferring the digital recording across every category, whether listened to on studio loudspeakers or headphones.

Jordan acknowledges the audiophile pushback that claims trained human ears can easily surpass peer-reviewed measurements:

> “I know that more than a few of the people watching this are currently disagreeing with everything that I just said, because, fuck these rigorous, peer-reviewed studies, you can tell the difference, you're super special, and you can listen to music better than anybody else.”

In reality, numerous blind tests show that listeners cannot consistently distinguish between a high-bitrate V0 MP3 file and an uncompressed lossless format. Jordan admits that even with decades of professional mastering experience on widely released records, he cannot reliably tell the difference either. For an artist who spends weeks or months fine-tuning micro-details in a mix, every mechanical error introduced by turntable playback takes the listener further away from the intended piece. While vinyl serves as an attractive nostalgic decoration or collectible, Jordan argues it has been technically obsolete for forty years.

---

[07:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=442s) Toxic Realities: PVC, Off-Gassing, and Health Risks

Beyond the sonic deficiencies and commercial nostalgia, Jordan highlights the most critical hazard of vinyl manufacturing: the severe health risks of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Record pressing remains an almost completely unregulated industrial process, using a polymer linked to catastrophic long-term illnesses. PVC exposure is scientifically documented to cause liver cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, severe nerve damage, autoimmune disruptions, male reproductive organ damage leading to impotence, and irregular menstruation in women. Furthermore, manufacturers historically blended heavy metals such as lead and cadmium into the plastic as chemical stabilizers.

The danger is not restricted to factory floors. PVC is unstable and continuously degrades over its lifespan, leading to a steady drop in molecular weight that forces the material to outgas microscopic particles and toxic volatile chemicals into indoor domestic environments.

Jordan details the biological pathway of exposure: when inhaled, airborne vinyl chloride particles bypass basic respiratory defenses, pass directly into the bloodstream through the lungs, and circulate throughout the body. The liver absorbs a significant portion of this compound, but lacking any evolutionary or biochemical mechanism to safely break it down, it transforms the chemical into rogue toxic metabolites. While trace amounts of unchanged vinyl chloride exit the body through urine within a day or two, the altered byproducts manufactured by the liver remain embedded in human tissue permanently. Because collectors store hundreds of records in confined, unventilated living spaces rather than industrial cleanrooms, this steady chemical outgassing poses an ongoing, under-acknowledged domestic health hazard.

- **Primary health conditions tied to PVC and vinyl chloride:** - Carcinomas: Liver cancer (angiosarcoma), brain cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. - Neurological & Reproductive: Peripheral nerve damage, male impotence, and female menstrual disruption. - Heavy metal toxicity: Stabilizer compounds containing lead and cadmium. - **Physical degradation process:** Polymer molecular weight decreases over time, generating continuous particulate outgassing in domestic listening environments.

[08:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=524s) POPs, Dioxins, and the Air Quality Experiment Setup

Microplastic particles that shed into home environments act like tiny sponges, absorbing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from their surroundings. While POPs introduce countless toxic compounds into the human body, the compounds that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bonds with most readily are dioxins—substances notorious for their inclusion in Agent Orange and the attempted assassination of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, which left him permanently disfigured. Acknowledging that his home experiments are neither peer-reviewed nor backed by institutional funding, Benn Jordan explains that his goal is simply to satisfy his curiosity and perhaps encourage a well-funded scientific institution to run a rigorous study. To test the off-gassing and particulate shedding of records, he used channel earnings to purchase an unused turntable and an industrial-grade laser air quality monitor capable of detecting particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and formaldehyde (HCHO).

Jordan established strict controls to ensure the validity of his indoor test. He calibrated the monitor to manufacturer specifications and isolated it inside an empty, deeply cleaned room alongside the new turntable for 32 hours to allow any factory off-gassing from the equipment itself to stabilize before introducing records. He shut off his HVAC system—despite having two filters installed to manage dust—to eliminate air currents and external vent contaminants, wore a face mask to minimize his own respiratory impact, and intentionally left the turntable unplugged from any amplifier or audio system to avoid introducing electrical variables. The goal was to observe shifts in TVOC or particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), where concentrations exceeding 34 $\mu\text{g/m}^3$ for PM2.5 and 54 $\mu\text{g/m}^3$ for PM10 induce respiratory discomfort in sensitive individuals.

- **Sensor Capabilities**: Measures PM2.5, PM10, TVOC, and formaldehyde (HCHO). - **Control Period**: 32 hours of baseline stabilization in a sealed, unventilated room. - **Safety Baselines**: Respiratory irritation begins at concentrations above 34 $\mu\text{g/m}^3$ for PM2.5 and 54 $\mu\text{g/m}^3$ for PM10. - “As always, in full transparency, unless otherwise noted, my experiments on this channel are not peer-reviewed and are limited by my own budget and knowledge limitations at best.” — Benn Jordan

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Experimental Air Quality Protocol accDescr: Diagram illustrating the environmental controls and testing process used to measure vinyl record emissions.

subgraph Preparation ["Controlled Environment"] A["Deep clean and air out room"] --> B["Seal HVAC vents and turn off AC"] B --> C["Place new turntable and calibrated monitor"] C --> D["32-hour stabilization baseline"] end

subgraph Execution ["Testing Variables"] D --> E["Tester enters with mask and lab coat"] E --> F["Introduce individual records to platter"] F --> G["Measure PM2.5, PM10, TVOC, and HCHO"] end ```

