- In Remembrance skipped second half of euro tour
- New bands uncertain
- Estore finally online – super cheap prices
- Black Friday 29 „the pursuit of happiness“ CD finally out
- ... so is the Lighthouse Project „gift“ LP
- Within Walls Spring 2008 Tour announced / new records
- Ritual taking a break, wolves 7“ repressed
- Just Went Black to tour Portugal w/ Day Of The Dead
- Storm & Stress announce spring 2008 tour
- End Of A Year coming to europe in spring 2008, most likely!
- No more vans for Blacktop Records.
- Discography update online
- While I'm taking a break, check out: Let It Ride Records & Chambers Records
- Lots of releases are selling out – no represses.
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----- 2007 comes to an end
Speeking of 2007, all I have in my head is Blacktop Records. It was everything I've done and probably the best time of my life so far. I've met dozens of really good new friends, worked with the best people and got the chance to release fabolous records. I wanna thank everyone who was involved in such great events like Let It Ride Fest and the Blacktop Showcases. Everyone who helped my bands and me out to book a tour. Everyone who helped me out with any kind of release I've done. 2007 was Blacktop's year.
No more releases in 2007. I'm done.
----- In Remembrance skipped second half of euro tour
I guess most of you got the news. In Remembrance skipped their european tour while being halfway through, due to financial reasons. It was the band's choice and we didn't make it to convince them to go on with this tour.
In the end, they left a huge financial problem in europe which I had to solve, so I'm blowing out their „we'll always have the memories“ CD for superb cheap prices. Make sure to get them in my Estore. Distros can get in touch with either me or my distributor Widespread for new wholesale prices as well (around 2 EUR! ... Depends on how many CDs you wanna have).
In Remembrance is no longer on Blacktop Records. I will not do any new releases, nor will I do any promotion for their CD.
----- New bands uncertain
I know it's not common for the Blacktop newsletter to first post news about the older bands and then about the new signings, but I have to do it this way now.
The financial problem caused by the skipped In Remembrance tour forced me to stop all the conversations I had with certain new bands. Of course I'm still talking to them, but nothing's for sure right now.
There is no end in sight concerning this situation, but as soon as there is any light, I'll let you know and post the new bands I was talking to.
----- Estore finally online – super cheap prices
Finally I made it to put an Estore online. It contains all of the available Blacktop releases plus some more I traded along the last months. Check out the new prices for records such as Within Walls, In Remembrance and Nine. I need space in my storage room!
----- Black Friday 29 „the pursuit of happiness“ CD finally out
One of the most anticipated albums of 2007 finally hits the streets. Compared to their earlier outputs „The Pursuit of Happiness" sounds more mature, more diversified, more sophisticated. Nevertheless, this is 100% Black Friday 29 – which means outstanding melodies, an energetic voice and some nice moshparts. This release surely underlines the band's position as one of the best combos in european hardcore in these days.
It's finally out and should be available in all fine record stores REALLY soon, so go get your hands on it, while we're having a limited version with a beautiful slipcase! Sweeet!
----- ... so is the Lighthouse Project „gift“ LP
Finland's own Lighthouse Project plays yet classic hardcore without playing it .."just old school..". Instead of playing the same tunes over and over again, their traditional hardcore (with a great punk edge involved) includes a bunch of hard rocking parts emotional lyrics and – since this is an Scandinavian band – some desperate sounds. To drop a big name in this: If you loved The Refused and their following orchestras, you will love this one as well!
We got some limited vinyls you can only get through MY Estore and the band! Get into iceee!
----- Within Walls Spring 2008 Tour announced / new records
Yay! Within Walls are gonna tour again in march 2008. They'll be in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK and will play some really cool festivals such as Break The Chains (Mörs, Germany) and From The Heart (Southend On Sea, UK).
03/14: Mannheim (DE) @ JUZ Mannheim
03/15: Mörs (DE) @ Break The Chains Fest III
03/16: Southend On Sea (UK) @ From The Heart Festival
03/17: London-Kingston (UK) @ Fighting Cox
03/18: Lowestoft (UK) @ Sea Breeze
03/19: Hengelo (NL) @ Innocent
03/20: Kiel (DE) @ Alte Meierei
03/21: Kassel (DE) @ Barracuda Bar
03/22: Lichtenstein (DE) @ JZ Riot
03/23: München (DE) @ Feierwerk
They will also record a new full-length which is scheduled for spring 2008, to be release on Blacktop Records. I'm gettin' horny!
----- Ritual taking a break, wolves 7“ repressed
Ritual will take a huge break till summer 2008 to take a breath and write new songs for a new full-length. They toured their asses off in 2007 to promoted the „wolves“ EP.
The 7“ is in stock again. We're having white vinyl with a slightly different cover (we ran out of the silkscreen cardboards). Order it through the Estore or buy it at your local record dealer.
Philipp, Kevin and Julian are not gonna take a musically break, so they'll be touring with their side-project Goodbye Sweet Halo (http://www.myspace.com/goodbyesweethalo) in March 2008. Check them out! They're worth it and are gonna release a 7“ on Drastic Actions and Chambers Records.
----- Just Went Black to tour Portugal w/ Day Of The Dead
Just Went Black recently announced a short tour with their friends in Day Of The Dead, scheduled for March 2008 (I guess everyone is touring in March, huh?). This time they're not gonna tour germany, but portugal! The „embracing emptiness“ EP is still hot!
Besides, we're trying to get a bunch load of „Tides“ CDs from New Age Records over to europe since kids keep asking for it. If you're running a distro, hit me up in case you're interested in it.
----- Storm & Stress announce spring 2008 tour
ONCE AGAIN a band is touring in March 2008. Storm & Stress will most likely be touring for about three weeks before they'll have to take a short break again due to private reasons. I'll post the tourdates as soon as everything's confirmed!
Their debut EP is still in stock, but going really fast. First reviews should come online soon.
----- End Of A Year coming to europe in spring 2008, most likely!
... and that's all I can say so far. It's drawing a smile on my face. Buy their „we understand europeans are a sexual people“ 7“EP.
----- No more vans for Blacktop Records.
I sold the van and I'm not gonna have new vans too soon, so please stop bothering me with Emails asking for tourvans. I also don't know any cheap vans, excepting the Thelema Booking van.
----- Discography update online
I made it to update the discography and it's completed now, I guess. I kicked out the pressig information for CDs, excepting they were limited.
----- While I'm taking a break, check out: Let It Ride Records & Chambers Records
My friends Jan and Chris still run Let It Ride Records and they have two REALLY great releases coming up. First is the Anchors X Up MCD and second a Seed Of Pain 12“. Both bands are really awesome and worth checking out.
http://www.myspace.com/letitriderecords
Robert and Martin who used to be part of Blacktop Records also started a new label with Hauke from Annotation/Tomorrow Tomorrow. They'll release the Goodbye Sweet Halo 7“ soon!
http://www.myspace.com/chambersrec
----- Lots of releases are selling out – no represses.
Release I consider „sold out“ are not available through me anymore. Some distros might still have them, but that's it.
So, the following releases are sold out and will not be repressed:
BTR001: RITUAL precious times LP
BTR003: WITHIN WALLS s/t 7“
BTR011.5: BLACK HAVEN bonus single 7“
And those are running low and will not be repressed:
BTR005: NINE death is glorious 7“
BTR009: UP THE FURY modern culture 7“
BTR010: UP THE FURY modern culture MCD
I'm listing those six release because people keep asking for it.
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http://www.blacktoprecords.de