Happy New Year, fellow vinylists! Back with another contribution to Vinyl Community Podcasts, host David Bianco of the YouTube channel Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion shares an interview conducted with the venerable mastering and audio engineer Kevin Gray. 

Kevin has mastered music for every major label in every genre, including pop, rock, jazz, classical, adult contemporary, alternative, punk, heavy metal, contemporary Christian, new age, gothic, world ethnic, disco, dance, soul, blues, and hip-hop / rap. In addition, Kevin has to his credit more than a hundred top ten and Grammy award winning records, and dozens of RIAA certified gold and platinum albums and singles.

In this interview he shares integral parts of his journey to becoming a premier audio mastering engineer, beginning way back at the age of eighteen to the present day with the business he operates, Cohearent Audio. You'll hear about mentors in Kevin's career along the way, the importance of plating in the record production process, his thoughts on half-speed mastering and lacquer availability, and additional insights into the full chain process of bringing a recording to life on the vinyl format.

Sit back and adjust those audio devices to their preferred settings, your tray tables upward, and relax as David is proud to bring another Audio Excursion to the Vinyl Community here on Vinyl Community Podcasts!

For more on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion):

https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion

Please join David every Monday on his YouTube channel for "The Audio Quest", a livestream discussing the latest news in gear, releases, and topics keen to the auditorily inclined. 

As we close 2025 here on Vinyl Community Podcasts, the last BONUS TRAX segment of the year features a spirited debate amongst the SURFACE NOISE crew about the greatest (and worst) Christmas/Holiday songs in existence. Dishes were smashed. Names were called. And we find Arnaldo is not a fan of Saint Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime"....like the opposite of big fan. Like hates it, hates it. 🤬

Ultimately, In a sea of Mariah Carey's, be an Eartha Kitt. 😻

Thank you for your continued support on VCP, Surface Noise, and all the programming we put out. 2026 will be another great year, and we thank you for being part of it! 🏆🏆🏆🏆

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

El Presidente, Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For the latest full SURFACE NOISE of 2025, we are taking you back....to the FUTURE! Our dais of (sometimes) disciplined vinyl mercenaries walks through some current events in the wonderful world of vinyl before turning their eyes, ears, and wallets to 2026.

What will be some titles reissued in the new year? What trends or macro (or micro) patterns will envelope the hobby? Is this the year the pricing bubble bursts? And will there finally get a Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" zoetrope?

So many questions, so little time.

This is the show of records, talking about records.

This.

Is.

Surface Noise.

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

El Presidente, Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

Buy one, get one: a record collector's dream. In this case, the home office at SURFACE NOISE attempts their own version of that retailer mantra with BONUS TRAX. On this latest edition, the dais starts with a story about pricing gone haywire on some new releases, and how one record store owner made it right (and why you should buy from him if you get the chance). 

Following that up, a lengthly discussion on some records that have gone MAD in cost/value of late, and whether or not these titles should be fetching such exorbitant prices or is Discogs simply "broken"?

All that and more John Bong goodness for your earholes. 

BONUS TRAX....Next!

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion):

https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion

IG: @audio_excursion

Back and better than ever, our dear Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

The show of record, talking about records, doesn't care whether you've been naughty or nice, want originals or suffer from reissueitis, or are simply a generous soul, this latest rendition of SURFACE NOISE will have something for the vinyl record enthusiast in your life. 🎁

Even you.

After we share some reissue news in the Current Events segment, our applicants for seasoned audiophiledom discuss gift ideas for different layers of record collecting:

Gift ideas to make your vinyl record spin, and get a big 'ol grin (of gratitude). What would you enjoy from these options?

There's still time to shop. Operators are standing by. ☎️

The one, the only, it's SURFACE NOISE. 

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion):

https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion

IG: @audio_excursion

Back and better than ever, our dear Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

For the extra session of BONUS TRAX following the latest SURFACE NOISE podcast, we take a trip down mammary lane (pun intended) as we revisit a livestream on YouTube that was key to bringing many of our panelists together - The Rachel's Ghost daily livestream on YouTube. 

Brought more into focus via a short documentary from director Greg Elmer, "The TV Show" presents the background into the hostess - Rachel Williams - and a world inside the Vinyl Community that ultimately became a hub for connectivity for many of the record collectors who flock to YouTube in search of news, information, and entertainment inside the collective. 

Greg's film initially sets the stage for a poignant two days in that livestream's history with Election Day 2024 in the US, and the fallout the following day. The film also delves into many areas behind this "trans woman of color", her loving wife Sue, and the cast of "characters" affiliated with the show on those days. 

Disclosure: We originally had planned to have Greg on to speak about the film, but scheduling issues presented themselves and he was unable to join. In his stead, the dais gave longer opinions on the film, that environment, and what story we felt was (or wasn't) told in those 33 minutes of film. He was generous enough to provide screening copies for us to review, which we greatly appreciate, and wish him and the project well going forward.

The project is available on a limited basis by going to the following link:

https://sojudocs.vhx.tv

** As the Surface Noise crew are not professional reviewers, these opinions are ours and ours alone. 

Back to our regularly scheduled programming....

