Well, things that were wrong are righting themselves. The sticky shed tape has held out long enough to get all of the tracks off it. The computer is back from the fixers and doesn’t beep any more. The 8 track cassette recorder wanted to mess us around by refusing to play and pulling the tape out of the master cassette, but I found that if I turn it off and back on, make the head pop out for cleaning and force the spool thing around a bit, then fast forward a second, it would work for a bit until it decided it was a good time to mess us around again. But it’s all done. The master C60 cassette is safe and the digital files are happy. Sigh of relief.

And this morning the block arrived. I’ve had a couple of sessions with letterpress, but I’ve never had a block made before. It feels like a piece of art in itself. I can’t wait to get this loaded and ready for printing. Maybe later this week.

If there was a god I might think that it was against us mixing this EP.

The baked tape is okay, as long as the tape heads are cleaned regularly as we mix. Hopes are high. Ready and set to record the final mix to cassette and digital. Blank screen: computer has crashed. Try to restart it… beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep, etc.

This is an expensive project.

First few flakes of snow this afternoon. Something I feel I ought to stop and appreciate but I don’t know how to make it sink in.

We drove up the A6 and picked up the Ghost EP tape last night. Carl Sagan. 10th planet. Hollow moon. The tape has been baked (see previous post…) and the signs are good. It isn’t shedding itself on playback for now. We had it transferred to digital. Just in case.

It appears that the Ghost EP is infected with sticky shed syndrome, due to being left in my damp basement. The tape is being baked by our guy in Manchester overnight. If it works, we might have two weeks to get a mix off the tapes before they deteriorate. If the baking doesn’t work, we are stuck with the first set of mixes we did (that we are unhappy with) and no master…

Apologies for being slacker than slack can be with our website updates… Here’s a lovely three colour screen print I just finished up yesterday to promote a Cailtin Rose gig at Night & Day in Manchester, Wednesday 25th August. We will be doing a support slot on the night and I’ll be selling a bunch of these posters too. Hope you can make it.

More good news for you – we will are planning on releasing an EP around November/December time, the working title is ‘Ghost EP’. The aim is to make it a limited edition cassette tape and digital only release. I’ve got loads of ideas bouncing around for letterpressed artwork for the cassette case – I’ll post up any progress I make on here as things develop.

We are playing the Orchestra Pit in Buxton, Derbyshire on the 27th November to celebrate the new album release. Free entry before 9, £2 after that. Doors are 7:30. I’ve just finished working on a poster for the gig – a two-colour reduction linocut. I’ll be selling a few on the night but if you would like to buy one online then visit my illustration website and drop me an email.

The guys at Other-Electricities are giving away two rare vinyl test pressings along with two CD copies of the new album “Feels, Feathers, Bog and Bees” produced by Adem (Domino). All you have to do is join the mailing list for a chance to win. Winners will be announced the week of its release – Oct 27, 2009.

Go sign up!

Hey, I’m looking for some kind of a vintage spring reverb effects. Drop me an email if you are selling anything!

Some press coming through for Feels… “Kudos to Lx9 for putting out a beautiful record, full of mystery and wonder, but who don’t forget that if you have beards, you should sound like a rock band.” – Tome to the Weather Machine

I’ve just been to the post office to pick up a package that I was expecting to be some relief printing inks I ordered recently, but to my surprise the guy at the Post Office came out with a vinyl-shaped box… Here it is! This is how the new album looks on vinyl. The first time I’ve ever had music put onto vinyl (…a teenage ambition fulfilled). I can’t stop holding it. The design is mine. The photo of the deer was taken on a very wet three day hike in Scotland with a friend a couple of years ago. The blurring on the photo was from condensation in the camera. Thanks OE!