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14 | Gazette Life | August 2025GAZETTE | INTERVIEWVINYL COUNTDOWNMalpa%u00eds Records is the only record label producing vinyl records on Lanzarote. We chatted to label boss Carlos %u201cCharlie%u201d Romero last month.How did you start the label, Charlie?I've been a record collector all my life and had been helping to organise concerts for various local bands for years. In 2000 I started selling second-hand records from my own collection on the Discogs website, and the experience gave me the idea of starting my own record label. I've always been inspired by what Tony Wilson did at Factory Records in Manchester.Where do the records get made?I used to get them from a factory in the Czech Republic, but I've found a pressing plant in Spain now. The big problem here on the Canaries is customs %u2013 the records often get held up for long periods.Which bands are on the label?The first group was Ya No Te Quiero, whose Latinoam%u00e9rica was the first record we put out in 2021. Then came Los Iguales, whose Malas Decisiones was our first 12%u201d lp. We've also got an excellent indie group called Los Clavelitos and Dr%u00fbpe, a coastal rock band based on Lanzarote.Are you looking for more talent?(Laughs) Not actively, no. It tends to happen spontaneously, through the scene, talking to people.Do you have any input on the content?No, I get on with what I do and leave the creative stuff to the bands. That goes for the artwork as well as the music %u2013 our first record by Ya No Te Quiero was designed by the bass player and features a photo of his daughter, with a design by another daughter on the back. And it's great.They also wanted a printed inner sleeve and orange vinyl, so that's what we ordered. MYCMYMalpa%u00eds-Logo.pdf 1 10/3/22 20:50