dubplate

/ˈdʌbpleɪt/

Etymology

From dub (“style of reggae music involving mixing of different audio tracks”) + plate (“music record, usually vinyl”).

Why this word is great

DUBPLATE — [Noun] A limited-run acetate or vinyl record, typically pressed for disc jockeys ahead of official release, originally featuring dub music. From dub ("style of reggae music involving mixing of different audio tracks") + plate ("music record, usually vinyl"). Unlike a "white label" (anonymous and mass-ready) or a "master recording" (the immutable source), a dubplate is both artifact and ephemera—a bespoke sonic experiment. It is the DJ’s hands cradling warm wax still smelling of chemicals, the bassline vibrating through a basement sound system before the crowd knows the track’s name, the crackle of a dub version fading into history as the sun rises. All music is fleeting, but dubplates are born to vanish.

noun

An acetate or vinyl record pressed in very limited numbers, especially one issued to disc jockeys in advance of an official release; specifically (and originally), one containing a piece of dub music (a style of reggae music, often instrumental, involving the mixing of different audio tracks).“You heard that new Danny Weed dubplate?”