---

[11:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=674s) The Air Quality Test: Shocking Degassing Results

When testing began, Jordan brought out an unplayed copy of one of his own releases from 2005 under an alternate moniker. Within minutes of placing the vinyl on the platter, the air monitor recorded an unexpected spike in total volatile organic compounds, accompanied by a sixfold surge in formaldehyde levels. The readings climbed so rapidly that the instrument triggered an internal audible alarm to warn that the air quality had become hazardous. After removing the record and sealing it back in its packaging, the monitor gradually returned to safe baseline levels. A second test with a 2006 pressing produced an identical spike, triggering the alarm almost immediately.

Jordan initially wondered whether this toxicity was restricted to unplayed archival stock. To test that hypothesis, he placed a vintage album on the platter that he had spun roughly 200 times over a 20-year period. Before the stylus even made contact with the groove, the ambient TVOC levels soared and tripped the monitor alarm once more. Simulating the routine handling of an active DJ or collector flipping through a crate produced gas emissions intense enough to reach levels deemed dangerous for short-term human inhalation. The experiment contradicted Jordan's initial hypothesis: the primary hazard was not airborne micro-dust ground up by the mechanical action of the stylus, but immediate chemical degassing that occurs whenever PVC vinyl is exposed to ambient air.

- **Formaldehyde Surge**: Unsealed vinyl caused an immediate sixfold increase in airborne HCHO. - **Degassing vs. Friction**: Significant VOC spikes occurred prior to stylus contact, proving off-gassing occurs independently of mechanical groove wear. - **Simulated Browsing**: Flipping through a record crate released enough airborne TVOCs to register as hazardous for short-term exposure. - “I did not prepare myself for actual results like this that were so alarming to the point where this device would tell me that I'm not even supposed to be breathing the air next to a record.” — Benn Jordan

---

[13:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=801s) PVC in Plumbing, Regulations, and Phthalate Dangers

Addressing the inevitable counterargument that PVC is ubiquitous in household plumbing, Jordan details the strict structural and chemical distinctions governing industrial plastic pipes versus consumer audio discs. Modern building codes rarely permit standard PVC for interior residential supply lines; potable water systems rely on copper, PEX, polyethylene, or chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC). CPVC undergoes a free-radical chlorination reaction that substitutes hydrogen atoms with chlorine, substantially enhancing the material's tensile strength and thermal ceiling before it degrades and sheds phthalates. Even when PVC is utilized for drainage, plumbing standards strictly prohibit lead stabilizers, require extensive pre-flushing (denoted by NSF-PW or NSF 61 certifications), and account for the lethal hazard of PVC releasing airborne hydrochloric acid if a structure catches fire.

Jordan contrasts these municipal construction safeguards with the record pressing industry, which operates almost completely unregulated. Vinyl records routinely incorporate heavy metal stabilizers including lead, cadmium, and barium to facilitate pressing and maintain structural integrity. While major health organizations such as the CDC and WHO caution that even trace exposure to leaching phthalates causes irreversible liver damage, reproductive harm, thyroid dysfunction, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer, records face no chemical restrictions. Jordan highlights the regulatory precedent set in 2008 when President George W. Bush signed federal legislation outlawing phthalates in children's toys and products, underscoring how dangerous the petrochemical industry's additives are considered by policymakers when basic safety standards are enforced.

- **Plumbing Standards**: Potable water piping requires certifications such as NSF-PW or NSF 61 and strictly bans lead stabilizers. - **CPVC Chemistry**: Free-radical chlorination replaces hydrogen with chlorine to delay thermal breakdown and phthalate release. - **Fire Hazard**: Burning PVC releases concentrated hydrochloric acid gas. - **Pressing Additives**: Unregulated vinyl audio pressing employs toxic heavy metals like lead, barium, and cadmium. - “When a Bush is signing a law that cuts into oil industry profits, you should probably pay a little attention.” — Benn Jordan

---

[15:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=937s) Disposal Realities and Benn's Stance as an Artist

Given the toxic profile of PVC, Jordan warns listeners against discarding their vinyl collections into household trash or municipal recycling streams. Vinyl cannot be processed by standard residential recycling facilities, and tossing it into ordinary landfills ensures that heavy metals and persistent pollutants slowly leach into soil and groundwater. Because commercial waste services refuse to accept records, internet guides on vinyl disposal overwhelmingly advise either converting records into ornamental crafts or offloading them to other collectors.

The issue directly affects Jordan's musical career and commercial income. Every vinyl release under his musical moniker has sold out completely, and distributors continually offer lucrative upfront advances to press his back catalog onto vinyl. Despite valuing audiophiles for their attentive and dedicated listening habits, Jordan refuses these commercial offers until plants can manufacture records using verified recycled or non-toxic, recyclable polymers. Standing in a shipping warehouse filled with boxed records made him confront the environmental absurdity of using toxic, heavy physical plastics to store acoustic data that could be preserved with greater fidelity on modern digital media using negligible physical resources.

