Metal Postcard Records

New Ollo 7″ Arrives

As always with Ollo beautiful songs and beautiful packaging . Check out this gorgeous 7″ from them.

Full Stop Blue should be no.1 worldwide. Maybe it will be !

Check out the single at the Metal Postcard Radio Page On Jango

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Some Great New Review Clippings For The Cambodian Space Project

Music Emissions Write:

By combining Cambodian pop and folk melodies with psychedelic pop, The Cambodian Space Project have already reached heights before this debut was released that most bands never reach. ….. a spin of “2011: A Space Odyssey” will be a dizzying spin indeed, chock full of sweet and satisfying sounds,

F This is no exercise in hipper-than-thou irony, as one listen to the passionate sultry vocals of Srey Thy will prove.

This is a record in which each song will reach out and grab someone.

Foxy Digitalis write

If you fancy generic but energetic rock music, expertly played, with an occasional ethnic instrumental touch and vocals by a Cambodian ex-karaoke band singer with a marvellous voice, the CSP is for you.

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New York Sets Metal Postcard Straight For The 2nd Time In A Week

Last week i was informed i was a complete idiot for not paying for reviews – didn’t i know that’s how it’s done.. how stupid am I ?

This week I get chastised.. it’s all rather tedious being lectured by New Yorkers I have to say

Because I’m lazy you’ll have to read from the bottom up.

Dear Jim,

Thankyou very kindly for the 2nd lecture in the space of a week I’ve had from New York

Last week it was someone who set me straight on what an idiot I was because I wouldn’t pay for reviews on his website

It’s encouraging to know that I have no grasp on reality .. It’s always been something I’ve struggled with over the years

Also thank you very much for setting me straight on how I have no concept of the recording industry, “artistes” and generally how shit my label is and how stupid I am. I shall keep that all in mind while I continue to fail dismally into the future

To be honest I never created the label to do business . Music of all types has always been close to me and I’d rather not pollute it with business. I never said the industry hated me . They don’t even know who I am and I’d imagine it / they whoever they are would care even less and I’m quite happy with that

I never intended to make money with Nive Hive and as I said I expected to lose money but not to the extent that collin wanted me to

With regard to the mastering . I apologize that Frank was not up to all of your exacting standards. Some of the people he’s mastered include .. Fat Boy Slim, Trojan Soundsystem, Hyperdub, Andy Smith so I presume he knows what he’s on about.

I’m sure you’re not interested in going back and forth so I presume I won’t be hearing from you again

Finally I’d like to say that I’m still a huge fan of Holy Ghost’s and Hercules & Love Machine’s work – especially the H.Ghost 12″s on DFA

But I’m fairly sure we won’t be talking again so I’ll just disappear into my tiny hole again now I’ve been chastised

Yours with best wishes

Sean

From:
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:25:51 -0500
To: Sean Hocking
Subject: Re: From Jim re: NiveHive

Sean,

It appears that your grasp on reality is the one that needs a tune-up. I know for a fact that most of the points you make are flat out untrue.

1) The mp3′s were certainly not unlistenable. Many prominent and successful New York musicians have heard the NiveHive tracks, including members of Holy Ghost, Jessica 6, Midnight Magic, Hercules and Love Affair, etc. etc. Collin is a musician as well as a producer — you run a small label, which does not make you an expert on production. Collin’s music, which he mixed and produced, has appeared in shows like Gossip Girls, CSI: New York, big budget movie trailers, etc., as well as on labels like WARP records. None of these people found anything Collin ever produced or sent them unlistenable. Perhaps you are tone deaf! You should be honest with yourself — you weren’t going to put the album out for any other reason than that it was good. Unless you’re a fool, you don’t run a label with the mentality you outlined…

2) The masters were a joke. Distortion. Important textures being lost in favor of others that were less important to the track… The fact alone that MANY of the tracks were distorting means the mastering job was COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL. That you’ve been using the guy for ten years isn’t relevant. Perhaps he’s lost his mojo? At any rate, Frank swindled you for that £300! No offense to him as a person, but the masters sounded like a beginning college student who knows nothing about sound. I’m not the only one who thinks this…

3) No contracts = BAD business. You’re not going to end up working with any serious artists without contracts. Plain and simple. A lack of contract gives you the upper hand and that’s crap.

4) Are you kidding about sales? NO ONE sells records these days! But Collin has publishing deals with Zync and Chrysalis, two of the best publishing companies in the states — that’s where the money is right now, not in sales. You haven’t been reading up. 25% of publishing with a good publishing house is a pretty nice deal (which is traditionally what labels who release albums get, and likely what Metal Postcard would have been entitled to if you’d had a contract). Can’t believe you’re even thinking about sales right now — only Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, etc. are making any real record sales in the year 2012.

