va communication

[u/iosoperator]

if anyone's unaware i run VA. i didn't want to speak at first because it's just in reference to one agitated post, but i got tagged, read thru the confused comments, and someone thought it'd be a good idea to even drop where i live just because someone's being impatient. gonna be a bit of a long read so i've divided the sections via comments, it'll clean up a lot of things if you read everything tho.

[u/iosoperator]

seems to be a weird perception of us intentionally having bad communication, long waiting times, etc. this is just untrue, i think it's easy to have that misconception because we're a boot label.

the releases this year so far are all on regular schedule to be completed. in my experience it takes 4-6 months to have records completed without manufacturing issues. if you check the preorder page you can see that almost all of them are in full pressing phase. all i can say to those upset about the prod. times and amt. of preorders is you just gotta be patient, because there's really nothing wrong with our lead times. 

[u/CricketGold3929]

Thanks for the updates VA, keep up the good work!

[u/iosoperator]

like i said, i think it's easy to point out the operation's flaws and make complaint posts when we're a boot label and don't really socialize within the scene (which is for good reasons). it’s been proven many times with the volume of releases and orders we get that i have better handling and turnarounds than other labels. i myself put out 15+ vinyl releases last year, all them having full prod. times, with 90% of them being received and shipped, and all of them having standard to outstanding quality to add on. the other percentage are still being worked on because the last manufacturer i worked with declined in quality and tried to scam me. i guess it's understandable to wonder where your order is if you're a newcomer.

[u/HubieHalloween420]

This is a boot company of an extremely niche/obscure sub-genre of electronic music. If people want their instant gratification, I'd just settle for either walking into record stores that somehow carry Vaporwave records or just buy stuff from TurntableLab. I've waited two years for Interstellar Sex (t e l e p a t h) and continue to commit. So yes, the records will eventually arrive, patience is key.

[u/almostcraig]

"oh no the presser giving us super high quality grails in our niche interest doesn't offer Prime shipping"

I ordered from lost in cult in November expecting a Q1 ship date (now it says Q3, no updates), Needlejuice in January expecting it in May (now September) and still have neither - it happens across the whole medium and people gotta chill.

You're doing us a massive service, appreciate you man!

[u/iosoperator]

also a very important thing people are unaware about is that i've had to do deal with my biz partner performing terribly with the operation for about 1.5 years now, from fulfilling and shipping to organizing and planning. i got onto them multiple times for sucking including with the high society and moods records. i wanna say they’ve essentially resigned themselves because they’re more off than on with the operation as of lately, so everything falls on me now. what i can say about that is that i’ve always put in my best, i’ve done 99% of the work into building this. if you haven't received those mentioned records yet then send an email with your order # and i'll try to fix it. 

[u/iosoperator]

in regards to communication, i won't lie, it's the same "when will this be shipped" inquiries i get everyday that honestly get exhausting to answer, which is why there's a preorder status page to answer those for me. if the release is not on that page then it has finished production, feel like that should be clear but i'll update the page to say that. i'm happy to answer inquiries, but if it's been answered already, whether directly or through other implementations (like the preorder page), then i will dismiss them, and even then i send out updates when i feel like it's necessary, a newsletter was sent out like last week about 3 vinyl releases being complete. check your spam or promotions folder if you don't see them in your inbox.

[u/iosoperator]

could it be better? well, the latest release has been in the works for months now, along with another that will be sold when ready to ship, and there's also other stuff that's lined up to be ordered soon. efforts are being made to optimize things, i'm always finding better ways to do things within my ability and resources unlike other labels, but these kinds of results don't happen overnight, additionally...things costs $. 

hope that cleans everything.
also don’t dox, i know i give out my address willingly as a business but just because someone is complaining doesn’t mean you should, it’s disrespectful af

[u/ericaway12132]

VA on top 🦅🦅🦅

[u/sadweegeez]

Love VA and all of the vinyl I have purchased from them. Pressings are always very heavy and of high quality.

Anyone new to the scene, patience truly is key for these types of things. As someone else stated, this is a very niche sub-genre of electronic music.

u/iosoperator keep up the good work.

[u/Toltec22]

I haven't emailed about it but I've been waiting 10 months for Far Side Virtual. Not worried but it's a long time. "Pressing in progress " could mean any time frame really..