- **Disposal Restrictions**: Residential recycling services and many landfills outright reject PVC vinyl due to chemical toxicity. - **Benn's Commercial Condition**: Advances and represses are rejected unless distributors utilize recycled or fully recyclable polymers. - **Data Density**: Entire warehouse rooms of packaged physical vinyl represent acoustic data that can be stored cleanly in a microscopic digital footprint. - “I don't want the final legacy of my music to be hydrochloric acid or slow degassing of toxic chemicals, and I've lost a lot of money on that stance.” — Benn Jordan

[17:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=1061s) A Carbon-Negative Alternative and a Challenge to the Industry

Reflecting on his own principles as an independent artist, Benn Jordan explains how he approached the physical release of his full-length album, *Piety of Ashes*. Rather than pressing another run of toxic vinyl, he crafted a special edition filled with collectible, extraneous items that he deliberately made carbon-negative. While acknowledging that "carbon-negative" sounds like a trendy buzzword, Jordan points out that in practice, it meant he physically took waste destined for a landfill and repurposed it into art. Designing, sourcing, and hand-making these packages proved to be a genuinely enjoyable, creative process, resulting in an artifact far more intimate and unique than a mass-produced record stamped in a factory. The run completely sold out within the first 24 hours, and Jordan used the proceeds to offset the environmental damage caused by shipping the packages to fans. Even if he ultimately contributed more material goods to the world, he was able to feel good about the process.

This experience leads Jordan to question the standard practices of musicians, bands, and record labels. Artists pour vast amounts of time, energy, and money into writing songs, performing, recording, and marketing their work, yet their imagination abruptly halts when it comes to the physical medium itself. He finds it baffling that creators are content handing over the vital final step of their project to an industrial manufacturing plant. At the same time, Jordan challenges vinyl collectors who spend exorbitant amounts of money on their hobby to demand something far more personal, unique, and sustainable. Despite the grim facts surrounding the environmental toll of pressing records, Jordan insists the story of vinyl is not over. If music enthusiasts applied collective pressure, the industry would have to evolve rapidly. As Benn Jordan argues, “If vinyl collectors simply and loudly refused to buy more records until a safer, recyclable, and more environmentally friendly alternative was used for their production, how long do you actually think it would be before manufacturers stopped using PVC entirely? I'd give it a year.”

- Benn Jordan's self-designed, carbon-negative physical edition of *Piety of Ashes* completely sold out within its first 24 hours. - The project repurposed discarded materials from landfills and directly offset the carbon footprint incurred by customer shipping. - Jordan calls out labels and artists for outsourcing the critical tactile experience of their music to toxic, mass-scale PVC factories rather than innovating on packaging and physical media.

[19:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=1141s) Reclaiming the Ritual of Listening (Without PVC)

Jordan emphasizes that he is not blind to the romantic appeal of analog sound. He understands the tactile romance of pulling out a sleeve, wiping away the dust, setting an album on a turntable, gently dropping the needle into the groove, and listening straight through track by track as the artist intended. However, he argues that the sacred quality people attribute to vinyl does not actually reside in the polyvinyl chloride disc or the mechanical turntable. Rather, the magic comes from the listeners themselves—the rare decision to step away from the noise of a hectic day, close one's eyes, and truly focus on the music. That deliberate attention is what triggers chills, unlocks vivid memories, and carries the imagination somewhere new.

While that focused, contemplative listening state has become increasingly scarce in modern culture, Jordan reminds his audience that you do not need toxic chemicals or a specific legacy format to achieve it. Polyvinyl chloride is entirely unnecessary; all that is required are your ears, an open mind, and the self-discipline to carve out uninterrupted time for music. Wrapping up the video, Jordan expresses gratitude to viewers for hearing out an uncomfortable critique of a beloved hobby. He invites those interested in supporting his work to explore his music catalog on Bandcamp or check out his Instagram, noting that he avoids using Patreon or affiliate sponsorships.

As Benn Jordan observes regarding the romanticized mystique of records: “The sacred thing is not the disk or the turntable, it's us music lovers taking a break from our hectic days and just closing our eyes, relaxing, and actually listening to the music.”

## Notable quotes > [19:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=1141s) The sacred thing is not the disk or the turntable, it's us music lovers taking a break from our hectic days and just closing our eyes, relaxing, and actually listening to the music. — Benn Jordan

> [15:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ&t=937s) I don't want the final legacy of my music to be hydrochloric acid or slow degassing of toxic chemicals, and I've lost a lot of money on that stance. — Benn Jordan

## Mentioned Benn Jordan, The Flashbulb, Record Store Day, University of Texas, Florida State University, Agent Orange, Viktor Yushchenko, CDC, WHO, George W. Bush, Piety of Ashes, Bandcamp, Instagram, Patreon

## Video description If you love vinyl, then you should demand for it to be modernized. Links: https://www.instagram.com/bennjordan/ My music ($upport me!): https://theflashbulb.bandcamp.com/

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2czFuIYmQ)