5) Harping on an artist for trying to make a living is just stupid. Please stop. Very played out. Laughable actually. And that you mention “not taking a cent from Collin” is ridiculous — you did nothing to deserve any money, and that’s NOT HOW A REAL LABEL WORKS. Sorry to break it to you, but artists don’t pay labels to put out records.

6) The industry hates you because you run your label the way you want? How grandiose. I really don’t think that’s likely the case, Sean.

Basic human social skills would have dictated your replying to Collin’s second or third email and letting him know that you’d changed your mind. The material is time-sensitive and politically relevant, and you’re bullshitting around delayed the release.

Anyway, I’m not interested in going back and forth anymore, as I’m concerned with dealing in reality, which you apparently are not.

Best of luck in continued record sales,

Jim

On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 11:48 PM, Sean Hocking wrote:

Dear Jim

Thanks for your note

I understand Collin is your friend so I doubt much I say will register

Initially I did try my best with Collin but his grasp on reality with regard to a project like his left me somewhat non-plussed to start with and then his evident desire to get me to spend a lot of money on his behalf without a chance of even getting 20% of it back made me finally give up

A simple timeline

After he had eventually supplied me the most unlistenable mp3′s I’ve received from an artist is 10 years I said although I couldn’t hear half the music I liked the concept and it fitted in well with the aesthetic of the label and that if he could supply me wavs / aiffs I would then send them off to be mastered

A couple of months later the final mixes turned up

As discussed I sent them off to my mastering guy in London who have used for the last decade with nary a hint of complaint from any of my artists

When the masters came back they sounded fine to me , actually more than fine . I’m obviously tone deaf because…….

Collin though was unhappy with them and to put it bluntly was I thought extremely rude to me and about my mastering guy in an email he sent me. And to brutally honest that really pissed me off. I have worked with Frank for nigh on a decade and he has always done his best to make people happy and get a sound as close to the artist wants. But Colin’s comments were so rude about Frank there was no way I was going to let him speak to Frank

This combined with too many money related questions ( remembering that I told him in advance I didn’t do contracts , I wasn’t expecting any money from him towards the project and that when I worked with artists on my label it is a collaborative effort) Instead Collin seemed to think I had money to burn doing vinyl with complicated artwork and every part of the conversation there’s this sub-text that I’d be taking money from him

His project is a pure art based project and at the most may sell a couple of hundred of 12 Vinyl and a few hundred downloads

I was prepared to lose $US1500 or more on the project because I like the politics and approach but for a man who who is supposedly kicking against the pricks he seemed unduly concerned by what I should be paying him

In ten years I have only decided not to work with 2 artists.. And Collin is one of those two. And like the previous lot I had enough of I knew that over time what problems would appear.. e.g. Oh that art work’s not right , where’s my money, why didn’t you do this why didn’t you do that

I have a pretty good bullshit detector having spent from ages 7 –18 in boarding school, working for some pretty obnoxious multinationals, having lived in many countries around the world. And I’m sorry to say because he is your friend that if I did everything he asked…. it was just going to cause me a lot of dramas and more money in the future

In the end I decided to cut my losses having already spent time and over £300 on the masters – of which I didn’t ask him for a cent back -

Obviously he’s your friend and you’ll be on his side of the fence … and I totally understand that that would be the case. If you wish to bad mouth me to others that’s up to you. To be honest I get it the whole time from tedious industry people because I run my label the way I want . It is my creation, I am proud of the artists I release and bar Collin and the other south london idiots I dumped 10 years ago every other artist I’ve had on the label works with me. Once I decided I wasn’t working with collin I haven’t mentioned him or his project to anybody else. Yes I should have probably emailed him but I haven’t got time to get into a pissing match. Also as I’ve not taken a cent off him.. I haven’t made him sign anything, I haven’t told anybody about my dealings with him it’s not as though I’ve made his life particularly difficult.

I’m sure if his project is as good as he thinks it is it won’t be hard for him to get it released on another label

Yours Sincerely

Sean Hocking

From: ”jimorso
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:34:10 -0500
To: Sean Hocking

Subject: From Jim re: NiveHive

Sean,

I’m writing to express my disappointment in your dealings with my friend and colleague Collin Ruffino with regard to his NiveHive project. Until the last minute, you led him to believe that you were going to release his album on vinyl, and due to your unreasonable demands regarding mastering (which was completely unprofessional — I heard the masters, and they were laughable), changed your mind at the last minute. That you wouldn’t return Collin’s tactful emails says a lot about you, and that you work without contracts is also suspect, as it allows you to play around with artists in a non-committal way without agreeing to anything.

As I put the two of you in touch, and you came recommended by a trusted friend, I expected that in your dealings you would at least be straightforward and over-the-table.

