23 june 08

1) Since it appears the records are finally ready to be pressed, you can now pre-order "Vinyl Beards" !

Pre-order details here.

2) The Cherry Creepage / Nufenen split CD-R is released.

3) CD-Rs by the following will follow: Conger Eel, We Wait for the Snow, Kowloon II, Mette Mareridt, Rough Ride of Crafts & Inhibitionists and CA NY ON.

4) After these, I'll/we'll be taking a few months off. Upon my/our return, "Vinyl Snails" might already be ready to be sent off to the plant (if I have the needed songs and money by then.) Said LP release will also mark the end of phase one/beginning of phase two of A Beard of Snails Records. Phase two will bring change. Most notably, I want to spend less time assembling a physical release, and more time promoting it. If you own an ABoS release, you'll know how much time and how many materials are put into each copy.

Despite this, it is still possible for ABoS stuff to look as beautiful and awesome as ever, if not more so. But here come the dogmazzz: phase two artwork shall mostly be screenprinted, stamped, stenciled or handpainted - not least because I, henceforth, wish to avoid spray adhesive (the only type of glue I swear by, but too toxic and expensive to keep on using) and colour prints (also unnecessarily costly.) Henceforth, ABoS packaging will be 14x14 cm folder-type covers made of thick/stiff cardstock, though I just bought 50 white 14x14 envelopes that I'm definitely going to use for something here.

We'll see how it goes. Maybe it'll only last for another 15 releases. I'm such a nerd. Your support is vital and appreciated.


13 may 08

Understatement: We are in the midst of a busy Spring/Summer.

- I'm awaiting "Vinyl Beards" as eagerly as you are! As soon as I've received and listened to the test pressings and can confirm everything's alright, the LP will be available for preorder. Here is what the cover (purposely imperfectly stencilled sleeves with a hole in the middle, exposing plain black centre labels) will sort of look like:

- Very soon: a split cd-r between Cherry Creepage (of Italy) and Nufenen (of Switzerland)... Arachnid Arcade (of the Great Pacific Northwest) may or may not appear on the split as well. If they don't, there will be other split cd-rs on ABoS in the future. This particular split has to be ready in time for the CC/N live show at CSOA il Molino in Lugano, Switzerland, on June 7!

- Conger Eel's "Slash of the Knife God" should be out soon as well. Meanwhile, you can purchase a self-released EP, "Infinite Density", (in a beautiful letterpressed sleeve) from the artist himself.

- See the releases page for other forthcoming items (which I hope to post details about here ASAP.)

- Oh yeah, and we're all out of the Stormhat and Die Stadt Der Romantische Punk cd-rs... But Music From the Red Barn will soon have a few copies of each. Furthermore, Ikuisuus's Mailorder carries a few A Beard of Snails releases as well now.