Here just a quick little update on all the items mentioned in the "2008 outlook" up above, as we get ready to head into February. I'll follow that with a few items that weren't mentioned when I first posted this topic.
Austere | Solyaris
Originally planned for Jan 2008, we've delayed this one until early February to give the Austere guys time to release their box-set, which I'm sure they'll be plugging here on the Forum soon.
M. Griffin | Fabrications
All recording and editing is done, and just a few fine-tuning tweaks will be done (EQ and volume, mainly) before this one is sent out to be pressed.
Various Artists | Message From a Subatomic World
This second compilation is complete in terms of artist selection, track selection, and track sequence. Some basic mastering is needed to get the tracks to match up, and this will be ready.
Evan Bartholomew | Tidal Phases of the Moon I
A recent addition to the release list, this long-form ambient piece should be ready to go soon, but we're fine-tuning some very small issues with the master. We'll be getting CDs manufactured for this one (rather than the usual Hypnos Secret Sounds limited CDR release) so that will take a few extra weeks.
Sense (Robert Logan) | The Sublime (2cdr)
This release has been in the works for quite a while (though it wasn't announced until the title was decided, though that's been changed twice subsequently). This too is different in that it's a 2 disc release. Very challenging and exciting sounds... we can't wait to introduce Hypnos listeners to Sense!
Robert Rich | Somnium (dvd)
Our initial pressing of 2,000 copies sold out, and we're still selling enough of them that we're pressing another 1,000. That makes this the best-selling Hypnos release ever (as other discs have had 2,000 made, but none sold out the second thousand before).
Jeff Pearce | Daylight Slowly
Jeff's first Hypnos disc has been out of print for a while, and we're going to re-press it with different artwork.
Nebula | The Path of White Clouds
This is a re-issue of an out of print album by this Oophoi & Mathias Grassow (and many others) ambient collective. We're going to slightly change the name from "Nebula" to something just barely different, to avoid conflicting with other artists already using that name. This is a beautiful recording, one that definitely deserves to be available.
Various Artists | Echoes of Polyhymnia
Hypnos manager Lena is curating this females-only ambient compilation. We're already received some great submissions, and some very promising artists have tracks on the way to us even now. Already confirmed to take part: Gydja, Rose Bolton, Margaret Noble, Stellaria Fennica, Clarissa Borba, Kristin Miltner, Sara Ayres, Floating World, Lena.
Various Artists | Nevertime
This Binary label compilation will emphasize a more modern and edgy style of electronic music, ranging from minimal, pulsing techno to what some call electronica and some call IDM, to glitch and minimalism.
Viridian Sun | As-Yet-Untitled album
This will be an album of brand new (late 2007, early 2008) sessions, with a hypnotic, deep, organic feel. More guitar-based, and less electronic, than previous Viridian Sun releases.
M. Griffin & Various Artists | Vapors and Magnetism (video DVD)
Much work still remains to be done on this, which will be a collection of abstract videos, each with an exclusive music track by one of our favorite ambient recording artists.
MORE VIRIDIAN SUN
After the release of the Viridian Sun album just recorded, we will likely finish and release the unreleased album from 5-6 years earlier. First things first! Or actually, last things first.
M. GRIFFIN AND _____
I've undertaken two collaborations for this coming year, figuring that these things usually proceed with delays and lulls, which will allow me to work on them one at a time, simultaneously! And it already seems that one of them won't start for a few months, so this should be a matter of working quietly, and not announcing anything until some progress is made mid-year.
BINARY AKA HYPNOS/BINARY
For those of you who don't know, Binary is the sublabel for more dynamic electronic sounds. We're going to put some effort into revving things up on Binary this year, starting with Nevertime (see above), but leading on to some CDs by some new artists.
BINARY EXPLORER SERIES
This will be a limited CDR imprint related to our Binary sub-label. In other words, Binary Explorer Series is to Binary, as Hypnos Secret Sounds is to Hypnos. We intend to start running BES full-speed starting this spring, right around the time we're recruiting for the Nevertime comp.
NEW ONLINE STORE
We've reserved the domain for our new dedicated music store (not just an offshoot of the Hypnos site, the way our current Hypnos Online Store works), so before too long there will be an ever-expanding music store at www.soundswim.com -- it will start off selling much of the same stuff as the Hypnos store, but will quickly broaden out. We'll be selling downloads, too, just Hypnos (and sub-label) tracks at first, but possibly other tracks on other labels at some point, depending on how it goes.
