Another long blog post for a Monday Morning...
Hello everyone,
Its Monday morning, we are all miserable, so lets get Blogging. Oooh!
Okay, so first up - and by jimni, I will be so pleased when these aren't first up lol - but first up: Moondance and Dj Force & The Evolution box set updates.
These are still expected this month. The pressing plant is running a little late - and I know your patience is as thin as mine right now - but try to remember that our new pressing plant is actually doing very well.
MPO is the cause of this delay. We did not get the metalwork back from MPO until late November. We put the order in with the new plant as soon as that metalwork arrived. The new plant is working now at roughly a 12 weeks turnaround. So December, January, February...if they come at the end of February that is actually still on time for the plant.
They did say they would do their best to get them for end of Jan / Early feb - closer to 9-10 weeks. I probably should not have made that public as I know better than anyone that things can get delayed and that was going to be tight even for them, but I am as impatient as you guys. And yes, they are running a little late based on what I said, even if not actually late by the plants timescale. But this is NOT MPO. This plant is doing all it can to help and has been brilliant so far. Still, this is still the vinyl pressing industry, and it is riddled with issues even now.
One of the issues we have we have run into with these two box sets, AND with some of the other things we got back from MPO, is this: Sometimes MPO have sent the positives, sometimes they have sent the negatives, and no matter which, we have to grow new stampers because the new plant uses different machines. So we have the daft situation where the new plant often has space on the machines to press, but cannot because they are waiting on the metalwork. They are increasing their ability to make the metalwork, but right now much of it is being outsourced and it is in a queue and that is where delays are occuring.
Another issue is that sometimes the metalwork from MPO is damaged either in transit or because MPO did not look after it very well. Shocking, I know. This is what happened with K15 - Eko. That was ordered, and was meant to be released, at the same time as K18 - Future Primitive. But the metalwork was damaged, so new metalwork was needed, and it delayed the record by about a month. We have had the same issue with KFP06, and a few others. Mostly the metalwork is fine, but if there is an issue with the metalwork, it has to be fixed, and that inevitably slows down the pressing of that release.
I do realise that reads as a litany of excuses. But what I want you to take away from that is:
1. The new pressing plant is actually doing great timewise even if it doesn't feel like that and...
2. There are delays caused outside of what can be predicted and...
3. Even so, I still expect those two box sets this month...so hold tight.
Basically, I am asking please, a little more patience. I am sweetening both box sets as best i can. For the Dj Force & The Evolution one, I am doing colored vinyl on some of the disks - transparent red to match the original pressing of Fall Down On Me, and transparent white to match the original pressing of Perfect Dreams.
On the Moondance Box Sets, I got these double sided posters done for all who have had to wait so long:
It's not much, but I am doing what i can. It is totally shit that it has taken so long, but no one wants these particular two releases in your hands more than me. Its been stressing me the hell out for nearly a year. But we are almost done unless...well, I don't dare even say it. We are so close...and the very day either of these get here, I will email everyone with pics of their arrival, and we are packing and sending them out as fast as humanly possible.
Before we move on, another thing that I suddenly thought might seem off to people would be "how come so many new things are arriving BEFORE these two delayed box sets?"
The answer to that is simple too: All out new work has been going to the new pressing plant since mid 2022. Several months before we moved metalwork from MPO. So the plant had a lot of new releases with the metalwork ready, and it was scheduled to be pressed. In the middle of that, we dropped 70 odd releases to need new metalwork and get pressed. They are doing their best, but that stuff takes time and space and resources, and is being ADDED to what was already scheduled. It isn't replacing it, unless it can. And often it cannot, because of the above situation with the metalwork. And of course, the pressing plant also has other people to press for, so my chaos doesn't get to interrupt other peoples pressing.
Even with all that, honestly, the new plant has been really great. The records are high quality and the vinyl is flowing to the point where I am struggling to manage it a bit...but at least I can now do a schedule. Would you like the schedule for the upcoming months? Alright then...
So....I am expecting a delivery of KF176 - Acen - Trip To The Moon (Dubplate Mixes) THIS WEEK. I know, amazing right? 
This was ordered the same time as the two box sets, so its another good sign....
We will email the link for those who had to wait on the Acen Box Set (2 bloody years ago...damn...) as soon as it is ready. As mentioned before, this was meant to be a free apology record, with MPO paying for the press. Obviously, its now being pressed at the new plant, and I have to pay for it, so its not going to be free. It will be much cheaper than full price tho - cost price, roughly.
Any extra copies will be available first at the Black Gold record fair at normal price on the 25th of February, and any still left after that will go up for sale on the Sunday after that, the 26th of February.
