Savannah record store puts a new spin on vinyl production

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah record store built on vinyl is now pressing its own, making it one of the only independent labels in the country to do so.

Graveface Records, which started as a recording label releasing indie psych, shoegaze and elective music, has opened its own vinyl pressing plant near the Georgia state line.

Each sift through the stacks at Graveface Records reveals a different sound, a different setlist and a different story. The shop’s shelves serve as a Savannah staple for vinyl collectors.

“I didn’t go through a CD phase in the 90s like most people. I was buying records, which is how I was able to open the store,” said Ryan Graveface, the store’s owner. “It’s just something I enjoyed collecting and hoarding.”

From collecting to creating

Graveface has put out over 200 records through his label work with Graveface Records and Terror Vision, including the recent release of the soundtrack for the 1972 film “The Legend of Boggy Creek.”

The new pressing plant represents a full circle moment from collecting to creating.

Pressing a the vinyl is a technical process that starts with a malleable puck of PVC that gets pressed between two hot plates imprinted with an inverse of a master audio file. The records are then trimmed and cooled.

Graveface also produces handmade, small-batch special editions vinyl with unique colorways and designs.

“It’s pretty cool because you could put flowers, liquid or even pages from a book,” he said. “You could put anything inside these records.”

Bringing down industry costs

Beyond manufacturing records for his own recording labels, Graveface aims to make music more affordable for local artists and collectors.

“The main vision here is to bring prices way down. Which will - in our little tiny neck of the woods - help the industry significantly,” he said.

The pressing process maintains a personal touch while balancing efficiency and artfulness.

“It’s cool because we ride that fine line of getting things done, but also making it artful.”

Preserving the vinyl experience

For Graveface, vinyl remains the purest way to experience music.

“Just the ability to hold something - large artwork, liner notes, lyrics, the artfulness of colored vinyl or deluxe packaging. It’s very important, and it’s really how music should be consumed in my opinion.”