Free "Apology For The Delay" record and updates!
Hello Everyone,
Okay, here we are again with the updates, but there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel at last, and some explanations (even if they are a bit poo) and a free record to talk about :)
So first things first: Breed31 (Worldwide Epidemik) and KF142 (Remixes 15).
The issue with these two releases is as follows: They were sent from the pressing plant mid January, a little late but not massively so. But this was just after Brexit, so they got shipped to the UK where customs sat for a while as everyone scratched their bums and wondered how to process them.
When no one could work out which box to tick, they were sent back to the pressing plant.
That was February the 15th.
The pressing plant was so overwhelmed with Brexit problems and delays and orders stacked up due to Covid issues, they just left anything they got returned to them sitting in the warehouse. Not good. And I did not hassle them because they said they were coming and stuck at customs. Basically, I did not know they had been shipped back, and the plant didn’t tell me. Also not good.
But now they are finally on their way and due to be here on Friday (which means Monday, probably) and we will pack them and the Boxing Day orders and bundles and get those out fast as we can.
Personally, I can’t wait to get them out, it has been horrendous having all the sale orders and these Boxing Day bundles all just stacked up and waiting. It made the KF store, already messy from Acen Box Set presale, close to unworkable. Speaking of the Acen Box Set:
This one was delayed because of all of the above. The actual pressing occurred the last week of February, which was earlier than we had been told. But the end of February was peak “everything is stuck at customs” so the pressing plant did not send it as they were wading through all the other orders that were in front of it.
They sent me the delivery note, which as anyone who uses courriers knows, is generated when the package is ready for collection. But the Box Sets HAD NOT been collected. They have been collected now and are in transit, on their way to us, and should be here at the end of the week / early next week.
So as with the missing Breed31 and KF142, we will endeavour to get that sent out as soon as possible.
In both cases I have been assured I will get tracking info today, and in both cases I will update you all directly the minute the records arrive and can be sent.
I got all of this information after finally losing my shit and threatening to leave the pressing plant altogether (which is actually not a good threat cos most pressing plants are so overwhelmed what they need is less customers lol). For the last 4 years or so, I have been very happy with the service I have had from MPO, a France based pressing plant, via Curved, a factor, and I cannot recommend them enough. This is why it took me perhaps longer than others might have to finally throw all may toys out of the pram and demand things got fixed. Years of exceptional service mean you have to give a company some leeway when things go wrong, but it had got very much out of hand. Anyway...
To make up for the delay on the box set, we will be sending every delayed Box Set order an extra vinyl for free!
It is the original mixes of Trip To The Moon, before the Production House final editions that went to the public. These would have been on the box set proper, but we did not have the mixes, and thought we would not be able to get them. When we did, it was way to late to add them as the first 500 of the box set was already on its way to us.
So it is a pleasure to be able to add them to it now, even if its in these less than ideal circumstances.
Here is how it will work:
It is going to take 12-16 weeks to get this cut and pressed. So it WILL NOT come with your order initially.
If you are currently waiting for the box set, you will get this record for free. I have made a note of your order number and address, and as soon as it arrives, we will send them out. You do not have to do anything.
If you have already received the box set, you will be able to pick this record up at around cost price, directly through the store. I will email you directly once it is here.
And then, if there are leftovers, we will make them available on the store as a single.
And yes, digital will come with it.
There are still some records missing in action, and they are being tracked down. Its taking longer than I would have liked, but things are, finally, moving in the right direction.
We will have new releases coming to the store, and there will be a lot of them. At this point, we are expecting about 12 titles on top of the box sets and Breed31 / KF142.
You have all been very patient. Way beyond what any business could reasonably expect. With the exception of a very few people, you have also been really nice about it, and I am very grateful because I am the first to admit that it HAS been really shit, so thank you, everyone.
But...can I ask you for just a little more patience? The records still aren’t actually here, so while I say all of the above, I do it with a little trepidation, and also, when they do arrive, we have to process, pack and ship about 700 orders. We will do it as fast as we can, but it is still gonna take some time to do, probably a week or two at least. So please, even though I know it is asking a lot, just a little more patience and we will get it all sorted :)
Next up on the store will be the Baraka / Champion Sound / Bear Necessities pre sale, either the end of this week or the end of next week, and then various releases as they come in stock. I absolutely dread doing another pre sale, but as mentioned before, in this particular case we do not have a choice, and besides, we will not have the same issues again. Most of the problems on the Acen Box Set were Covid related (most businesses have now adapted to that problem) and Brexit customs related (that also seems to be fixed. Ish).
As ever, I will keep you posted about each thing as and when it happens…
Nice one,
Chris