Rapture Records

"There is something more powerful than each of us, a combination of our efforts, a Great Chain of industry that unites us. But it is only when we struggle in our own interest that the chain pulls society in the right direction..." - Andrew Ryan This article falls within the scope of the BioShock Wiki:Businesses Project. This project is dedicated to improving the articles about Rapture and Columbia's many businesses. Would you kindly help the BioShock Wiki by volunteering on the project page?

“He pays the rent for my 'darling little shop.' Which just happens to have everything Mr. Cohen here ever recorded. And some other people too—Sinatra, Billie Holiday.”

― Silas Cobb?

Rapture Records was a record company and record label with stores located throughout Rapture. The most well-known branch was owned by Silas Cobb in Poseidon Plaza within Fort Frolic. Another was located on High Street. The establishment was a subsidiary of Sonorous Inc.

Known Records in Stock

So many choices, so little time.

BioShock and BioShock 2

Album Cover or Advertising Poster	Title	Artist	Notes
	Ryan's Songbird	Anna Culpepper	-
	Why Even Ask?	Sander Cohen	Also exists in a stereo version
	Son	-	-
	Big Stuff!	-	-
	Masons Plāh	-	-
	unknown	-	-

BioShock: Rapture?

Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra are two artists mentioned off-hand in the book.

Burial at Sea - Episode 1

Album Cover or Advertising Poster	Title	Artist	Notes
Stereo version	Why Even Ask?	Sander Cohen	-
	Rabbits Song	Denice Culpepper	Andrew Ryan Sponsorship Fontaine Publications
	You Belong to Me	Elizabeth	Produced by Sander Cohen
	Acension	-	-
	unknown	-	Disc BCQ
	Passion	-	Rapture Recording
	Deep	-	-
	Contralto	Dizzying Quartet	six tracks
	unknown	-	Disc BCQ Rapture Recording
	Jessica Charlene	Jessica Charlene - Soprano	Disc BCQ
	Fabulous	-	1. Wishes - Singing Trio Mt. 1987 2. Every Dream - Trumpet MT> 5:66 3. Smooth Blue - Second Clarinet MT 8:44 4. Nothing - Conductor 87 5. Cream of the Crop - Bridge at 4 6. St. Clare - Rose Betty
	Raptures' Story	James Mason	Andrew Ryan Sponsorship Fontaine Publication
	Division	-	-
	unknown	-	Rapture Recording
	unknown	-	-
	Serenade	-	Disc BCQ
	Christal Clemens	Christal Clemens - Soprano	Disc BCQ
	Jilians Melodies	-	six tracks Disc BCQ
	Soprano Bassoon	-	six tracks Disc BCQ
	unknown	-	Disc BCQ
	Rapture Jazz	-	six tracks 1955
	Dance of Rapture	Taylor	Arranged and Conducted by TTalor

Record Labels

Label and Cover	Title	Format	Notes
	BioShock Press Kit sampler	CD	Believed to contain various songs from the BioShock Licensed Soundtrack Features an early logo design
	Sounds of Rapture	CD	German edition of the original BioShock score with additional game dialogue in German dubbing.
	The BioShock EP	CD	Features remixes of Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea" and Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" by Moby and Osar the Punk. Also includes "Wild Little Sisters", a remix of the Faux Frenchmen composition, "Wild Ride" and in-game PSAs.
	I Am Rapture - Rapture is Me	Vinyl LP CD	Included with the BioShock 2 Special Edition Contains Garry Schyman's orchestral score for BioShock.
	Rise, Rapture, Rise	45 rpm	Promotional record for the There's Something in the Sea alternate reality game. Contains two versions of "Rise, Rapture, Rise": an unaltered recording and one abruptly ending with the voice of a Little Sister. Matrix Number: 11819 - 1352 - 7 (A) R-21815 11819 - 1352 - 7 (B) R-21816
	-	78 rpm	Phonograph record found in BioShock 2. Several are scattered around in Grace Holloway's apartment and Charles Miltion Porter's living room.
	-	78 rpm	Phonograph record and logo found mainly in BioShock Infinite and its DLC, Burial at Sea - Episode 1.

BioShock

The entrance to Rapture Records.

Main article: BioShock

Much like the rest of Rapture, the Rapture Records store has fallen into disrepair by the time Jack sees it during the events of BioShock. The sign behind the counter is crooked and flickering, and all the lights inside have gone out, making the only illumination that of the numerous fires throughout the store. Posters for Sander Cohen's various plays and the "SOng Bird" are scattered about and charred. Like most of Rapture, this section also shows signs of dangerous leakage.

