Minkin's Music: Gotta Groove presses collectible vinyl

Jay Minkin Mugshot

By Jay Minkin

A large cluster of industrial buildings that still remain on Cleveland’s near east side were once home to iron foundries, motors, tube, metals and machine works. Named after the once thriving Tyler Elevator Company, the area now is the hub to a cluster of small businesses referred to as Tyler Village, located at East 36th Street and Superior Avenue.

On the ground floor of Building 42, Gotta Groove Records has channeled the manufacturing past into a thriving vinyl record pressing facility. Gotta Groove Records began operations in 2009 and was the first new pressing plant to open in the United States in decades. 

It took some foresight for owner Vince Slusarz, after a 25-year career as in-house council for Kinetico Water Systems, to start a manufacturing business with a media that had seen its better days over two decades ago.

Gotta Groove is the only pressing plant where every step of the manufacturing process (lacquers, plating, pressing, label/sleeve/jacket printing) are provided by a single company. Most projects are completed within four months and the company cranks out close to 1,700 records per year for its clients.

About 80 percent of the lacquers used in the production process are cut by master craftsman Clint Holley, of Well Made Music, locally in Cleveland. Colored vinyl is used to create one-of-a-kind platters of art that have been infused with such things as shredded cash, glitter, coffee grounds, cassette tape, exploding labels and silk screened non-playing side four records.

A who’s who of vinyl made in Cleveland includes Aoife O’Donovan, Chuck Prophet, Parker Millsap and The Mavericks, along with the Bloodshot Records catalog and many Record Store Day projects. 

So next time you purchase a new LP, check the fine print of the liner notes. You might be holding a souvenir manufactured in Northeast Ohio. 

Contact Jay at Blues4Bird@aol.com or post on his Minkin’s Music Facebook page.

Categories: Arts & Entertainment