Due to the details of the situation, I wouldn’t think of recommending you to any bands/artists I know in the future. I’ll also let Shelley know that she should think twice before recommending you to anyone in the future.

Sincerely,

Jim Orso

Posted in News

CSP Take A Call ON ABC Radio Australia

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Pairs One Of The Best Punk Bands On The Planet

This comes as no surprise to us .. even if it does to others

Here’s an article in Mouthpiece selecting the best 8 current punk bands in the world .. and about the great Pairs it says

http://mouthpiece.douglasheaven.com/around-the-world-in-eight-punk-bands/

With Europe gone to the dogs and its leaders making gold-digger eyes at China, it’s probably a good time to check out Shanghai’s eclectic punk scene. Sure, there’s a whole Beijing vs Shanghai thing, but what Beijing has in the way of a distinct and cohesive sound, Shanghai more than makes up for in its DIY ethic. Andy Best – one-time Scouser turned champion of the Shanghai scene and founder of the local Qu record label – says “It’s only since I came to Shanghai in 2001 that I found a music scene I liked again, one based around DIY culture and not sending tapes to A&R men”. But then, as he also points out, “people are in it for the love and not the money (there’s no choice)”.

Also holding the scene together is Shanghai’s mainstay venue, Yuyintang, and a lo-fi, stripped down aesthetic, to which western ears are most partial. It’s this that probably first got Pairs noticed by the likes of MTV and BBC Radio’s Tom Ravenscroft. Taking the common line-up of just guitar and drums – this generation’s power-trio – drummer Rhys squawk-shouts along to F’s raucous and hurried guitar-chord melodies – fuzzy, happy melodies that bring on a smile like a Sonic Youth pop song.

Interviewed by We Live In Beijing, Rhys explained: “Our music just comes from our lack of talent, our inability to play up-strokes on the guitar and from our personalities. We tried to write some slower songs, but I think we just got too excited and they sped up overtime. Maybe if we had a metronome we would be a totally different band.”

But in spite of this they still won Best New Band at the 2010 Shanghai Grammys, with one of the judges sensibly observing “[Pairs] are a lot of noise, but I like their noise, and they make sense … They kind of invaded us during summer, and I’m happy they are there”. Andy Best hopes they “kickstart a bunch of similar bands who just go for it and don’t try to be polished genre acts”.

Pairs put out their first, self-titled album with the Qu label in 2010 and released their second Summer Sweat (2011) themselves. Pairs want you to stream both of them from pairs.bandcamp.com.

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Netherlands Publication Says CSP Debut Best World Album Of 2011

Suddenly i like the Dutch again — ( after their appalling gamesmanship at the world cup final)

N0.1 Spot For CSP - For all Dutch readers here’s what they say

Nu het jaar ten einde loopt is het weer tijd voor de lijstjes met het beste van het afgelopen jaar. Wat waren de beste nieuwe boeken, de mooiste nummers of de belangrijkste politieke quotes van het jaar? Vk.nl blikt terug met ‘de 11 van 11′

Wat is er lekkerder in deze donkere dagen om binnen te blijven en naar muziek te luisteren? Volkskrant-recensent Robert van Gijssel zette de volgens hem beste wereldmuziek-nummers uit 2011 voor u op een rijtje. U kunt ze gratis beluisteren door u te abonneren op de Spotify-playlist.

The Cambodian Space Project – Kolos Srey Chaom (2011- A Space Odyssey)
Satria Jaya – Nam Ham San Sang (Music Of The Mystical Far East – Korea)
Tamikrest – Fassous Tarahnet (Toumast)
Madina N’Diaye – Bimogow (Bimogow)
Baloji – Karibou Ya Bintou (Kinshasa Succursale)
Blick Bassy – Likando (Hongo Calling)
Fatoumata Diawara – Kele (Fatou)
The Exciters – Ese Muerto No Lo Cargo Yo (Panama! 2)
Carmen Linares – Asesinado Por El Cielo (Remembranzas)
Bellowhead – Captain Wedderburn (Hedonism)
The Unthanks -Give Away Your Heart (Last)

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New Ollo Album – “Ape Delay” Due Soon

OLLO
7″ MP 35 / CD MP 36 Ollo ( Sydney) New 7″ Gatefold Sleeve & 3rd Album Due Soon
http://soundcloud.com/metalpostcardrecords/transistor-resistor-ollo
http://www.ollo.net.au/

Forthcoming 3rd Album “APE DELAY” Listen to this great influences on the album mix http://soundcloud.com/ollo_the-band/ape-delay-influences-1

Sydney electronic pop genuis ‘ Ollo will soon be releasing their third album “Ape Delay” on Metal Postcard Records – here’s some reviews from their first two releases and links to the new

“THE IF IF”"