Silas Cobb is a music devotee and one of Sander Cohen's disciples that must be killed and photographed to complete Cohen's "Quadtych". Cobb can be found in the record store, which has been rigged as a trap for the player.

New Discoveries

Audio Diary

1. Anna Culpepper - Ryan's Stableboy - located behind the counter on the top level of Rapture Records.

Challenge Rooms

Main article: Challenge Rooms

In the downloadable content, Challenge Rooms, Rapture Records is one of several stores operating out of Rapture's Grand Carnival during A Shocking Turn of Events. After the player picks up the Static Discharge Tonic, a Breadwinner Thuggish Splicer will hit the light switch (the only one ever seen in Rapture) for the shop's marquee and emerge from the store.

One cannot really investigate the place since, with the exception of the front entrance way, the inside of the store is shuttered by a security gate. It's too dark to see much of anything inside, but there is Coffee, a hypo of EVE, and a crate with the invention component Glue near the front.

There's Something in the Sea

A real copy of a Rapture Record received by fans.

Main article: There's Something in the Sea

In the storyline of the viral website There's Something in the Sea, Mark Meltzer came into possession of a record containing the song "Rise, Rapture, Rise" with a message hidden at the end of the track. This record came in a sleeve printed with the Rapture Records logo. Also, many fans who sent mail to Meltzer's New York City post office box received a copy of the aforementioned record.

Burial at Sea - Episode 1

Exterior of the Rapture Records store on High Street.

Main article: Burial at Sea - Episode 1

In the BioShock Infinite downloadable content, Burial at Sea - Episode 1, Rapture Records is one of many shops operating out of High Street. The store is large and has a sizable collection of records for sale, including Why Even Ask?, Ryan's Songbird and a Rapture Radio record. In addition to LP records, the store sells musical instruments such as a guitar, cello, and a grand piano as well as a phonograph. The facility also repairs instruments as indicated by the number of fiddles in the back.

The store is one of the sponsors for Sander Cohen's private club, and therefore the owner, named in the game files as Murray, is provided with a unique bunny mask as identification to enter the club. Booker and Elizabeth must visit the shop to look for the mask.

Gallery

BioShock

Burnt to a crisp.

Who's that in the distance?

Pull up a chair and enjoy the fire.

Someone's not a fan of Cohen's work.

It's a bomb!

Reaching higher ground.

Burial at Sea - Episode 1

Inside the High Street store.

Country or Classical?

The Music Man.

Behind the counter.

"Even one more note shall prove my undoing."

A grand piano for sale in the store.

Come and enjoy the song.

The workroom in the back.

Could this contain the needed mask?

Behind the Scenes

• The Records sandwich board sign found outside the Poseidon Plaza branch is actually a royalty-free "Records" clip art.
• The "SOng Bird" poster is comprised of several stock images.

The "Records" clip art.

Fruit crate label for "Golden Girl Apples"

Clip art for "Our Business is 'Sound' - Public Address Systems"

"Retro Microphone" clip art

Stock image for the Nady PCM-100 Microphone. Note the modern LED which can be seen on the poster. It itself is an imitation of the iconic Shure Unidyne.

• A proto-version of the record store can be seen in the BioShock Developer Commentary. Noticeably the interior shows the uncharred textures of the record bins and flooring. The yellow sign that usually hangs behind the counter can be seen on the storefront.
• When entering Rapture Records, Cobb shouts to the player "Tell the old crow his music cooks better than it sounds!" This explains why the store is charred and burned out when the player arrives.

The Easter egg hidden in the rafters.

• The area in the rafters of the store where Silas Cobb's "kittens" appear, before attacking Jack, is covered with backwards "Ryan's Songbird" posters. This Easter egg left by the developers can only be seen by using console commands to disable clipping (on the Mac or PC).
• The stack of records in the back of the room uses the same model as the other record collections, which stand upright with the frontmost jacket leaning on the others. As a result, the top record in the stack appears to be defying gravity.
• In BioShock Infinite, upon first entering the Lutece Labs, Booker will find a gramophone playing a disc with the Rapture Records label. Later, a similar record can be found in the Warden's Office of Comstock House.
  • Conversely, in Burial at Sea - Episode 1, the record playing on the phonograph, as well as the ones in the display case, bear the "Albert Fink's Magical Melodies" label. It is not known if this is intentional.
• The file CombinedStreaming_DLCB_LOC-pck-1394 in Burial at Sea - Episode 1 reveals an unused line of storekeeper dialog: "If you're looking for popular music, try Sal's store in Poseidon Plaza. He carries that kind of stuff."