中文简报

因PVC有毒气体释放风险 Benn Jordan停止发行黑胶唱片黑胶唱片在音质上已是过时的介质，会向室内释放有害浓度的甲醛和挥发性有机化合物，在压片厂用可回收替代品取代有毒聚氯乙烯之前，值得消费者予以抵制。音乐人Benn Jordan解构了当代黑胶唱片复兴的浪漫神话，指出了唱机播放固有的严重机械妥协与失真，从而对模拟音频音质更优越的说法提出质疑。除音频保真度外，Jordan还深入调查了聚氯乙烯（PVC）对环境和健康的严重危害，并通过一项空气质量实验表明，日常拿取和处理唱片会导致空气中挥发性有机化合物和甲醛含量出现令人担忧的激增。Jordan以自己拒绝将音乐作品压制为传统黑胶唱片为例，呼吁收藏者、音乐人和压片厂淘汰有毒的PVC，转向可持续、可回收的材料，同时保留专注聆听这一充满仪式感的习惯。 Benn Jordan对被浪漫化的黑胶唱片复兴提出质疑，认为这是2000年代中期原油价格暴跌所引发的经济驱动行为，而非自发形成的声学复兴。 (0:00) 客观测试与音频工程现实表明数字音频格式具有更出色的保真度，因为黑胶母带制作需要严格限制动态范围和低频，以防止机械循轨误差。 (4:06) 室内空气质量实验表明，无论是老唱片还是新开封的唱片，无需唱针摩擦即可立即向室内空间释放出危险水平的总挥发性有机化合物（TVOC）和甲醛。 (11:14) 与住宅建筑材料不同，唱片压制行业在很大程度上仍缺乏监管，经常在不可回收的PVC中掺入铅和镉等有毒稳定剂。 (13:21) Jordan敦促艺术家和消费者抵制量产的PVC介质，转向可持续的负碳实体版本，并估计消费者的合力施压可能在一内年迫使制造商采用安全替代品。 (17:41)

Source quotes

[19:01] Benn Jordan: The sacred thing is not the disk or the turntable, it's us music lovers taking a break from our hectic days and just closing our eyes, relaxing, and actually listening to the music. [15:37] Benn Jordan: I don't want the final legacy of my music to be hydrochloric acid or slow degassing of toxic chemicals, and I've lost a lot of money on that stance.

