Vinilo Chileno

Vinyl is, per se, just a synthetic polymer of plastic. Still, I would be really surprised if that would be the thing coming to your mind when you read that word. Which, instead, might bring up memories of your favorite artists from the 70s and 80s, or the nights of youth and happiness passed around the deck with friends, the deep scratches on that album you loved so much you’ve wasted it, the desire of that unaffordable special edition from your local record store, or the long play you used to listen to with your dad back in the days. Because the history of technology is the history of music. And, by extension, our story. 

Vinilo Chileno is a history of late 20th century Chile told through music. In a time with no computers, microwave ovens or even answering machines, long-play records were king, holding a key role in our country’s life and culture. This book is a tribute to that Chile and those Chileans, to their love for music and their resilience to limitations; a celebration of LPs (there are some singles here and there too) and their stunning visuals, their scratched surfaces, their iconic shape that made its way forever into collective imagination. As long as their memory is kept, history cannot be erased.

The work of rescuing and preserving this part of history is an hommage for hardcore fans and tireless collectors, to whom an LP by Los Ángeles Negros, Aguaturbia or Víctor Jara kind of feels like the Holy Grail. After ten years of reviews, conversations, and documentation, this extended collection of timeless classics, rarities, legitimate works of art, and (well, isn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows) unclassifiable visual monstrosities, is finally available for readers to browse. Last but not least, no LPs or singles were discriminated against based on styles or tastes - you’ll find all of them in there.