2007 gracias

Whew, 2007 is almost over. Its been a weird year, the end of 2006 almost saw the demise of the label and now we have the #166 album on Amazon's MP3 chart. No, not #166 on the obscure synthpop releases released by labels based in Texas or something, but the whole damn chart. The Modern LP by The Matinee Club  By the time you read this I am sure it will be # 456000 but hey, for a moment on christmas eve...

Thanks to everyone who stuck by the label. 2008 will be a banner year, with no less than a new Spray album, new Alan Replica, new Garland Cult (plus 2 more from Aidan Casserly) plus some great dance music from Emotiquon and Melody & Mezzo (and maybe even a new EP from our newest signing Cotton & Gin) plus a few more things I am sure.

Thanks.

So many releases so little time (and money)

OK, so Today was mostly about the Matinee club. I ordered 100 promo Cds made up. They will be simple thing, black type on the CD face (instead of the full color art for the retail release) and a 2 sided (full color!) insert for the front (no back tray card, it will be housed in a slimeline CD case.) The cover will be slightly different. I mean to just copy over the art from the release but since the release was saved at 600 dpi and my cover for the promo was 300, only about a 4th of the front appeared. I actually liked it in a way, so I stuck wit that since it was a promo. The back is the same as the back to the CD booklet, except that I added “advanced copy” in obnoxious white type across it. [So-just to be supper clear- the art below is for the promo, not the album!]

I also got a call from the pressing plant today and they have the Matinee Club master and are working on the art. Wow that was fast. Nice being back east, only took a day to get to Penn. I hope to have these back by just after Christmas.

I also sent digital copies to IODA for the online vendors. Those should go up sooner than Jan 22.

The promos are to get the ball rolling on , um, promotion. I hired Reybee and they are very excited. I think that the band, but of course also Emma, have good potential to get some serious ink here- I am aiming for Blender, Vogue, Vanity Fair, etc. Why not huh?

Turns out Emma, the lead singer, has been in a bunch of TV shows in the UK and even some legit film (remember when that meant something, now most folks would rather be TV stars anyway).

I also prepped the new Alan Replica today, have to work on the art next week.And I got in the Emotiquon master, it sounds great- have to get art for that too. Oh, and Aidan sent me the new Figario album- I am not sure how he does this but it is better than the Garland Cult album even. Need art for that too (I sense a pattern).

Speaking of art- remember Qubiq’s Remix Cd and the awful art I did for the digital release? I found a great photo for the web banner on http://www.ninthwaverecords.com/. So I decided to press up some CDs of the release but the pic I used for the banner was just to low res (too small). So I tooled around Flickr and found a new photo and did a mock up (below) of a new cover. I emailed the guy who took the photo to ask about use, I hope to hear back soon. And I hope I don’t have to fork over huge cash for it. The picture is very cool.

Oh, and the damn Spray album, jeesh. I have to say no sometimes, but never to Spray!

Qubiq - the mock up showing just the front cover

The Mock up showing the booklet opened up on the outside.

When did you last buy a CD?

When did you last buy a CD?
I have to ask this question, because aside from some recent UK re-issues it has been a long time since I did. Not that I haven’t bought new music, just usually from iTunes or amazon’s MP3 store.

I thought about this as I shuffled the 400 copies I have left of the Garland Cult album. Granted the problem with records is that they are not like soap, each one is different and people like them for different reasons, but still. Previously ESH albums had usually sold 400-500 copies. I knew sales had slowed and that the Garland Cult would not appeal to all ESH fans, so I cut way back (I thought ) and ordered 500.

Online sales have been ok, but not enough to replace 300 “lost” CD sales. I’ve done the usual stuff, College Radio promo, even streamed the entire thing online. Heck, I even threw in a “free” bonus CD of remixes.

I am sensing a trend here- older Cds still sell ok (but not as much) and new ones barely at all. For the new Alan Replica release I am going to press 200 copies, half for promo. We’ll see what happens. And I guess with Spray, despite their fairly healthy sales, I will just do 500 of the new album, despite tacking on a Remix bonus disc,,,

update: the Matinee Club, Spray, etc.

Wow
Back to work after thanksgiving. This time of year always piles up.

Had a scare with the Matinee Club album over the weekend, but things are settled now. I shipped the album to press and to IODA digital today. It should go digital Dec 17, we’ll see. The Cd will be on amazon by Jan 22, already for pre order now, so that’s cool. click here for the CD on Amazon

I am putting up some Christmas track son the website (http://www.ninthwaverecords.com/) so hurry on over.

I got the Spray CDs in yesterday, they look nice. Amazon and ADD will carry this limited (100 copies) Christmas single.

I should get in the Smash Hits CD (with new cover art) soon.

Now off to prep the Spray CD (for Children of a Laser God)

Oh- and ESH's Best Of is up on itunes- see the free track below

Empire State Human
"Hand On The Gun" (mp3)
from "Popularity"
(Ninthwave Media)

More On This Album

Smash Hits up on itunes

Only took an extra month...jeesh

A word about the cover - I wanted two things - Animie and sexy, not sure I got either one (it seems liek you should be able to get both at the same time, if half of the internet is to be trusted). I dunno, I kinda like it in a way...

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=266783868&s=143441

Still. I am pressing up 100 copies of the CD, with the "original cover" [below] and also I am pressing 100 copies of the new Spray single - He Came with the Sleigh" (I dunno- some sort of Halloween cash-in evidently).

Have to see how they turn out, it is amazing to say that even pressing up 500 copies for most releases is about 300 too many.

Off to look at the art for the Spray Cd, which I will press 1000 of....

Hot Gossip

An early Christmas gift to myself, the UK re-issue of the Hot Gossip album that BEF(Heaven 17) produced. A fariyl marginal album except of a great, funkier mix of "Soul Warfare" and a nice version of "I Don't Depend On Your." the key track is a cover of Talking Heads "Houses in Motion"- the sole track not produced by BEF.
The rest is classic early BEF/Human LEague. Minimal but funky.
See the Amazon box(es) on the left

Astromill

OK, so yesterday I was lamenting The Peoples, who have gotten love recently. I admit the Peoples were a hard sell, but today’s case is even more puzzling- Astromill.

Female vocals, cool dance beats, heavy Pet Shop Boys influence, spacey lyrics and imagery, yet twittering silence from the synthpop crowd. Was she too weird? Too spacey? Too dancey? Not enough.

[Couldn’t be Ninthwave’s fault, right? Hehehe, sigh, yeah probably is]

So tell me folks, what was it about what you heard you didn’t like. And if you never heard it, well, check out the links below.

Astromill
"Stranded in Manchester" (mp3)
from "Astromill"
(Ninthwave Media)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at GroupieTunes
More On This Album



Astromill
"Do Without" (mp3)
from "Astromill"
(Ninthwave Media)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at GroupieTunes
More On This Album

Astromill
"No Stranger" (mp3)
from "Astromill"
(Ninthwave Media)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at GroupieTunes
More On This Album



Now that you have these three gems, comment me and tell me about them!!!!!!!!