Original transcript

[0:00] hi there what if I told you that instead [0:03] of this which can hold about four [0:05] thousand three hundred and sixty four [0:07] lossless quality songs that are [0:08] identical to the studio masters you [0:10] could have this which can hold about [0:12] eleven songs that were imperfectly [0:14] copied from the studio masters also it's [0:16] expensive and environmentally taxing the [0:18] ship also if you get any dust on it will [0:20] be audible over the recording also if [0:21] it's too hot it'll water Oh also it'll [0:24] release toxic chemicals in your home [0:25] until you decide to get rid of it which [0:27] you can't because nobody will recycle it [0:29] but it's so cool I'd go as far as [0:32] calling it um lit right I'm sure you've [0:40] seen the headlines vinyl is making a [0:42] huge comeback in the mid-2000s more [0:45] artists and record labels started [0:46] putting up vinyl and subsequently more [0:48] people started buying it this is because [0:50] artists and record labels want to give [0:51] their fans the purest and most personal [0:52] medium available and music listeners [0:55] respect the recording process too much [0:56] to just listen to streaming services or [0:58] mp3 now just kidding it's probably [1:00] because crude oil prices has plummeted [1:02] around the time making the profit margin [1:04] and vinyl much higher just in time [1:06] before musicians realized that they [1:08] didn't need to give the royalties to [1:09] record labels if there is no initial [1:11] manufacturing cost to cough up but yeah [1:13] the resurgence the vinyl makes for a [1:15] really nice feel-good story eleven years [1:17] ago in 2008 we first observed record [1:20] store day which was not coincidentally [1:22] championed by these copyright law [1:24] superheroes in order to celebrate Record [1:26] Store Day one goes to a record store and [1:28] buys records usually the limited edition [1:30] reprints of the same [ __ ] they've heard [1:31] over and over for decades [1:33] record stores celebrate record day by [1:34] being obligated to buy inferior [1:36] merchandise from major labels on a no [1:38] return basis major labels celebrated by [1:40] I don't know skeet shooting [1:42] hundred-dollar bills we are creatures of [1:43] habit and we're nostalgic but sometimes [1:46] it's good to have a little insight and [1:48] think about how the music industry used [1:50] to be ten or twenty or thirty years ago [1:52] and how hopeless it was for independent [1:54] artists that's your story all about how [1:56] about two years ago I wrote a brief blog [1:59] post explaining why I would not be [2:00] releasing any more vinyl as a canned [2:02] response to daily messages I get for my [2:04] listeners asking for vinyl reprints or [2:06] vinyl releases it actually got a bit of [2:08] attention and it got a whole lot of [2:10] criticism in fact a little claim to fame [2:12] that I have [2:13] owner of one of the largest record [2:15] manufacturing plants in the world [2:17] personally hunted down my email address [2:19] to call me an idiot for reasons I will [2:21] explain I want to like vinyl and I [2:23] welcome criticism as long as it comes in [2:25] the form of a counter-argument however [2:27] the problem is is that in those two [2:29] years since I wrote that after speaking [2:31] from everybody to major media Alouettes [2:33] to record labels to record manufacturers [2:34] nobody has supplied me with an actual [2:37] counter-argument it's just that it's so [2:39] lame and uncool to [ __ ] on vinyl that [2:42] people have this guttural reaction of [2:44] just reaching out to you and being like [2:46] yeah but you're gay [2:49] in fact when researching citations for [2:51] this video I kept running into articles [2:54] that were citing that blog post of mine [2:56] creating this insane sort of site [2:59] ception [3:00] while there is no greater honor than tea [3:02] molds we are like trying to eat a news [3:03] site citing claim blog I'm also kind of [3:06] pissed off that I'm seemingly the [3:08] loudest voice pointing at some of the [3:10] problems with vinyl [3:11] before we begin understand that I have [3:12] nothing to gain here I'm a professional [3:14] electronic musician [ __ ] on the [3:16] final piece I'm biting many hands that [3:19] feed me and I'm kind of coming off with [3:21] the Zell gore vibe this is just my [3:23] objective opinion based on a whole lot [3:24] of research and that truth cost me a lot [3:27] of money likeability and fans so if [3:30] you're an avid vinyl collector whose PB [3:32] hurts after watching this video [3:33] understand that my PB hurts a whole lot [3:35] more so let's hold each other's peepees [3:38] it's a weird metaphor to use my point is [3:40] I've collected vinyl at masterda vinyl [3:43] that created vinyl and have profited off [3:45] a vinyl throughout most of my career it [3:47] would be ridiculous for me to scold or [3:49] judge anybody else for doing that that's [3:50] not what this is I just want to point [3:52] out the elephants in the room that we've [3:54] been collectively ignoring ever since [3:56] this vinyl comeback started let's assume [3:58] that trends and marketing have no grasp [4:01] over us as consumers why spend extra [4:03] money on this big clunky disc [4:06] well it sounds superior right well the [4:11] thing is digital audio superior yeah I [4:14] said it we like to think of vinyl is [4:15] this analog medium that experiences some [4:17] sort of freedom from audio limitations [4:19] but it doesn't there are huge audio [4:21] limitations of final they're just [4:22] different things at the bottom of the [4:24] audio spectrum like a kick drum or a [4:26] bass sweep take up [4:27] huge amount of physical space on the [4:28] grooves of the record which neglect the [4:30] rest of the spectrum higher frequencies [4:31] such as certain synthesizers or high [4:33] hats have grooves that are so miniscule [4:35] that the needle doesn't even register [4:36] them beyond that and they sound is too [4:39] loud then the needle will move back and [4:41] forth more dramatically creating [4:42] Distortion [4:43] so when you master music for vinyl you [4:45] simply cannot be as dynamic as you can [4:47] with the digital medium [4:48] one could argue that the reason they [4:50] enjoy vinyl is to escape the loudness [4:52] war and that's valid but the medium of [4:55] vinyl itself is still more restrictive [4:56] in limiting than a high quality digital [4:58] file when people say that vinyl sounds [5:00] warmer to them they're actually right [5:02] but the referencing and inaccurate [5:04] replication of the actual audio master [5:06] due to the after mentioned limitations [5:08] if that's the case then carefully [5:09] adjusting an EQ will accomplish the same [5:11] results as will listening to a digital [5:13] file of a vinyl recording by the way I [5:15] am far from the first person to [5:17] objectively challenge the sonica [5:18] lauravanwaas way back in 2000 [5:20] researchers from the University of Texas [5:22] and Florida State University conducted [5:23] an extremely objectively rigorous study [5:27] where they recorded the same [5:28] performances from various instruments [5:30] using both digital and analog recordings [5:32] than performed a double-blind test on 40 [5:34] music majors to see which they thought [5:35] was better quality 96% of participants [5:38] prefer digital mediums and digital rated [5:40] higher overall in every single category [5:42] whether it's the quality of bass treble [5:44] or a solo piano or an entire string [5:46] orchestra or whether it was listened to [5:48] on loudspeakers or headphones I know [5:50] that more than a few of the people [5:52] watching this are currently disagreeing [5:54] with everything that I just said because [5:55] [ __ ] these rigorous peer-reviewed [5:58] studies you can tell the difference [6:00] you're super special and you can listen [6:02] to music better than anybody else the [6:04] second coming of Christ has finally come [6:06] to earth in the vessel of your [ __ ] [6:08] ears why else would you have spent [6:10] twenty thousand dollars on two speakers [6:11] and a turntable since this is a new [6:13] thing there haven't been many [6:14] peer-reviewed studies but there have [6:15] been plenty of double-blind surveys and [6:17] most people can't tell the difference [6:19] between a properly encoded b:0 mp3 file [6:22] and a lossless audio file for what my [6:24] ears are worth I've been hired to master [6:26] dozens of widely released albums in [6:28] addition to my own and I will happily [6:30] admit that personally I can't tell the [6:32] difference in the interest of saving [6:33] time I'm just gonna say this before [6:35] moving up I love my job but my job is [6:38] spending days weeks [6:39] even months mine tuning every tiny thing [6:41] that someone hears when they hear just [6:43] one of my songs every inaccuracy on that [6:46] long convoluted voyage between my studio [6:48] monitors and your ears robs me of the [6:51] knowledge that you're hearing the [6:52] precise details that I hoped you would [6:54] hear the real battle for me is not the [6:56] spotify vs flack versus vinyl it's [6:58] knowing that the vast majority of people [7:00] listen to music on cheap beer buds or a [7:01] bluetooth speaker from across or [7:03] perforated room while dividing their [7:05] attention with something else so these [7:07] giant discs are 40 years obsolete from a [7:09] technical standpoint their value is [7:11] entirely nostalgic or arbitrary there [7:14] are collectors items or decorations and [7:15] that's how they have value and that [7:17] would be fine if they weren't harming [7:18] anything but they are and the most [7:20] important of those things that they're [7:22] harming is you a record is made out of [7:26] PVC or polyvinyl chloride and the [7:29] manufacturing process for them is almost [7:31] entirely unregulated there's no cute way [7:33] to say this PVC has been proven to cause [7:35] liver cancer brain cancer lung cancer [7:38] breast cancer nerve damage observably [7:41] different immune system reactions damage [7:43] to male reproductive organs yeah that's [7:46] right they make you impotent and if [7:47] you're a female it's been proven to [7:49] cause a regular menstruation this does [7:51] not even come close to a complete list [7:53] of alarming health risks oh I'm not even [7:55] gonna get into PVC stabilizers such as [7:57] lead we're going to ignore the obviously [7:59] toxic heavy metals such as lead and [8:02] cadmium because you don't need me to [8:03] tell you that it's deadly the big [8:05] problem here is that PVC degrees over [8:07] time and in that time the molecular [8:09] weight of the polymer is drastically [8:10] reduced when this happens and it is [8:12] persistently happening throughout the [8:13] life of the record the PVC is out [8:15] gassing and releasing microscopic [8:17] particles into the air in an industrial [8:19] cleanroom with low-level exposure the [8:21] vinyl chloride particles would enter [8:23] your bloodstream through your lungs and [8:25] rapidly be delivered through your [8:26] bloodstream a portion of the vinyl [8:29] chloride goes in your liver which has [8:30] absolutely no idea what to do with it [8:32] and starts transforming it into new [8:33] substances within a day or two vinyl [8:36] chloride would leave your body through [8:37] your urine however some of those things [8:39] your liver made those are never gonna [8:40] leave you unfortunately we don't store [8:42] or listen to records and industrial [8:44] clean rooms so in your home these micro [8:46] plastic particles act like sponges and [8:48] soak up persistent organic [8:50] or pops pops introduced so many toxic [8:53] compounds in your body them not even [8:55] gonna bother listing them but the ones [8:57] that PVC tends to get along with the [8:59] most are dioxins you may know about [9:01] dioxins from their use in Agent Orange [9:03] or you might recall them being used in [9:04] the attempted assassination of ukrainian [9:06] President Viktor Yushchenko which left [9:09] him disfigured super-safe stuff as [9:12] always in full transparency unless [9:15] otherwise noted my experiments on this [9:17] channel are not peer reviewed and are [9:19] limited by my own budget and knowledge [9:21] limitations at best if an interesting [9:24] result is noted I could only hope that [9:25] they'd inspire a bigger well-funded [9:27] peer-reviewed and scientifically sound [9:29] experiment by an institution capable of [9:31] having one for the sake of my own [9:32] curiosity I've decided to spend my [9:34] meager earnings from this channel on a [9:36] new turntable and an industrial-grade [9:38] air quality monitor that uses lasers to [9:40] detect a particulate dust bigger than [9:42] 2.5 microns if you watch the video up to [9:44] this point you know exactly what is in [9:46] that dust the monitor also detects total [9:48] volatile organic compounds and HCHO or [9:51] formaldehyde which shouldn't be an issue [9:53] here if it is then I'm just gonna buy a [9:55] casket and lay in it I have rigorously [9:57] calibrated the monitor according to [9:59] manufacturer specification and I'm gonna [10:01] lead it in a mostly empty room with a [10:03] new turntable and camera for about 32 [10:05] hours that way if the new turntable has [10:07] some