Vinyl.
It’s not a CD. It’s not an 8-track. It’s not a cassette.
It’s what you’re going to buy your vinyl-head friend, and local vinyl record maker Ethan Smith puts condoms, flowers, leaves and liquids in his pressings.
Smith, a University of Oregon law student and owner of Eugene-based New Cosmos Records, says he started pressing vinyl two years ago because he was bored after moving from Helena, Montana.
“As I was doing that, it became clear a lot of really cool bands I liked weren’t able to do pressings,” he says. “So it made sense that I was able to expand and kind of not only help them do the pressings they couldn’t otherwise afford, but also give them a really good deal doing it.”
While he’s not dealing with the Taylor Swifts and Charli XCXs of the world, Smith says it’s been a joy to work with some of his favorite artists like indie rock band Joywave or alternative artist Ashes to Amber.
“I really enjoy most of the artists I get to work with,” Smith says, “and I really appreciate just being able to do something with them and be a part of that process.”
Smith contributes to the artistry of vinyl pressing. Traditionally, vinyl is made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), but Smith adds a bit of his own spice.
He used to make hand-cast records, but now opts to use the “sandwiching method,” which takes two pressed records, adding a permanently fused layer in between filled with liquids, lemons or guitar picks.
Smith makes all of his art vinyl by hand. When making a press, the first step is choosing something that captures the artist’s intentions.
“I try to think of something that really is going to both embody the album’s zeitgeist as well as something that will really pop,” he says.
Then, it’s several hours of working in his studio, placing PVC pucks into the press — fitted with the grooves of the music’s master — superheating it, creating the final product.
For Smith, it’s all about the reaction an artist has when he hands them a record he’s made.
“For them, it’s really special to be able to have something that’s not just ethereal music someone can play, but a physical representation of that work they’ve done,” he says. To buy your vinyl collector bestie something a little unexpected, go to NewCosmosRecords.BigCartel.com or visit them on Instagram @newcosmosrecords. Prices range from $28 to $225.