What's Actually Happening

Hello Everyone.

We all hope you’re doing alright. There’s quite a bit to catch you up on.

Moonbuilding and Fin have delivered up the new issue of Moonbuilding with cover star Loula Yorke. There’s also a full CD album of Loula’s fabulous music with a track by track breakdown as well as one of Neil’s trademark interviews that walks his usual tightrope between fun and depth. I dunno how he does it, but it’s brilliant.

Another scoop from our Neil is that there is a beautiful interview with author of “This Is Memorial Device”, David Keenan. They have some shared history of working on the inkies - as Neil puts it, “The febrile world of music journalism”. David has a new book, “Volcanic Tongue” which is his debut collection of music writing. Neil and David get into it and it’s heartwarming and life-affirming. One of the few things I miss since I killed the Twitter account is the Memorial Device account. Always a force for positivity and cool stuff. Active on Bluesky, which is where we now also reside.

Nick Taylor at www.spectral-studio.co.uk has done his usual job of making everything peak. What a guy. I always say this whenever anyone tells me how good our records look, well Nick is just as responsible for all of that as I am. More so.

Moonbuilding 6 will be going up on the bandcamp on Friday morning. We’ve done a reduced print run on this one, so don’t miss.

We are now into the monthly Lunar Module release schedule and having already dropped CDs from Gordon Chapman-Fox and Hawksmoor. Next up is a joyful album from Newcastle based artist, Bartholomew. Gordon played a gig with him at The Cumby and suggested we did something with him, so it all has the WRNTDP seal of approval. I’m super-happy with how all of the Lunar Module stuff has turned out. We have the first ten releases in stock already and will be dropping one a month into next year. There are some subscriptions for the entire season one still available here: lunar-module.bandcamp.com

I’m not allowed to pick favourites, but suffice to say, there is some wonderful stuff herein.

NEWS! Brilliantly, Andrea Cichecki’s LP “Drawn Into The Edge Effect” has been selected for consideration for 'The German Record Critics' Award (PdSK). It’s been so great working with Andrea and this is so well deserved. Fingers and everything else crossed here. We have a box of the album left in the downstairs stockroom. One of my favourite things about the record is that was a true collab between Andrea and Nick and she was super open to let Nick just do his thing, which I think she then looped back into the music as the artwork was dropping in from Nick. It’s a fantastic record and I can’t describe the joy of working with artists who are open to trying stuff out, because it usually works. Go here to get one of the last copies:

What else? The repress of Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan’s sold out “Overspill Estates” is imminent. Our distro are chasing us for that. And Gordon’s new album should be with us just after Summer. As ever, he continues to develop the project in new, interesting and intelligent ways with his usual attention to detail and the new album contains some of his finest work to date while he stretches things out a bit. We’ve also compiled the three WRNTDP 12” EPs on to a CD which will be hitting the racks very soon. Gordon’s artwork as resplendent as ever on both of these new ones.

We also have a wonderful new Field Lines Cartographer LP on the way. It’s so great to be working with artists at the peak of their powers. There may well be some live stuff incoming from Mark, Gordon and Stephen following the trip to Helsinki.

We are also in possession of the second album from Coventry’s Stone Anthem, “Where Trees Go To Die”. It’s a fantastic new album from Archie which really develops his sound in a deeply exciting direction. It’s a keeper, this one and we probably haven’t had enough copies pressed. Keep an eye on the bandcamp for more news imminently. I’ll try and get a podcast record done with Archie in time for release.

We’ve also been working with Zeke Clough and Matthew Saunders on our first ever graphic novel. It’s a beautiful thing with Zeke’s brain spilling out into the universe with his typical flair and invention and all soundtracked by Twilight Sequence. I’m never sure where the lovely, calm and unassuming Zeke drags all of this stuff from, but I’m so glad he does. Again, this is imminent. Buy one for the beach on your holidays.

To finish, I’d better plug the upcoming gigs.

September 6th sees a homecoming gig in Biggleswade, which I can’t begin to tell you about how happy I am. There’s a cool new concert/theatre space in Biggleswade at what used to be the old Town Hall. It’s great. I’ve been doing a bit of guerrilla marketing around town by dropping off promo copies of stuff from the office into the local charity shops. We’ve managed to pull together a brilliant bill of Loula Yorke, Jo Johnson and the legend that is Scanner. In a small and intimate venue, this should be a brilliant night. IN BIGGLESWADE! I cannot wait. Tickets and info are here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Stevenage/Bigg-Theatre/Castles-in-Space-Presents/41206186/

Levitation ‘25 is at The Capstone in Liverpool on 1st November. Again, we have a brilliant line up and there will be an exclusive LP which will only be there on the day. I’m committed to binning any we don’t sell. New T-Shirts too.

I mean, look at this line up. Each of whom have dropped an exclusive track for the album. I’ll be doing a Project Pop DJ set in the interval. Tickets here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Liverpool/The-Capstone-Theatre/Levitation-25/41011976/

As ever, thanks for listening. It continues to be a difficult climate for small labels like us, so your support and attention is always appreciated.

I’ve recently had a landmark birthday and it feels like I’ve been in the car or on a ferry for the last six weeks. I’m finally fully back in the chair this week and it’s heads down, no nonsense mindless boogie in the office for the foreseeable. I’m just back from a birthday party I shared with one of my oldest friends and I’m still slightly overwhelmed about how brilliant it was to see the family and friends, some of whom I’d not seen for years. Jules also got us up to Callanish, which was on the bucket list and did not disappoint. In fact Jules did pretty much everything. I just turned up looking handsome. Ahem.

Come and see us at one of the gigs and I’ll drone on at you aaaall about it. But not when the acts are on.

We hope you’re all surviving and thriving.

Keep in touch.

Colin.

Gordon, Nina & Jules.

Castles in Space.