On Thursday the 16th of February, we will be officially releasing these two beauties:
INFL24 - Ray Keith - 21st Century Junglist Box Set
KF240 - Ray Keith - Rinse
On Thursday the 23rd February, we will be releasing the mysterious four record set of KF235, KF236, KF237 and KF238.
On the 25th fo February, we are doing the Black Gold Record Fair as mentioned above:
...and we will have all of the above for sale. We will also be doing a huge cut price sale on box sets and overstocks, and this bit you will all like:
We will be selling the excess singles from ALL the current box sets.
That is to say, when we order 500 of a record, we get between 450 and 550. When you order 500 of a box set, that means you might, for example, get 531 of the A/B side, and 484 of the C/D side. Which means, you can only actually make up 484 box sets. And so you now have a bunch of the A/B sides left. On top of that, some outer packaging gets damaged on the box sets - that is inevitable sadly, but also leaves us with singles to sell.
So that means, we have extra singles hanging about on all the new box sets.
We will be selling these singles at the Black Gold record fair, and then, whatever we have left, on the site on the Sunday following the record far - the 26th fo February.
If that isn't enough, and it really is, but if it isn't...We are expecting a bunch of represses including KF99R, REC35 Box Set, PTDUB06, KF203 and more, plus a few new releases:
KF166 - The Sandman - Psychosis Remixes
And John Doe's incredible "Outsider / Chill Tip" represses and remixes, on KF206 and KF207 respectively...
And all to land between now and the record fair. I don't know what will come when, but anything that does - same deal. They will be at the record fair, and then they will be available on the KF store on the 26th of February.
So again, the things to remember are:
1. Acen Dubplate Mixes are finally about to arrive and an email will be sent to those its due for.
2. They will then be for sale on the 25th of February at the Black Gold record fair, and then on the 26th of February on the Kniteforce Store.
3. This Thursday, the 16th, its all about Ray Keith's new Box Set and the remastered repress of the classic "Rinse"!
4. The following Thursday, the 23rd, its the mystery four EPs - and trust me, they are world dominatingly EPIC.
5. The Saturday 25th is the record fair - come join us!!!
6. The Sunday 26th is a whole lot of good stuff on the KF site...
And that wraps up February.
A few more questions answered:
1. Where is Pennywise and the other Symphony Sounds EPs? 
I think these are going to be in March now. I had aimed it for January or February, but the metalwork is from MPO, and the Moondance and Force & Evolution box sets HAVE to be priority as they were pre-sold. So I have told the plant "yes please, as soon as possible, but the two box sets first."
2. When is the Nookie Box Set going to be available? 
That will go on sale March 30th, as it is expected around that time!
3. When are the new Out Of Romfords and Kniteforce Primes?
I expect them anytime, but likely now they will be March too. Again, metalwork from MPO. Again, the box sets MUST take priority. And its the same deal for all the upcoming stuff really...The Criminal Minds new EPs, newOut Of Romford EPs, the Kniteforce Remixes series - all ordered, likely March or April at the latest.
All in all, I think you can see how horrendously busy it is, and this is all part of getting things back on track. There are still LOADs of releases I am in the middle of scheduling. Wots My Code, the Ruff Guidance releases, the Bad Onion EPs, Dj Stephano, KFW19 and 20, Phuture Assassins, Isotonik...How do I prioritise a list like that? I can't really. All I can do is put the orders in, and try to keep the releases varied. So that is what I am doing. Once the two long delayed box sets are here, and the Acen Dubplate mixes are sent out, I will breathe a huge sigh of relief, and we can just have things arrive without the endless "WHERE IS IT?" thing going on.
I hope.
And then, the future...Acen Monolith Box Set, Isotonik Box Set, Dj Beeno album, Sunny & Deck Hussy album, new Second Drop EPs, an EP from Dwarde on Remix Records, vinyl from Omni Music, The Criminal Minds album, Hyper On Experience EP, new EPs from Ron Wells, represses on Rons back catalogue, new Jimmy J EPs, Hyper-On Experience remix of Q Project, music from Vinyl Junkie, Abyss, Paul Bradley, Flatliner, New Decade, Scartat, Gothika Shade, Innercore, Ramos, NRG, Sunshine Productions, Jonny L....I have not been idle lol. Its just been a little...difficult...to organise lately!
Anyway, thats all the blog for now...big ups to all of you for reading yet another bloody huge essay. But 2023? Its gonna be huge.
Also, Knite Club 2 date announcement imminent. And already, KC2 is bigger and more jaw dropping then KC1....
Thats it for today, more news as it gets here...
Nice one,
Chris