If you're a lover of video game music, you've probably come across the name Ship To Shore in the past.
The boutique record label is fairly well-known in the VGM community for its quality reissues of classic video game soundtracks on vinyl, previously working on albums based on Suikoden II, Mega Man Legends, Earthbound, the Phantasy Star series, as well as countless other titles.
Now, though, it seems that those days are sadly at an end, with the label announcing recently that it is shutting down its operation after 10 years in business.
No precise reason was given for why the owners have decided to call time on the project, but, in a statement provided on its website, they thanked fans for their "love and support" over the last decade and stated that its back catalogue would still be available through the Materia Store. They also expressed hope that they would be able to "bring you more records in another capacity sometime in the near future."
Here's the full statement (taken from the website):
"Dear Ship to Shore Crew,
It is with a heavy heart that today we must announce the sunset of Ship to Shore PhonoCo. After more than 10 years of operation, Ship to Shore has shipped and shored our final records.
We want to thank all of our customers who have bought records from us over the years and given us untold love and support. Without all of you, we wouldn’t have made it as long as we did and for that we are all eternally grateful.
Ship to Shore was a complete labor of love for us, and we will always cherish the memories and the music that made the last 10+ years so special. We hope that, in a small way, we contributed to the resurgence of the physical media that we were so passionate about when we began this journey.
In the meantime, our catalog will be available through Materia Store (https://materia.to/sts) and we hope to bring you more records in another capacity sometime in the near future.
Sail On, Sailors and Keep Spinning.
The Ship to Shore PhonoCo. Team"
This will likely be a big blow for collectors of video game vinyl, as Ship to Shore was one of the top producers.
In response to the news, people were quick to offer their thanks for Ship to Shore's many years of service, with Brave Wave Production's Mohammed Taher calling it "A damn shame and a loss to VGM enthusiasts", while the Celeste composer Lena Raine called it "a really heartbreaking thing to see happen" as the label was "the first ones to show a huge interest in releasing my catalogue on vinyl".
Have you ever bought any soundtracks from Ship To Shore? Let us know in the comments!