EAST OF THE GROOVE
Journal
Stories about records, collecting, and the music that matters — from Soviet estrada to the rock, jazz and pop of Eastern Europe, exploring the artists, labels, pressing plants, formats, stories and cultural worlds that brought these records to life.
Formats & Media
Why Flexi Discs Thrived in the Soviet Union
Cheap, lightweight and surprisingly influential, Soviet flexi discs carried music, education and culture into millions of homes—becoming one of the most distinctive formats of the Cold War.
7 August 2026
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Formats & Media
Music on Bones: The Incredible Story of Soviet X-Ray Records
Pressed onto discarded X-rays, these extraordinary records carried forbidden music across the Soviet Union. Born from necessity and ingenuity, they became one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of underground music.
23 July 2026
Formats & Media
Krugozor: The Soviet Magazine That Brought Music into Millions of Homes
Long before streaming playlists and podcasts, millions of Soviet readers discovered music through the pages of Krugozor. More than a magazine, it became one of the most remarkable publishing experiments of the Soviet Union.
22 July 2026