Features

Last Spring when analogPlanet editor Michael Fremer visited analogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui at his Portland, Oregon home, the two visited record stores, interviewed Discogs founder Kevin Lewandowski, shot a not yet published video at Cascade Record Pressing and toured Woodblock Chocolate Manufactory, which as you will see resembles in some ways a record pressing plant.

Yes, it's somewhat of a stretch, but we both figure this tour is holiday season appropriate and that you will enjoy watching the cacao bean roasting process. The visit was arranged by Fremer's friend and serial entrepreneur David Hyman, who along with being a serious music lover/audiophile was a founder of Gracenote/CDDB data base, MOG (sold to Apple and became Apple Music) and currently Unagi Scooters. Hyman is friends with Woodblock co-founder Charley Wheelock who took us on the tour (and gave Malachi an awesome "noogie" that you'll see in the video).

Mr. Lui is a serious choco-holic whose visits have always included chocolate gifts in hand (usually dark, sophisticated 'adult taste' chocolates—his faves), so when the tour opportunity arose, Fremer grabbed it! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa too...(THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A WAR ON CHRISTMAS)...