sort of degassing to do it'll [10:09] stabilize the only new thing I will be [10:11] introducing to the room after those 32 [10:13] hours is what remains of my vinyl [10:14] collection I'm pretty anal retentive [10:16] about air cleanliness and I've actually [10:18] installed two filters in my HVAC mostly [10:20] because I hate dusting but I obviously [10:22] will turn my air-conditioning off for [10:24] this experiments I can rule out any new [10:25] particles entering the room from the [10:27] vent during the test I will wear a lab [10:29] coat mostly because my girlfriend really [10:30] wants to see me in one and also because [10:32] it'll make a great thumbnail for this [10:34] video also I'm not hooking the turntable [10:36] up to anything since that would require [10:37] me to introduce more gear or in this [10:39] case variables into the room oh and of [10:42] course I people II cleaned and aired out [10:44] the room long before introducing the [10:46] turntable or air monitor what we're [10:47] looking for here is any noticeable jump [10:49] in PM 2.5 or PM 10 which is the [10:52] concentration particulate matter per [10:54] cubic meter at levels above 34 PM 2.5 [10:57] and above 54 PM 10 you begin to have [11:00] breathing discomfort for sensitive [11:02] but remember we already know that the [11:03] particulate matter is vinyl chloride so [11:05] any increase in particulate matter is [11:07] probably bad news a jump in TV OC or [11:10] total volatile organic compounds would [11:12] be pretty convincing [11:14] so as planned we introduce as little to [11:16] the room as possible [11:17] other than vinyl I'm wearing a mask so [11:19] my breathing will have a minimal effect [11:20] on the environment my first choice is an [11:22] old record under an alternate moniker of [11:24] mine from 2005 I wait for a few minutes [11:26] into my total and utter surprise the [11:29] total volatile organic compounds rise [11:31] and rise and the formaldehyde levels [11:33] increased by 6 fold the monitor does [11:36] something I didn't even realize it did [11:37] it starts beeping to warn me that the [11:40] air has become unqualified so ok I think [11:43] something is up here I stopped playing [11:44] the record and put it back in the box to [11:46] see if their monitor returns to safe [11:47] levels and it does so I play a different [11:50] record another one of mine from 2006 [11:52] within moments the TV OC levels [11:55] skyrocket and the alarm is retreads are [11:58] just overwhelmingly toxic or something [12:00] or perhaps it's because these particular [12:02] records have never been played before so [12:04] I grab an old vintage album that I've [12:06] probably played about 200 times over the [12:07] last 20 years I put it on the turntable [12:10] and before the needle even touches the [12:12] record the TV oh sea levels trigger the [12:14] alarm so for the hell of it I just [12:16] pretend to shuffle through records as if [12:18] I were going through a collection or a [12:19] DJ crate the tbo sea levels from the [12:21] degassing is so intense that the air [12:23] monitor reaches levels unsafe for [12:25] short-term inhalation I truly expected [12:29] this to be a waste of time and money and [12:31] just a shot in the dark that wouldn't [12:32] even end up as a segment in the video [12:34] but I did not prepare myself for actual [12:39] results like this that we're soul army [12:42] to the point where this device would [12:44] tell me that I'm not even supposed to be [12:46] breathing the air next to a record so [12:50] there's that I had hypothesized or [12:53] expected a sort of dust to be released [12:56] from the stylus needle sliding along the [12:58] PVC but it seems like that was [12:59] completely undetectable what we [13:01] experienced here was seemingly degassing [13:03] meaning that it happens whenever your [13:05] vinyl is exposed to fresh oxygen and [13:07] yeah maybe my monitor is broken or way [13:09] too sensitive or maybe I'm missing [13:11] something really really obvious or maybe [13:13] everything science has told us about PB [13:15] he's right and I just can't believe it [13:17] when I see it with my own eyes okay I [13:21] know what some of you are thinking [13:22] you've heard of PVC before it's that [13:24] stuff used in pipes so now you ask how [13:26] can PVC be so bad if it's used in our [13:29] pipes well there are a lot of rules [13:31] about PVC and most places it's only [13:33] illegal to use them when draining sewage [13:35] and even that is getting commonly [13:36] frowned upon if a new building or [13:38] structure that is intended to be [13:40] inhabited by humans isn't using PEX [13:42] copper or polyethylene for drainage [13:44] they're using C PVC which is PVC that [13:47] has been improved using the free radical [13:49] chlorination reaction this replaces some [13:51] of the hydrogen inside the plastic with [13:52] chlorine which increases the tensile [13:54] strength and the range of temperature [13:56] the pipe can endure before degrading and [13:58] releasing phthalates [13:59] even then if you were too cheap to hire [14:01] a plumber and your idiot uncle installed [14:03] PVC for your drinking water without [14:04] checking building code there are [14:06] different parades of PVC they use [14:07] different stabilizers by law PVC pipes [14:10] cannot use a lid as a stabilizer and [14:12] must be flushed until the phthalates [14:14] leeching from them are well they're [14:16] still at levels that are toxic to humans [14:18] of long-term use but you can check to at [14:20] least see if they were flushed by saying [14:21] the codes NSF PW or NSF 61 on the pipes [14:25] to make sure that they at least meet the [14:27] requirements an added bonus or cherry on [14:29] top of having PVC pipes in your house is [14:31] that if your home catches fire they [14:33] release hydrochloric acid by the way if [14:36] you live any house built before 1977 [14:38] that still is original PVC pipes [14:39] providing new water you should stop [14:41] worrying about your record collection [14:42] and get some new [ __ ] pipes as soon [14:44] as possible now before we worry about [14:46] your drinking water know that I'm [14:47] quoting studies that come from some [14:49] weird of spirit groups what do they call [14:51] the the Center for Disease Control and [14:53] World Health Organization now they say [14:55] apparently even new pipe grade PVC [14:57] releases phthalates but it's only toxic [15:00] to adult humans at low doses oh and it's [15:04] super toxic to infants and we're only [15:06] talking about irreversible liver damage [15:08] and reproductive damage and breast [15:10] cancer and thyroid issues and type 2 [15:11] diabetes