Before the Needle is a series that pulls back the curtain on the journey your favorite records take, from the studio to your turntable. Find out through videos, interviews and photos, all straight from the heart of the action at The Vinyl Factory in Hayes, London.
We all know that vinyl is for life, not just for Christmas, but this year The Vinyl Factory pressing plant in Hayes played a part in bringing a festive single to turntables across the country.
When TEM-PLE duo Aurora was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), she decided to use her talent to raise awareness of the condition, along with her musical partner Suzette. Together, they created “Never Be Mine This Christmas Time,” a gospel-influenced Christmas single.
“Our music is nothing like the track,” laughs Suzette. “We rap and that's pretty gospel, kind of Motown. It's a Christmas song, and we wrote it quickly and it happened so quickly that we thought, “Okay, we've got this song, but what do we do now?”
The duo's next step was to recruit the London Community Gospel Choir for the song (“They absolutely loved the track”) before going their separate ways to promote and distribute the release. One such avenue was the Vinyl Factory.
After an email exchange with Adam Teskey at the pressing factory, the wheels were in motion for a pro-bono vinyl release of the single. “I love vinyl,” says Aurora. “It's always been our dream to have a record because it's a work of art. There is an essence of you in this record. There's something magical about it.”
The result is an aptly festive record splattered with snowflakes that mirrors the snowfall in his artwork. It is a tangible vessel for the message the couple wants to share. “I'm here to change people's lives and raise the profile of people who don't have a voice with EDS,” explains Aurora. “We got this amazing email and this woman just said thank you,” adds Suzette. “It's so emotional.”
Check out how The Vinyl Factory made the snowflake splatter vinyl for TEM-PLE below.
@thevinylfactory Getting Christmassy on the push plant with @TEMPLE.SOVND ❄️ #thevinylfactory #pressure plant #vinylpressingplant #how it is made #splattervinyl #aesthetic #Christmas #vinyl records #vinyltok #vinylcheck ♬ Never Be Mine This Christmas Season – TEM-PLE
We caught up with Adam to learn more about the project.
How did the press get involved with the TEM-PLE single?
On June 24, 2023, we received an email from Aurora and Suzette telling us they were looking for a plant to push a Christmas single to help raise awareness of a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I'm ashamed to say that my knowledge of EDS was virtually non-existent, and the email made for fascinating reading.
Why did you choose to get involved in the project?
Historically, VFM Ltd have always tried to do a Christmas charity release a year and Aurora and Suzette's email was both enlightening and passionate. They were very well organized so it was an obvious choice and a great cause.
Tell us about the snowflake splatter vinyl. What was the process behind achieving a snowflake design?
There is a bit of a history to the vinyl production because originally, the vinyl was going to be pressed using crystal PVC with an engraving on the B-side. Very close to the start of production, Aurora emailed to ask if a snowflake effect vinyl would be an option. Funnily enough, we had recently created a similar snowflake effect for a Snow Patrol release, so it wasn't as far-fetched a request as he might have first thought. The brief was to try to mimic the snow on the sleeve cover. After a quick meeting with our senior color effects operator and some playing around with the press, the effect was soon created and signed off by TEM-PLE.
What role do you think vinyl manufacturers should play in the wider community?
Vinyl is a much-loved medium and is a brilliant vehicle that allows a charity to either gain better awareness of its cause, raise vital funds or, in the ideal world, both. VFM Ltd is a big proponent of the triple bottom line. people-planet-profit and we are committed to focusing on social and environmental issues as well as the financial side of running a business.
We are already working on our next charity release with War Child – The secret 7″. This range of unique 7in editions was first released in 2012 and VFM Ltd pressed the latest iteration in aid of the charity in 2020. In that time, over £500,000 has been raised by War Child and will be re-released for 2024. again, VFM Ltd will be the pro bono partner.
Learn more about The Vinyl Factory.
read more: How recycled PVC is used to make vinyl
