Into the Groove

By mixing lo-fi charm into hi-fi science, Into the Groove captures all the wonder and absurdity of its subject, jumping and skipping with real analogue delight. - Sunday Times

The story of recorded sound - the technological developments, the people that made them happen and the impact they had on society - from the earliest inventions via the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl.

While Thomas Edison's phonograph represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, it came only after decades of invention, tinkering and experimentation. Into the Groove celebrates the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove, from the earliest paper records of the 1850s all the way up to the recent return of vinyl to vogue.

Vinyl collector and music journalist Jonathan Scott dissects a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today – the domestication of sound. He examines the first attempts to record and reproduce sounds, the origin of the phonograph, and the development of commercial shellac discs. Later, he moves through the fascinating story of the LP record and 7-inch singles, to the competing speed and format wars, and an epilogue charting the decline and then unexpected return of vinyl.

Into the Groove tells the story of the invention that changed us. It explores how these fragile discs not only changed the way we consumed music, but also shaped the way music was made.