One of only two vinyl presses in Quebec ceases production. The owner company, the Société des Loisirs, declares bankruptcy. Artists and music lovers here are losing their bearings in the cultural landscape.
The Société des Loisirs has been pressing vinyl since 2021 in Lower Town Quebec. It placed itself this week safe from its creditors.
“I’m at a time when I can’t talk about the story that brought us here,” laments the only administrator of the Société des Loisirs, Audrey Lapointe, on the phone.
Growing tensions have been setting up lately between the company and certain Quebec record companies, according to information from the Duty. Artists have even had to delay the release of their album since the vinyls could not be ready in time.
These discs were very often unique, colorful. Artists like Valaire, Tire le Coyote, Les Louanges, Dumas, Mon Doux Saigneur, Thierry Larose and Flore Laurentienne have done business with them. About 120,000 copies came off their press.
Administrators from the Société des Loisirs recently left the ship, leaving little room for maneuver for Audrey Lapointe. “I decided to leave the company to go back to practice architecture [ma formation professionnelle]. My departure seemed to tumble into a closure, ”she explains.
The pandemic and the consequent ban on opening a café adjoining their press also certainly weighed in on this failure. “Buying 100% upfront equipment, then having commercial rent… I remember I had a plan A, B, C. […] There is nothing in there that foresaw a pandemic that prevents us from opening for a long time, ”recounts Audrey Lapointe.
“What I am concentrating on right now is honoring the contracts we had with Quebec artists to place them elsewhere, to try to have as little impact as possible. All our customers who had purchased vinyl will soon be contacted so that they can pick them up. If they can’t pick them up, they can file a claim. I try to do the right thing on every level. It takes some time, it’s because there will be small clashes, here and there, but it should be smooth. »
The other press still “healthy”
There is now only one vinyl press in operation in Quebec, at Le Vinylist, also in Quebec City.
Co-owner of the latter, Pierre-Luc Savard says he is saddened by the news, but reassures lovers of physical albums: his business is “in very good health”. The vinyl market hasn’t stopped growing since it started production in 2019. nested thing. Currently, it has exceeded expectations,” he said.
Several music lovers were already talking in 2021 of an “overheated” market.
While the Société des Loisirs press required a human hand for each printing, the Vinylist machine is fully automated and can produce around a hundred albums an hour. ” It works very well. We see the future on the bright side. […] We focus on volume,” notes Pierre-Luc Savard.