Thank you for buying this record. What follows is its documentation: the
pressing identified, the matrix / runout transcribed by hand from the dead
wax, and the condition as assessed before it was listed. It is yours to keep
with the record.
— Paul, Vinyl Curator
La Dispute
Tiny Dots
2016 · Better Living BL02B · Stereo · US · LP · 33 1/3 RPM
Pressing details
| Label | Better Living |
|---|
| Catalogue number | BL02B |
|---|
| Year | 2016 |
|---|
| Mono / Stereo | Stereo |
|---|
| Country | US |
|---|
| Format | LP |
|---|
| Speed | 33 1/3 RPM |
|---|
| Genre | Post-Hardcore / Spoken Word (Soundtrack & Live) |
|---|
| Musicians | Jordan Dreyer (vocals), Chad Sterenberg (guitar), Kevin Whittemore (guitar), Adam Vass (bass), Brad Vander Lugt (drums) |
|---|
Matrix / Runout
Side A: SP538179061A
Side B: SP538179061B
Condition
- Cover
- NM-
- Vinyl
- NM
Variant chronology
2016 - US RSD exclusive, clear vinyl, cat. BL02B <- this copy
2016 - UK/EU RSD exclusive, clear w/ blue splatter, ltd. 1,000, cat. BSM181/B1
2016 - Standard black 180g retail LP (Big Scary Monsters)
2016 - Subscription Edition, silver vinyl (sold-out, rare)
This Pressing
2016 US Record Store Day pressing (clear vinyl) - Better Living cat. BL02B, matrix SP538179061A/B.
The Album
La Dispute is a Grand Rapids, Michigan post-hardcore band known for pairing intense spoken-word vocals with dense, literary lyricism across albums like Wildlife and Rooms of the House. Tiny Dots grew out of a 2015 documentary of the same name that chronicled the band's process and touring life; Side A of this record is the instrumental score the band composed for that film, while Side B captures a stripped-down, seated live performance filmed in Kingston, UK in May 2014, drawing mostly on material from Rooms of the House. Rather than a conventional studio album, Tiny Dots functions as an archival bridge release between Rooms of the House (2014) and the band's later Panorama (2019), showing an unusually intimate, largely wordless and acoustic side of a band typically defined by cathartic vocal delivery. It offered longtime fans a rare instrumental and stripped-back counterpoint to the band's studio catalog and reinforced La Dispute's reputation within post-hardcore and emo circles for ambitious, format-defying releases tied to visual/multimedia projects.
Tracklist
Side 1
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
5. E
6. G
Side 2
1. A Departure
2. For Mayor In Splitsville
3. Woman (In Mirror)
4. St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues
5. A Broken Jar
6. Objects In Space
The Label
The side labels are plain off-white/grey with a fine polka-dot pattern, a single hand-drawn rose-and-arrow logo at the bottom, and the 'Better Living' book-icon logo (Side B). This is La Dispute's own Better Living imprint, distributed via BMG (BMG logo on back cover), used for the band's self-released Record Store Day 2016 exclusive rather than their earlier No Sleep or Epitaph-era pressings. Hand-written side markings ('A'/'B') and matrix suffix 'A'/'B' on the label place this copy as the flagship US RSD 2016 clear-vinyl issue, distinct from the separately catalogued clear/blue-splatter RSD variant (BSM181/B1) or the plain black retail LP.
Fidelity
This is a contemporary 2016 digital-era vinyl cut with no notable audiophile mastering pedigree; discussion of La Dispute pressings among collectors is minimal, reflecting the release's niche RSD/collector status rather than sonic prestige. Pressing quality is typical of mid-2010s RSD exclusives - generally clean and quiet, though colored/clear vinyl of this era can show minor surface noise versus standard black stock. There is no known audiophile reissue (Analogue Productions/Mobile Fidelity/Tone Poet-type) of this title, so this RSD clear pressing and the parallel blue-splatter RSD and black retail LPs represent the only vinyl options, with no clear fidelity hierarchy distinguishing them beyond vinyl color.
Notes
This is the 2016 Record Store Day exclusive clear-vinyl LP on La Dispute's own Better Living label, catalog BL02B. The runouts carry matrix SP538179061A/B, distinguishing it from the separately issued clear/blue-splatter RSD variant and the plain black retail LP. Back cover credits show the same Side A/Side B configuration (documentary score / Kingston live set) as the RSD release.
Documenting collections
I do this work for other people’s collections too — documenting a
collection record by record, researching individual pressings, and preparing
collections for sale or for insurance. If you have a collection you would like
documented, or a record you want identified properly, get in touch:
email
This record’s page: https://vinylcurator.net/albums/la-dispute-tiny-dots/