I thought it would be a good idea to give a quick note of update to each of these items mentioned a few months back, to let everyone know where we stand on all the stuff that was mentioned.
Austere | Solyaris Already released, come and get 'em.
M. Griffin | Fabrications This one is at the manufacturing plant right now and we should have CDs pretty soon. Finally!
Various Artists | Message From a Subatomic World Final track sequence is set, mastering is just about done, and I'd like to get this one wrapped-up and ready to press before Fabrications is done.
Evan Bartholomew | Tidal Phases of the Moon IWe had a very minor glitch with the audio master, and Even wanted to rework his master, but he's been very busy with live performances and other music work, so it hasn't been completed yet, but this one's still on the horizon.
Sense (Robert Logan) | The Sublime (2cdr) Actually released under the name Sense Project, rather than Sense (Robert Logan) or any of the variants we discussed. This one's getting a very positive response and we're quite proud of it.
Robert Rich | Somnium (dvd)Also released, in case you missed it -- re-released, that is. We've got plenty of these on hand now, in case you missed it the first time around.
Jeff Pearce | Daylight SlowlyThis will be one of the next things we submit to the manufacturing plant, but it's not quite ready yet.
Nebula | The Path of White CloudsNebula has changed their name to Nebulae, and this project should come out mid-year.
Various Artists | Echoes of Polyhymnia The roster is entirely set on this one, and we just need to decide on the track sequence, and master the material, and this should be released mid-year as well.
Various Artists | Nevertime Haven't yet opened this up to submissions, as a few other priorities have taken over, but we'll make an official announcement about submissions fairly soon.
Viridian Sun | As-Yet-Untitled albumThe Viridian Sun 4th album (please note that the 3rd album was never released, at least not yet -- we're not talking about the Live Paris Theater album) has been edited down and we've made surprisingly good progress on this. It has a more raw and organic feel than previous VS releases and we'd like to get it released by the end of the summer if possible.
M. Griffin & Various Artists | Vapors and Magnetism (video DVD)This has been affected by other projects sliding back, as much as any. Not much progress made on this in the last few months. OK... no progress.
MORE VIRIDIAN SUNThis album is recorded and mostly edited, it just remains to be seen if the mighty VS duo keep up their dedication to the project, and whip these tracks into final, release-ready shape following the completion of the 4th album. Yes, it could be considered odd to finish your 4th album and then go back and start editing together the tracks for your 3rd album.
M. GRIFFIN AND _____One of my planned collaborations for this year has fallen through (and I knew it would happen that way, which is why I double-booked) but I am pleased to be at the beginning stages of a collaboration with Oophoi. We're just getting started, but we'd like to have some idea whether this will yield a Hypnos CD in 2008, or whether it will be a slower-evolving process than that. The first recordings I've heard sound very promising and I look forward to digging into them and getting my hands dirty.
BINARY AKA HYPNOS/BINARYOur plans to revive this imprint and set it off in a new direction with renewed energy, pretty much depends on the Nevertime compilation to get us started. Then again, the return of one of our favorite electronic music artists, one already familiar to Binary listeners -- Saul Stokes -- should help us get Binary moving again pretty soon. Saul's new album Villa Galaxia will be released on Binary, in cooperation with Saul's own imprint.
BINARY EXPLORER SERIESHaven't started these yet, and actually the "call for submissions" for the Nevertime compilation will coincide exactly with the "call for submissions" for B.E.S. series projects. Hope to get moving on this soon, but nothing yet.
NEW ONLINE STOREWe've got dibs on the web domain
www.soundswim.com but haven't built anything there yet... other than a cool picture and a couple of words like "coming soon." We're still testing web store technologies, as we don't want to just use the same store platform that powers the Hypnos store. This one will include downloads, at least that's the plan!
I'll have more to add to this soon, as there are other things cooking. This is more of an "update to stuff we had planned months ago," and doesn't include newer projects that have come together just recently, such as the Matt Borghi series and a new one coming from Darkened Soul. We're also expecting to release something by Steve Brand (also known as Augur) soon but don't know what, or when, or how many, as yet.
Thanks, everybody, for all your support of our various endeavors!
-Mike
