One Two One Two This Is Just A Test

A few weeks back I posted about the new Spirits LP and how I struck out at getting a test. Thanks to Instagram and its group of record collectors I was able to acquire one much sooner than I'd hoped for. I'd commented on one of my pictures and another person's that I was still looking for a test press and out of nowhere I got a message from a fellow (Spirits) collector who told me that one of the labels doing the tape release for the new LP still had one or two tests and were willing to sell. Less than two hours later I'd completed the transaction and a few days later the test press was already on my doorstep, again much sooner than I'd expected. Thanks, dude. I'm very grateful you helped me out. #16 out of 20.

If you follow my blog regularly, you have probably noticed that Spirits always go all out for the packaging for their releases. Of course they did that for the tests as well, which means these come with a special spray-painted cover and inner jacket.

Funny sidenote, I've never seen the use of test pressings explained on the back of a sleeve.

Unrest On The East Coast

To keep things interesting for us collectors, Spirits came up with a little something for a short tour on the east coast a few weeks ago. Special inlay for the picture frame cover, plus the inner sleeve comes with spray-painted art work. If you look closely, you can make out the number on the label underneath the right leg of the X. My copy is #23 out of 50 copies total. Love it.

Unrest

Those who follow my blog will know by know that Spirits is by far my favourite current band. Great music, great lyrics, all around great people. As a collector I hate and love them. I hate (well, not really of course) them because they've put out so much music in such a short time and there are always a million variants. But of course I'm the only one to blame because no one forces me to buy all of those variants. However, it's always easier to project your shortcomings onto others, right?
Love prevails though. I love them because they put so much effort into their releases. Layered covers, origami style covers, hand stamped covers, you name it, they do it. This is another prime example of them going all out with the packaging. The sleeve is basically a picture frame and get four different options as to what the frame shows, depending on how you fold the lyric sheet.

This is by far my favourite hardcore release this year, which probably isn't that much of a surprise, but I just wanted to state it for the record. Osu is such an incredible song. I especially love what Charles did on guitars here. The lyrics are spot on, too, and are much needed - at least for me - in these dark political times.

I have a tour press coming my way, but I still need a test press. I'd contacted the label but I didn't manage to score one. Which is all the more sad (for me) because two friends I had told about the label being open to taking offers on tests got one while I struck out. As glad as I am for them, I'm still bummed. I even had one at my house and then had to mail it to a buddy who I'd teamed up with for the order. Oh well. The hunt is the fun part anyway.


Pre-order edition, which not only looks like a picture frame, but you can actually stand it up like a real picture frame. Check out the close up below. The dust sleeve is stamped, but not numbered.

Close up. #47/65. Additional stamp, too.

Clear and gold splatter out of 100 copies via State Of Mind. Love the look of this record.

200 copies come on silver vinyl. It's not just gray vinyl, it has an actual silver sparkle to it. Also on State Of Mind Records.

The European release of this LP was handled by Useless Pride. 200 copies on purple vinyl.

Last but not least, the standard press on black vinyl out of 400 copies. Also released by Useless Pride.

 

Spirits Strike Again

New year, same old records by the same old bands. Well, almost. A few weeks ago a picture by Useless Pride Record popped up in my Instgram feed. They advertised a repress of Spirits' Discontent LP. The records are supposed to be from the 2nd US press, just with blank labels and another sleeve. I'm not convinced this is true though, because my 2nd press copy looks different colourwise. Then again, I don't think the label pressed only 50 copies. Weird. The records are supposed to be yellow, but this looks more like orange to me. To make things more complicated, a friend of mine bought two copies, one for herself and one for a friend, and when she sent me a picture, one did look like mine, but the other one looked like yellow indeed. The three copies I have sitting here (friends help friends) all look like mine though. However, the label told my friend that the majority was yellow, not orange.  Oh, the joy of record collecting and nerding out about things like that...

One, Two, One, Two, This Is Just A Test

For the original release of Spirits' Discontent LP on State Of Mind Records, there have never been any test pressings. For the European release on Useless Pride, however, there are tests. The label on the sleeve actually says "Discontents", which is obviously wrong. The label also says QTY: 5, but I'm pretty sure there are more than five tests in total. The label sold these at a very reasonable price, too.

Yet Another Fan Boy Posting I Guess

A few months ago, Spirits announced that there was going to be a European press of their debut LP Discontent. Useless Pride from France were going to handle everything. Now, a few posts ago, I explained that I'd decided to take things a little bit slower as far as records go, but some things I just couldn't pass up. So, I picked up another copy of this awesome LP. Definitely a good choice.

FYI Spirits are on tour right now in Europe. Catch them live and you'll see how good they are.