PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BURLINGTON RECORD PLANT
IN THE
Burlington Record Plant presses forward
In an unassuming industrial garage in Burlington , a fascinating musical demimonde lies hidden behind a heavy black door . Rows of specialized and obscure machines stand under an intricate labyrinth of thin metal pipes . The walls are covered from floor to ceiling in colorful custom-made records , which represent an eclectic range of genres from European Death Metal to Conscious Hip-Hop . As Justin Crowther energetically paces through the workshop , there is a focused and determined expression on his face while he inspects the dials and meters on his machines . Ever since he first founded Burlington Record Plant in 2014 , Justin has channeled the same creative passion that fueled his career as a touring musician into the complex and nuanced craft of record manufacturing .
Justin recalls that the original inspiration behind Burlington Record Plant came from his desire to find stability and freedom as a self-employed entrepreneur . “ When I was on tour playing drums for a country-western metal band called Waylon Speed , I came to an important realization . I understood that if I could figure out how to make vinyl records in Vermont , I would be able to work for myself doing something that I was passionate about . I was working five different jobs at the time , and I wanted something more consistent and fulfilling . After that initial ‘ A-ha !’ moment , I didn ’ t stop working towards my goal until we made our first record here at Burlington Record Plant a year-and-a-half later .”
Justin says that after he found the space on Pine Street where he wanted to open his workshop , he then invested the entirety of his savings into specialized machinery from overseas . “ I found some of the last available equipment on the market . Record pressing machines are certainly not easy to come by . The machine was located in Germany , and it cost roughly € 20,000 . It was originally custom-built in 1962 , for the Warner Bros . factory in Europe . It had been out of service for 30 years . In order to bring it over here , I had to ship it from Germany to Amsterdam , then from Amsterdam to New York City . Once it was finally over here in the United States , I had it brought up on a truck from New York City to Burlington . I then dismantled the machine , and commandeered the services of my friend who worked as an engineer over at Burton Snowboards . He helped me reverse-engineer some of the parts and figure out how the machine worked .
10 VERMONT MAGAZINE