Recent Highlights: Q4 2023
The last few months of 2023 has seen a raft of interesting campaigns and D2C projects. Here’s a selection of interesting activity across the platform including Bleachers, Above & Beyond , Beggars Arkive BBC Radio Sessions, The 1975, Love Fame Tragedy, The Smile, Daft Punk Book, Good Omens 2, Aphex Twin, and The National
Bleachers
In November Bleachers announced their return with the pre-order for their self titled new album via Dirty Hit.
In addition to standard clear double vinyl, Bleachers offered fans the choice of four(!) different vinyl formats featuring alternative covers and exclusive bonus tracks, CD and cassette.
Ochre’s simple bundling user experience helped fans easily select a bundle choosing their favourite alternative vinyl cover. Bundles also include a CD, a cassette and a signed postcard.
Customers who purchased the album pre-order early in the campaign also received early access to presale tickets to Bleachers in demand live shows before the general on sale date, which sold out fast.
Above & Beyond presents OceanLab: The Anthology
Above & Beyond and Justine Suissa present ‘OceanLab: The Anthology’, a limited edition vinyl box set available for pre-order exclusively on Anjunabeats.
This limited edition box set includes: Original 'Sirens of the Sea' 2xLP album, four exclusive single LPs, exclusive 10inch 'Another Chance' single, a perfect-bound 28-page book, OceanLab slipmat, an A2-sized OceanLab poster and individually numbered OceanLab message card.
This box is housed in a premium-quality Buckram printed fabric-wrapped double slipcase, featuring handwritten OceanLab motifs, imagery and foiled detailing.
Each box set purchase includes a digital download (WAV/FLAC) of all tracks featured on the box set.
Beggars Arkive BBC Radio Sessions, Vol. 1
Beggars launched the highly anticipated 2024 BBC Radio Sessions project, introducing a monthly subscription service that brings an element of surprise to music enthusiasts.
Subscribers will receive ten clear 12'' vinyl records over ten months, each revealing a unique session from prominent Arkive artists, complete with a custom record box for preservation.
These sessions span 30 years, from the 1970s to the 2000s and capture the raw, unfiltered essence of BBC radio performances recorded for John Peel. Each pressed to 12" clear vinyl exclusively for subscribers, alongside a bespoke foil-numbered record box and certificate of authenticity.
The 1975
Dirty Hit pressed onto double clear vinyl the live recording of The 1975’s sold out ‘At Their Very Best’ performance from New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, recorded on 7th November 2022.
The limited edition record was available to pre-order from the Dirty Hit store shipping from multiple locations and sold out very quickly.
Future Islands
4AD announced the return of Future Islands with their new album “People Who Aren’t There Anymore”.
The 4AD store offered fans exclusive blob colour-in-colour vinyl with alternative artwork alongside standard vinyl and cassette formats, as well as bundle combinations.
Webstore exclusive vinyl bundles also included an art print signed by the band
Love Fame Tragedy
Love Fame Tragedy announced his second album, ‘Life Is A Killer’.
Set for release on 29th March 2024, the solo project from The Wombats’ Matthew “Murph” Murphy was announced via a pre-order on his Ochre store.
Formats include a signed swirl vinyl, CD, cassette and merchandise, as well as various bundles.
The Smile
The Smile’s new album “Wall Of Eyes”, will be released on 26th January 2024 on XL Recordings.
The new album was recorded between Oxford and Abbey Road Studios and is produced and mixed Sam Petts-Davies and features string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
XL’s store featured a limited edition blue vinyl and offered a bundle of the album alongside the debut “A Light For Attracting Attention”.
Daft Punk - We Were The Robots
After selling out the first edition more quickly than Disco Pogo could have imagined, they have reprinted the book with a new foreword by David and Stephen Dewaele, better known as Soulwax and 2manydjs.
This tribute to the duo collates all the interviews and photos from the seminal magazine Jockey Slut - covering their early days on Soma up to the release of Discovery. Further articles cover the rest of their tenure as one of the globe’s most furtive, influential electronic acts right up to their unexpected split in February 2021.
If you missed out last time then now’s your chance to rectify that. Or it could make the perfect Christmas present for the Daft Punk fan in your life.
Good Omens 2
Silva Screen have launched a number of in demand soundtracks over the past few months.
David Arnold’s ‘end of the world’ complex and multi-genre soundtrack for Good Omens 2 proved very popular amongst fans on 2xLP coloured vinyl and CD.
Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin restocked his store with various items of tour merch from 2023.
This included very limited vinyl originally only available at Sonar and Field Day festivals, as well as the return of the popular Aphex Twin umbrella made famous in the Windowlicker video.
The National
And finally, the busiest band award for 2023 has to potentially go to The National. Who, after less than five months from the launch of their last album, announced a surprise brand new full length album “Laugh Track” out via 4AD.
The 4AD store featured a translucent pink vinyl and an exclusive bundle of both 2023 albums; "laugh Track" and “First Two Pages of Frankenstein”.
Fans who pre-ordered “Laugh Track” were entered into a competition for the chance to win one of four signed white label vinyl editions of the new album, which were sold exclusively at The National's homecoming concert.