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion):

https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion

IG: @audio_excursion

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

The latest episode of SURFACE NOISE is your vinyl record collecting hookup! 🔐

Our cratedigging gluttons for dollar bin punishment recap the latest current events in vinyl, including a very questionable one-step choice coming soon (Hello...is it me you are looking for), a George Michael reissue that hasn't been done before, and we give respect to the late/great Steve Cropper who left an indelible contribution to popular music through his work at Stax in Memphis in the 60's and beyond.

The panel recaps their own Record Store Day Black Friday experiences with wins, losses, and participation trophies for most, before turning to the deeper discussion: why are so many reissues much more expensive that their vintage original pressings? (Is that Seals & Croft entering the chat?)

That and much, much more, only on SURFACE NOISE! 

Get some. 🍴

⏬⏬⏬⏬

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more information on David Bianco (Safe & Sound Texas Audio Excursion):

https://www.youtube.com/@SafeAndSoundTXAudioExcursion

IG: @audio_excursion

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

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Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst). Save 10% using the code(s) below: CONCERTBUDDIE

We hope this 'sode finds you in the company of loved ones, good friends, and even better records. For this latest trip around the turntable, we have an off-cycle pod from the SURFACE NOISE crew walking through our picks (and misses) for the 2025 Record Store Day Black Friday releases dropping on Friday, November 28th. 

First spin is our "top" choices - the titles that piqued our interest enough to motivate us to go out to our locals to procure these tasty nuggets of vinyl goodness.

Next round features our "accordion" picks: the choices that we will likely talk ourselves into over the course of waiting in line or further ponderance before the day.

And fittingly we end with the "toilet bowl" selections - the titles so bad, so stinky, that there is only really one place they belong to be (not clogging valuable real estate in our stores' bins).

Plus, a special returning friend of the show and SURFACE NOISE alum stops by to say hello and throw some vinyl goodies our way. 

So much vinyl nonsense, so little time. Please enjoy this supersized, podcast proper bonus cut from SURFACE NOISE!

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more on Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on returning FOTS, Jason (Spinz Vinyl) -

https://www.youtube.com/@spinzvinyl?sub_confirmation=1

IG: https://www.instagram.com/spinz.vinyl

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

IG: @vinylcommunitypodcasts

. . . . .

Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst).

Save 10% using the code(s) below:

VCP10

https://vinylstoragesolutions.ca

It's Monday. You know what that means. 🪗

With all the attention (good or bad) to the entity that is Record Store Day lately, our panel on SURFACE NOISE felt it was high time that we discussed the best releases in the 15+ years of the event(s). For BONUS TRAX, we are walking through the best of their best. Do you own any of these titles? Have you sold any of these titles? Do you remember any of these titles?

The dais also touches on the first releases in the 'Vinylphyle' series, why the Rhino HF jackets are tighter than a drum, and a steel cage match between Keith Richards versus Kiefer Sutherland for bragging rights for the ultimate "Keef". 

Plus, a new record "Bong Bombs" 💣💥. IYKYK

All of that, just waiting to be unlocked on the latest BONUS TRAX. Get some!

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For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more on Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

IG: @vinylcommunitypodcasts

. . . . .

Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst).

Save 10% using the code(s) below:

VCP10

https://vinylstoragesolutions.ca

The show of record, talking records - SURFACE NOISE - is back with the latest in vinyl record collecting vitriol discussing the latest goings on in this hobby of ours. First we dive into the latest CURRENT EVENTS including The Beatles Anthology IV hitting stores tomorrow (11/21), the Definitive Sound Series (DSS) of R.E.M's Chronic Town + Murmur, and fresh new Rhino news on their Start Your Ear Out Right (SYEOR) 2026 campaign. Then we get a field report from Jason Roxas fresh off his visit to the largest record fair in the world in Den Bosch. Warning: vinyl flexing on full display. You've officially been warned. 🫣

This.

Is.

Surface Noise.

⏬⏬⏬⏬

For more on host Concert Buddie:

https://www.youtube.com/@ConcertBuddie

https://concertbuddie.com

IG: @concertbuddie

For more on Arnaldo (fidelios_frequency): 

https://www.youtube.com/@fidelios_frequency

IG: @fidelios_frequency

For more on Jason Roxas:

https://www.youtube.com/@JasonRoxas

For more on Chris (Groove Seeker):

https://www.instagram.com/thegrooveseeker

IG: @thegrooveseeker

For more on Jose Moreno Rahn (aka John Bong):

https://www.youtube.com/@josemorenorahn

https://auroracentralrecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on Vinyl Community Podcasts:

https://vinylcommunitypodcasts.com

IG: @vinylcommunitypodcasts

. . . . .

Don't forget to visit FOTS (friends of the show) Vinyl Storage Solutions for the BEST sleeves to protect your best records (and your worst).

Save 10% using the code(s) below:

VCP10

https://vinylstoragesolutions.ca

Show Appendix:

Full list of Rhino SYEOR 2026 Titles:

https://loudpizza.com/collections/syero-2026?srsltid=AfmBOoq0XbGg-ptpYmB-kRocxF7Sl3_Ix4o2VbGIUu4gfVsX0wnVweEI