We knew Sweet Potato’s Mash was a good album, but we’ve been overwhelmed by the response its had since we released it last week. We’ve had 400 downloads on all formats already, making it our fastest downloaded release thus far. An appearance on a popular Hungarian mp3 blog has done no harm, but we’re genuinely delighted at the response its had so far.

In other news, we will shortly be uploading an ‘online video exhibition’ of EL Heath’s. Entitled ‘Obsolete’, the exhibition- currently showing at The Hive in Shrewsbury- comprises 8 short films shot on 8mm tape and edited using archaic editing software. They’re soundtracked by EL Heath’s music- including some currently unreleased tracks. Though simple, they’re profoundly affecting and open up a whole new dimension to Heath’s work. As an added bonus we’ll upload the haunting video Heath’s made for epic45′s track ‘In All The Empty Houses’.

It is also the first release we have put out on Bittorrent as MP3, FLAC and Ogg Vorbis. If you are into such things, give the links a click and download this way – the more that do, the faster it becomes for everyone to do so, provided you keep seeding. Fire up those torrent clients immediately!

And we’re pleased to confirm three more forthcoming releases too…

The Exploits of Elaine: 2003-2005
In their current incarnation, The Exploits of Elaine are an improvising collective making music that sounds a little like This Heat playing folk music from the planet Saturn. But prior to that, they made bloody awesome post-rock music. Their songs were direct, emotionally powerful and contained more ideas than most bands in that genre have across a whole career. This is a compilation containing tracks from their untitled 2003 EP and some unreleased material from 2005, including the mighty Laputa, which replace that bloody Sigur Ros song on every single nature/sports programme trailer.

Talk Less, Say More – ‘It’s About Time’
A companion album to the mighty “It’s About Time” EP released on RoR. Tolstoy, Greek tragedy and theories of the life, the universe and everything delivered in devastating rhymes with slickly impressive production and a knowing nod in the direction of pop.

Les Etoiles – To Leave A Mark
Another fine album of haunting confessionals. The sparse beauty and devastating lyrical ability of ‘Never to Alight’ remains, but Mr Fitzpatrick has added lusher, richer instrumentation this time around. Another one for lonely nights.

Very soon!

We’ve just taken delivery of our first professionally made release: Sweet Potato’s very very excellent album ‘Mash’. We’re doing it as a joint release with the lovely folks at Foetal Orange (run by Dom and Jack of Sweet Potato and Strap the Button) and expect it to be out within a week or two. The CDs have a four page liner booklet and are fully carbon neutral.

It’s an extraordinary record- quite unlike anything else we’ve heard. It’s somewhere between Ornette Coleman, Faith No More, Gentle Giant and post-Wyatt Soft Machine. Operatic vocals, free jazz wigouts, stonking riffs and curveballs aplenty.