10 Uniquely Strange Vinyl Variants
From a chocolate record you can eat to vinyl that lights up with a remote control, these are some of the wildest variants out there.
By Davey Ferchow
Most record collectors are drawn to vinyl for the love of music, but even the most serious collector can’t deny the allure of an elaborate record or two. At this point, every size, shape, and color of vinyl you could possibly dream of has been pressed, but labels and artists continue to find new ways to offer mind-blowing vinyl. From vinyl filled with cannabis leaves to a record made of chocolate, these 10 weird records are some of the strangest and most creative vinyl variants out there.
True Colours
by Split Enz
Released in 1980, this Split Enz LP is the oldest release on the list. This version allows you to see “true colors” with its unique laser-etched vinyl. As the record spins, the laser etching catches the light at different moments to create a colorful flashing effect.
By Your Side
by Breakbot
Yes, this record is actually pressed on chocolate and yes, you can listen to it on your turntable! The record was marketed as being playable three to five times before the needle wears the chocolate out. Once you’ve worn through those delicious grooves, you can eat the record.
Blue Ice (Box Set)
by Shout Out Louds
This extremely limited box set includes a record mold, a bottle of distilled water, and instructions for making a record out of ice. The record is playable, but you’ll probably only get one or two spins out of it before the record begins to melt.
Ghostbusters (Stay Puft Edition)
by Ray Parker Jr. / Run-DMC
This record took classic scratch-and-sniff technology and applied it to vinyl. As you listen to the iconic Ghostbusters theme song or the Run-DMC version on the B side, you may begin to smell marshmallows. That’s because the vinyl emits a faint marshmallow scent as the needle works its way through the grooves.
Polygondwanaland
by King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard
Glow in the dark vinyl is fairly common, but what about a record that lights up with a remote control? This pressing of Polygondwanaland features a gold inlay and a battery powered LED strip that allows you to illuminate the record with different colors of flashing light.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
by John Williams
Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a massive cultural event and this pressing of the film’s soundtrack used advanced 3D technology to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience. The LPs include etchings in the center that create holograms of the Millennium Falcon on disc 1 and a TIE Fighter on disc 2 as the records spin.
Friday The 13th
by Harry Manfredini
Although it’s not the only liquid-filled record, this “blood-filled” record has become one of the most well-known and coveted soundtracks since its release. On more than one occasion, it has popped up on the most expensive records sold on Discogs list and horror film fans often shell out thousands of dollars for a copy.
Dopesmoker
by Sleep
Dopesmoker is one of the most infamous doom metal albums of all time and this pressing from Third Man Records took the album’s title to new heights. The records were pressed on PVC with cannabis leaves inside and were originally only available at Third Man Records, Cass Corridor location.
Blue Blood Blues
by The Dead Weather
Third Man Records makes the list again with this wild “triple decker” record concept. The record features a 7-inch inside a 12-inch and the only way to get to the 7-inch is by cracking open the record it’s housed in. The 12-inch’s clear PVC layers, the colored vinyl rings, and the 7-inch inside make up the three layers of this rare collector’s item.
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) (2012 Remix) / Walk Straight Down The Middle
by Kate Bush
Several years before Stranger Things helped Kate Bush reach a massive new audience, a remix of Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) was released for Record Store Day 2013. The picture disc features a zoetrope inspired by the stop motion photography of Victorian imagist Eadweard Muybridge. When the record spins, it looks like the fish people on the picture disc are running.
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