- Tue, 2013-02-26 11:19
Launched at the start of 2013, Beat Delete www.beatdelete.com is a specialised Kickstarter, a website which allows fans to potentially rescue lost vinyl releases.
Customers can pledge to buy a copy of a record currently out of stock by the label. When a certain level of pledges have been made, the record will be re-pressed and once again will become available to the wider world. In many cases, pledgers will receive numbered or exclusive limited editions, or other benefits outlined for each release.
Developed from an idea by a Ninja Tune employee and “powered” by the same label, the 2013 launch of Beat Delete responds to the lasting impact of the fire at the Sony-DADC warehouse in Edmonton during the summer 2011 riots which destroyed 3.2m releases. For independent labels, the cost of re-pressing the small releases that make up the bulk of their catalogue is hard to justify. According to the Beat Delete press release:
"It’s easy enough to put in an order of 1000 copies of something you know will sell through in a matter of weeks, but what about that record that may take several years to recoup the investment? That means warehousing costs on top of expensive shipping and manufacture, and many labels can’t afford to take that risk. As a result, we’re all – as music buyers – impoverished. There is less choice, less chance of coming across a little gem, less excitement. This is particularly true of vinyl, where the costs of re-pressing small quantities of a record are prohibitively high."
Since the beta launch of the site at the start of the year there have been steady orders. King Geedorah's - Take Me To Your Leader on Big Dada has been fully funded, Amon Tobin's Permutation and Bricolage LPs are both 80% complete, while Bonobo, Hexstatic, Roots Manuva and more are waiting for your support...
Beat Delete is already supported by the following labels: Accidental, Ninja Tune, Beggars, Big Dada, Brainfeeder, Cat Skills, Domino, Sunday Best, Tru Thoughts.
Beat Delete will be looking to consistently add new record labels and releases to the site. Any labels large or small who would like make available out of press products to the Beat Delete community please contact info@beatdelete.com
