Ongoing History Daily: Strange vinyl variants, part 1

Record collecting has exploded in recent years. Most people want to fill gaps in their libraries, ensuring they have all the essentials. Others are looking for unusual things to add. Here are a couple of examples of that.

In 1980, the New Zealand band Split Endz released a version of their True Colours album that had designs laser-etched into the vinyl. When spun on a turntable, the etching catches the light to create an interesting flashing effect.

There’s a 2012 album by Breakbot that was pressed into chocolate instead of vinyl. And yes, you can play it on a turntable, although it will wear out rather quickly. That’s okay because once it’s unplayable, you can actually eat it.

One more: The Shout Out Louds released a kit in 2012 that included a mold, a bottle of distilled water, and instructions how to make the album out of ice. Chances are you’ll get one or two plays out of it before everything starts to melt.

More next time.