The Vinyl Factory: Reverb drops the needle on wax culture

The vibrations and visuals of the vinyl.

Analogue and wax culture are ingrained in Melbourne’s DNA. A recent research finding from the Victorian Music Development Office places Melbourne in top position for the most record stores per capita than any other city in the world, recording 5.9 record stores for every 100,000 residents. Additionally approximately 50% of Australian independent vinyl stores are located in Victoria and the state houses 66% of the nation’s vinyl pressing plants.

Across the globe, a champion of the vinyl art form and continued production is Sean Bidder. As the Creative Director of the world’s foremost vinyl enterprise, The Vinyl Factory, Bidder drives the development of audio-visual listening experiences through collaboration and creative partnerships.

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“The Vinyl Factory was founded in the early 2000s, with a belief in the longevity of vinyl as a format – at a time when the music industry saw little or no future in it. The company was built of the innate appreciation of the vinyl record as an incredible audiovisual object that provides a uniquely human and tactile experience of enjoying and listening to music. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with hundreds of musicians and artists to create some amazing records, and as we’ve grown those collaborations have expanded into all sorts of interesting creative avenues, from small scale installations to large exhibitions, as The Vinyl Factory has become a commissioning partner and facilitator enabling musicians and artists to make new work at scale,” Bidder explains.

Their latest collaborative endeavour sees them earmark Melbourne as the prime presentation spot for multi-sensory sound exhibition, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb.

Originally staged in London, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb is a co-presentation between two major Melbourne arts, music, and cultural players, ACMI and RISING Festival. The exhibition is an exploration into music and vinyl culture, and their flow-on influence into art, fashion, film, and social and political movements across key eras.

Taking over ACMI from Friday 22 May and running for the duration of RISING Festival and beyond until Monday 31 Aug 2026, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb is a culmination of immersive, interactive, educational, and entertaining displays that deep dive into the scenes and sounds that shape the music.

 

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Bidder explains, “The Vinyl Factory: Reverb showcases The Vinyl Factory collection and collaborations over the last two decades, which are many and various. Rather than being aligned by musical genre or form, they are diverse and varied, but the common thread is that they synthesise music and art in one form or another, be they a film or installation, much like a vinyl record-the music and artefact are inseparable: everyone can recognise many of the 20th century’s most iconic record covers as much as the music contained within. The two together create an experience distinct from modern streaming.”

Visually and curatorially, The Vinyl Factory: Reverb is underpinned by the physical, collaborative and cross-disciplinary journey into sound.

“We are really excited to be collaborating with The Vinyl Factory and RISING to bring this unique exhibition to Melbourne. Music and sound are so often undervalued in our appreciation of moving image. Yet it’s an essential component in how we experience and connect to it. From iconic film riffs becoming shorthand in pop culture (think Jaws to James Bond), to cinematic storytelling in long-form music videos, or everyone tuning into Bad Bunny’s Superbowl performance – music is integral to how we consume, share and enjoy screen culture,” says ACMIs Head Curator, Bethan Johnson.

“The artworks celebrate creative collaboration. Our partnership with RISING continues this sense of spirit – where collaboration enables us to deliver ambitious, cross-disciplinary programming that brings exciting and seminal work to our local audiences – that you can’t see anywhere else.”

The exhibition features immersive works by significant international artists Stan Douglas, Jenn Nkiru, William Kentridge, Jeremy Deller, Virgil Abloh, Kahlil Joseph, Gabriel Moses, Cecilia Bengolea, Julianknxx and Carsten Nicolai. From Kingston’s dancehall scene and the late-80s ‘Second Summer of Love’, to a physical reconstruction of Columbia’s 30th Street Studio, where Some Kind of Blue, Lady in Satin and Highway 51 were created, the exhibition traces how sound reverberates through culture.

“The exhibition features nine large-scale video artworks, an interactive installation, sculptural sound system, rare vinyl releases, and a bespoke Listening Room.  It celebrates two decades of The Vinyl Factory, and their radical creative collaborations between artists and musicians – so as you can imagine the works and artforms featured are super diverse. You’ve got streetwear designers to fashion photographers, choreographers to poets – all working at the intersection of music, art and film. The energy, soundtracks and performances on screen are intoxicating. We watch musicians jam in the studio, remix in clubs and dance in the streets,” offers Johnson.

She continues, “In ISDN by Stan Douglas, visitors stand between two screens, caught in the middle of a call-and-response rap between London and Cairo. Each musician delivers freestyle verses on race and class in their home countries. The exchange feels live, but the performances were recorded weeks apart and the film runs for an incredible 1523 days 17 hours 52 minutes! Douglas samples and remixes the footage to create the illusion of real time. Alongside the video works, we also have several moments where visitors can listen to music in new ways. Carsten Nicolai, also known under the pseudonym Alva Noto, has spent the last 30 years creating an audio archive of electronic sounds. In his interactive installation titled Bausatz Noto, the archive is available on 12 coloured vinyl records. Four turntables invite visitors to select a record, put on headphones and create a new track by combining sound loops in ever-changing variations. It’s really fun and completely hypnotic!”

 

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The Vinyl Factory archives are unboxed in a display that features 100 rare and limited edition records, showcasing their rich history of artistic collaboration across disciplines. 

“The 100 Records installation reflects The Vinyl Factory label’s story of collaborating with

musicians and artists over the past 20 years. We’ve released nearly 500 records in that time but feel this 100 perhaps best captures the synergy between music and art,” explains Bidder.

A major drawcard for the exhibition is the Listening Room. By day you can select a record and settle in to listen to music in a sanctuary acoustically optimised for pristine sound, designed by Pitt & Giblin. By night, enter listening party sessions from RISING artists curated by Triple R’s Cease + Desist presenter Yasmine Sharaf. The lineup features Nicole Skeltys (Artificial/B(If)Tek); Severed Heads architect Tom Ellard; Rotational; Mark Ernestus of Basic Channel and Hard Wax; and archival collaborators Penrith Miers. More acts will be announced  this month, with the night programming running until the end of the exhibition.

 

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The Vinyl Factory: Reverb is an auditory and visual feast that not only puts vinyl at the forefront, but shows how music unites artforms, creators, and listeners across the globe. Enter with an open mind, and leave with a renewed sense of love for music.

“We hope people feel energised and hopeful about the joy and creativity that music and art can bring,” says Bidder.

Johnson adds, “I hope visitors come away feeling inspired, and reflect on how music is a cultural and social force in their lives. I want them to go home, put on their favourite record and play it really loud!”

The Vinyl Factory: Reverb will open at ACMI Melbourne, running from Friday 22 May until Monday 31 August. Find out more about the exhibition, and book tickets to head inside, here.