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Vinyl is being pressed in Chicago for the first time in over 20 years

A new pressing plant is serving local artists with plans to expand...

A new pressing plant has opened in Chicago, pressing vinyl for the first time in the home of house music for 20 years.

Four investors have opened the pressing plant Smashed Plastic in the north of the city, with a soft launch pressing records for a few local labels.

One of the investors, a DJ called Andy Weber, has lead the investment, buying a vinyl press for around $200,000 from the one of only two companies that make new vinyl presses worldwide, from Toronto, Canada.

The plant is based in Workshop 4200, with a full launch planned for January. The team have a focus on small labels and local artists, having got the idea from conversations with Chicago artists about how difficult it is to get new records made quickly.

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