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Muncey wrote:I'm not blaming labels I'm just saying I think its probably the case that its a small inconvenience.

Depends on your measure of inconvenience but here's how it works and how it's changed from, say two years ago...

Normally:
Mastering takes ~4 days if you manage to skip the cue.
Cutting the master lacquer takes an additional 2 days or so.
Getting test pressings then takes around 3 weeks.
After approving TPs pressing and getting the records to the distro takes around 5 weeks.
That's a total of around 11 weeks give or take.

However... Getting everything ready for a release in mid January 2015:
Mastering takes 2 weeks.
Cutting takes an additional 2.5 weeks.
Getting TPs takes god knows how long, still waiting.
After approval pressing plant gives a 10 week turnout time.
So far we're looking at at least 18 weeks, i.e. 4.5 months to get one 12" out. Not planned for RSD but would be nice to release before June.

And all this so majors can try and sell their limited Neil Young repress albums on 180gram purple vinyl and which will still be listed in December 2015 because nobody wants that crap. Even some of the good releases have the same fate because of saturation. As the rest of the year is so slow in this business the momentarily undermanned mastering, cutting and pressing plants can't handle the volumes with which labels are contributing to RSD now.

And how to prepare for this is apparently to plan to only release between September and February. What it's become is by no means for the benefit of fans or independent labels. Personally i'm holding up one finger for RSD and it isn't a thumb.

Fair play, I just was seeing things from an outsider and assumed it couldn't be that hard to plan ahead and get in before the rush for RSD.

Have you tried getting in on being apart of the 'official RSD' shit? Curious because if its that much of an inconvenience to smaller labels/underground music maybe getting involved is one way around it. Hyperdub do stuff regularly for RSD, but the press huge volumes all year round. I assume its harder to be apart of it if you're a smaller label?

Maybe its just one of those things that sound great and "for the fans" but actually its just a hindrance.

Still, I love the vibe on RSD. In a busy city with people all going to record shops in the sunshine, having some drinks and listening to some DJs.. it always seemed like a great day

4days to master and 2 days to cut a lacquer? That's some next level long ting... You might wanna find a new mastering house if that's how your going on.

Master and lacquer cut for a 2 track 12" including chatting shit and drinking tea, 2 hours tops!

Didn't mean this to be about us but rather give some perspective what independent labels in general have bumped into with RSD 2015 and schedules.

Muncey wrote:I assume its harder to be apart of it if you're a smaller label?

It's not at all, it's my choice not to be a part of it as it's become a fad. Record stores deserve better than to try hoard green Neil Young represses for randomer dads to make up for the rest of the years bad sales.

Be-1ne wrote:Master and lacquer cut for a 2 track 12" including chatting shit and drinking tea, 2 hours tops!

Said the privileged Birminghamian haha... Operating from the brink of the universe is a story in itself with its pros and cons. I schedule a week for cutting & mastering, give or take. Beside the point anyhow.

edit: just to avoid further posts that i'm just making this up hahah... http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permali ... -store-day

http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/how-i ... yl-revival

an actual, decent Noisey article, for once.