and heart disease nothing [15:13] serious in 2008 George W Bush signed a [15:15] law that prohibited phthalates from toys [15:18] and virtually any product that touches [15:20] children when a Bush is signing a law [15:22] that cuts into oil industry profits [15:25] you should probably pay a little [15:27] attention but remember the process of [15:29] making records is pretty much [15:30] unregulated they use lead barium cadmium [15:33] all of which are known to cause on death [15:35] a lot of [ __ ] death maybe a few of [15:38] you after watching this are freaked out [15:39] and you're thinking about throwing away [15:40] your records well don't do that because [15:42] if you think this stuff is toxic just [15:44] sitting around wait till you find out [15:45] what happens when it's cracked burnt or [15:47] simply left to slowly biodegrade into [15:49] the environment many landfills won't [15:51] technically accept them also do not [15:53] throw them into your recycling bin [15:55] either no residential waste management [15:57] company or service will recycle them [15:59] it's literally too dangerous actually if [16:01] you search for how to dispose of vinyl [16:03] records you'll just run into sites that [16:05] tell you how do I cut them into shapes [16:07] and make decorations or telling you to [16:09] give them to somebody else I'm going to [16:13] be entirely honest here if not all the [16:16] Lee Frank every single thing that ever [16:18] leased found vinyl has sold out entirely [16:20] I've made a lot of money selling records [16:22] and I have outstanding financial offers [16:24] up front from distributors who want to [16:26] re-release my albums in that format my [16:28] answer to them has been and still is [16:31] that if they can find and pay for a [16:33] final plant willing to press the records [16:35] using recycled or recyclable polymer [16:37] they can repress whatever music of mine [16:39] that they like audio files are my most [16:41] valued customers not because they have [16:43] prestigious playback equipment but [16:45] because the side-effect of investing so [16:46] much time and money in that equipment is [16:48] a person who lends their undivided [16:50] attention to the music they listen to [16:52] for the longest time I thought hey if [16:54] final records encourage listeners to pay [16:57] more attention to their music and so be [16:59] it but it wasn't until I was standing in [17:01] a storage room stacked full of boxes [17:03] labeled packages of my own records [17:05] waiting to be shipped out that actually [17:07] realized how much was being wasted in [17:09] this whole process all of the [17:11] information in that entire room could be [17:13] stored in a sonically superior format [17:16] using less physical space than the naked [17:18] eye could even see so in my career it [17:20] puts me in a funny position [17:21] people want a tangible keepsake and are [17:23] willing to pay good money for one but [17:24] everybody involved in that transaction [17:26] knows that it's not necessary but rather [17:28] an ornament or decoration for their [17:30] collection I'm not selfless this is [17:33] about me I don't want the final [17:35] or my music to be hydrochloric acid or [17:37] slowed to gassing of toxic chemicals and [17:39] have lost a lot of money attractions [17:41] sticking to that principle when I [17:43] released piety of ashes my last [17:44] full-length album I made a special [17:46] edition that came with a bunch of [17:48] collectible but unnecessary things and I [17:50] put a lot of work into making it carbon [17:52] negative in yeah that's a buzz word but [17:54] at the end of the whole process it means [17:55] that I took something from a landfill [17:56] and repurposed it and you know what it [17:58] was fun I got to design source and hand [18:01] make something far more personal and [18:02] collectible than a mass-produced vinyl [18:04] record and it wasn't even all that [18:05] difficult they actually sold out in the [18:07] first 24 hours and then they offset the [18:10] environmental damage caused by shipping [18:12] them to my listeners I contributed more [18:14] unnecessary [ __ ] to the world but I [18:16] actually can feel good about it so if [18:18] you're a record label a band or a [18:19] musician why aren't you doing that you [18:21] put so much time money and effort into [18:23] writing performing recording and [18:25] promoting an album but your creativity [18:27] stops with the medium itself you're okay [18:29] with some giant manufacturing plant [18:31] putting your project on queue to [18:33] complete that last vital step and if [18:35] you're an avid music collector showing [18:37] out all this money why aren't you [18:38] demanding that why don't you demanding [18:40] something more personal and collectible [18:42] this video has been full of bad news [18:44] but the story of vinyl is not over if [18:46] vinyl collectors simply and loudly [18:48] refused to buy more records until a [18:50] safer recyclable and more [18:51] environmentally friendly alternative was [18:53] used for their production how long do [18:55] you actually think it would be before [18:57] manufacturer stopped using PVC entirely [18:59] I'd give it a year [19:01] the value of vinyl is not lost on me [19:03] there's something sacred about dusting [19:05] off an old record putting it on a [19:06] mechanical turntable dropping the stylus [19:08] into the groove and listening to the [19:10] music in the consecutive order in which [19:12] it was supposed to be heard but the [19:14] sacred thing is not the disk or the [19:16] turntable it's us music lovers taking a [19:18] break from our hectic days and just [19:20] closing our eyes relaxing and actually [19:22] listening to the music it wields the [19:24] power of bringing our minds and [19:26] imaginations to new places it gives us [19:29] chills and makes us recall distant [19:31] memories that's why we love it so much [19:33] and that's the magic that's starting to [19:35] become rarer in 2019 but the good news [19:38] is that you don't need polyvinyl [19:40] chloride to do that all you need is your [19:42] ears your mind and some self-discipline [19:44] to set the time aside for it and hey [19:46] seriously thank you so much for [19:49] taking the time to hear me out on this [19:51] topic if you learned anything or if you [19:53] liked what you saw today subscribe to [19:54] this channel there should be some links [19:56] down below to things like my Instagram [19:59] to things like my band camp I don't have [20:02] a patreon and I don't use affiliates [20:03] however if you want to support me in [20:06] some way go check out my music thanks [20:08] again for watching bye