If it’s not the trippy guitar solos on “summer salt” that weave you into the boys interplanetary web it’ll be the always shifting synth pads that reel you in and take you under” [XLR8R :: USA]

“The second album from Sydney’s Ollo, The If If, doesn’t disappoint; it’s a strange and imaginative collection of anti-pop songs that uses simple, melodic electronica to create trance-like soundscapes. …an eerie and well crafted musical excursion where you never quite know where you’re heading, or where you’ve just been.” [Rolling Stone :: 3.5 stars]

“Like an Aussie Beta Band with a touch of the kind of playful sound of acts like Department of Eagles, Errors and Tunng. Very promising.” [Pure Groove :: UK]

“ESSENTIAL STUFF…” [Rough Trade :: UK]

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Pairs (Shanghai) Tour New Zealand January 2012

http://site.douban.com/pairs/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvqTKaA2hZQ

MTV Iggy write….
Shanghai-based Australian-Chinese duo Pairs have been assaulting the streets and clubs of their city with their inspired approach to making noise for almost a year now.
With only guitar and drums, they have quickly bashed their way into the hearts of Chinese rock fans and found a welcome for their post-post-punk brand of disorder in the Hong Kong rock scene and beyond.

Drummer/yeller Rhys and guitarist F met at the X Games last year and later decided to start a band. Though they avow they are not a couple, they do have a lot of musical chemistry, the fruits of which have already been recorded on a self-titled EP. You can almost feel the sweat splatter listening to their blasted garage tracks like “Oh Ghost” or a nervous breakdowns made audible like “Yangpu Q,” and the whole thing sounds like it was recorded inside a dumpster. Aces!

Oddly enough, the pair that make up Pairs wouldn’t dream of charging for their music, claiming that “nothing is too much to pay for it.” Their humility is your gain. Download it free at their Bandcamp page. But first, experience the seizure-inducing 45 second-long wonder that is the video for “I Want to Die in the Ocean”:

TOUR DATES
Wed 25th January – Static, Hamilton
Thur 26th January – The ARC Theatre, Whanganui
Fri 27th January – Mighty Mighty, Wellington
Sat 28th January – The Lucha Lounge, Auckland

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MP34 Got Here Before MP33 !

MP34 Re Do From Start – Debut CD “The Vacuum & The Shell
http://soundcloud.com/metalpostcardrecords/wires-re-do-from-start

Although Australian resident in Tokyo Tim Byrnes aka Re Do From Start only has one digital album under his belt under previous moniker Block 45 he’s already a firm favorite of Dandelion Radio (UK) radio dj Andrew Morrison and ex BBC World Music Show presenter Mark Coles and also supported by Tom Ravenscroft ( John Peel’s Son) on BBC Radio 6 . With an amazing sound that veers between James Blake, Burial & The Flaming Lips this album
Will be perfect for fans of Collarbones et al
To preorder wholesale please contact our UK agents Kartel who will steer you towards the correct distributor
Luke Selby
Joss Yerbury

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MP33 Due Very Soon – Split Single Worng / Bad Thoughts

MP33 Worng / Bad Thoughts ( Melbourne ) 7″ Split 7″ + Digital Release
The two halves of Melbourne electronic outfit first solo outings on this split 7″ and digital release from Metal Postcard Records due in the new year
“Icy Melbourne synthwave duo, The Emergency, are still rearing their cold heads from time to time, but most recently it’s been under their solo monikers: WORNG (Morgan McWaters), andBad Thoughts (Milo Kossowski).
Milo’s first single, ‘Remember’, is to be released on the new Sydney label YOU, run by designer/producer Jesse Correy/Cyberjesus (the website is still under construction; check back in a few weeks). The video for the single, above, was put together by the hyper talented and renowned team at Melbourne based studio Moop Jaw, and will be launched December 1st at The Gasometer (with WORNG and Matthew Brown) along with a 7? he’s released on Metal Postcard records (called Come to Life, which you can hear on Soundcloud).” Bad Thoughts, in Milo’s words, is “when sleep won’t come, the mind makes you a passenger. Thoughts buried by the day’s distractions rise to the surface: strange lusts, deadly impulses, tangled conundrums. Bad Thoughts. These songs could be a document of such nocturnal journeys”. It’s dark and expansive, yet full of deep hues and cosmic landscapes. Wavesatnight.com

Bad Thoughts
http://soundcloud.com/metalpostcardrecords/come-to-life-bad-thoughts
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bad-Thoughts/233202623360999?sk=info

WORNG
http://soundcloud.com/metalpostcardrecords/realizing-your-gravitational
http://soundcloud.com/worng
http://www.facebook.com/wwwornggg?sk=info

To pre order wholesale please contact our UK agents Kartel who will steer you towards the correct distributor
Luke Selby
Joss Yerbury

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