new releases, special editions, festivals, cancellations, deliberate mistakes, apologies - whenever we have something vaguely interesting to share, we'll probably post it here (and we'll just make something up when we don't)
GROUNDHOGS TAKE OVER FROM MAN
We've had the worrying report that Man's Martin Ace is seriously ill in hospital in Germany, so obviously Man will not be able to headline this summer's festival - but the great news that Ken Pustelnik's mighty Groundhogs have stepped in and will be top of the bill on Saturday night.
FdM's £5 T-SHIRTS RIDE AGAIN
Three more reasons to be at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival in August - the return of the infamous Fruits de Mer £5 t-shirts - yes, just a fiver each!
Available in various colours and sizes from the FdM stall - stock up for the rest of the year!
Almost certainly not the design, colour or size you want, but what do you expect for five quid (and don't let other festivals or bands con you into thinking they cost more than that to produce)
DIMENSIONS IN SOUND AND SPACE
Many thanks to Phil Jackson for reviwing our August album releases nice and early...you can read them HERE
HOME BREW
If you can't wait until this year's festival to get your laughing gear round a bottle of Mantle Brewery's '20th Dream' special edition best bitter, you can order some bottles direct from the Mantle website CLICK HERE.
There will, of course, be lots of bottles on sale at the festival itself - or you can pick them up from the brewery,which is only a few hundred yards from the Cellar Bar.
AUGUST VINYL
As well as the long-awaited (by me, anyway!) vinyl release of Pinhdar's 'Sparkle' album, we'll have two more albums on sale from August 13 - London Undergound 'Live At The 19th Dream Festival' and a double LP of recordings from last summer's festival, featuring Sendelica, Hanford Flyover, Pinhdar, Cary Grace, London Underground and many more. Pre-ordering details soon.
SCHIZO FUN ADDICT VERSUS HYPNOTIC BRIDGE
Our very good friends Schizo Fun Addict have a new single out on June 28th, on the US label Hypnotic Bridge - already home to singles by the likes of Bevis Frond, Vibravoid, The Flower Machine and The Chemistry Set, so definitely purveyors of great psychedelia.
You can pre-order the SFA single 'Elevation Versus Sabotage' HERE and the first 50 orders will get a download of the 'Love Your Enemies' album we released on FdM last year
BABAL MEET ASTRALASIA
A second, limited 7" lathe-cut awaits visitors to the FdM stall at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival - one side featuring an excerpt of a track from Babal's next album, the other a new track by Astralasia and/or Mushroom, housed in a rather transparent sleeve
WHITE OUT
I'm starting to sort out the FdM stock for our stall at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival - and it looks like there will be plenty for lovers of test pressings to check out. If I have time, I'll dig a bit further back into the Fruits de Mer archives and see whether there are some really old TPs lurking in there.
...did a bit more digging, and found two spare test pressing copies of 'Sorrow's Children' - - they'll be on the stall too!
FREAK SHOW
Great to hear Ant Barbeau's 'Psychedelic Mynde Of Moses' getting airplay on Staurt Maconie's 'Freeakzone' show on BBC 6Music - a track on our 'Introduction to Anton Barbeau' CD.
FREE-FOR-ALL
The FREE Fruits de Mer Records 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus goodie-bag - in its entirety....
'Stalking The Wily Chub', the last in the series of Todd Dillingham exclusive compilation CDs that have been put together in his memory by his brother Mick
the first release on CD of 'A New Jerusalem' by Bruce Hendrickson and The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies plus
new compilation CDs from...
The Alain Pire Experience
Astral Magic
Octopus Syng
Incubus Lovechild
The Telephones
exedra
The Lemon Clocks
a back-catalogue CD from Computerchemist
a copy of the promo CD for Marco Rossi's 'The Sincerest Form Of Flattery' album
...and to round things off, a download code for the Floorian album 'What The Buzzing'
DANGER USB
At the 20th Dream festival we'll be giving away a limited number of slightly-dodgy Chinese USBs loaded with the contents of the 'Whiting Album' promo CD - first-come, first-served to anyone shelling out £30+ at the FdM stall on the Saturday
CUSTARD FLUX MEET MOON GOOSE
A very limited 7" lathe-cut awaits visitors to the FdM stall at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival - one side featuring a remix of Moon Goose's '2023AD', the other a new track by Custard Flux called 'Opportunity Knocks'; a sell-out is guaranteed - and I mean that sincerely, folks.
SHINDIG REVIEWS...
'Introduction' reviews in the latest issue - availabke now from the FdM SHOP if you're in the UK, or from Shiny Beast if you're not.
AND THEN THERE WERE ELEVEN
Octopus Syng have joined the 20th Dream festival goodie-bag fun by contributing a new compilation CD that features tracks from their two latest albums.
That makes a slightly-incredible 11 free CDs in this year's Fruits de Mer goodie-bag...if you haven't bought your ticket yet, what are you waiting for??
DOGSTAR!
Just a taster for Anton Barbeau's new single - and it doesn't need more than 60 seconds for you to realise how good this is going to be...
STRANGE BREW vs THE SAND PEBBLES
If you don't know much about The Sand Pebbles or their 'Sometimes A Great Notion' single, The Strange Brew's Jason Barnard has interviewed the band's Ben Michael X and all is revealed HERE
LORD LITTER HAS DIED
Very sad news that Lord Litter has died (his son wrote to a few of us to share his last message - it was a real shock as he had recently started recording new radio shows). LL had been a great supporter of independent labels and bands for so many years, not least Fruits de Mer, and I was fortunate to be able to feature his band, Das Freie Orchester, on an FdM release a couple of years back. He really will be missed.
PEARL & DEAN EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT
someone has put together an ad for nick nicely's new single - and it's so much classier than any video I've ever put together (I've already bought two copies of the 7")
AND NOT BEFORE TIME
Hanford Flyover, Anton Barbeau, nick nicely and The Sand Pebbles all have 7" singles out on FdM on June 10th - available for pre-order now via our SHOP page - or via Shiny Beast if you live outside the UK
FOUR NEW FdM SINGLES!
Yes, we're celebrating the return of the FdM 7" single with FOUR of them! All due out in mid-June and we'll have details very, very soon. Each one will be limited to just 300 copies and club members will get priority, so if you're not already a club member, it could be the right time to join - just click on the 'mailing-list' link at the top of the page and read down
THE RETURN OF FdM SINGLES
getting even nearer to announcing our next releases, and two 7" singles aren't enough...
THE RETURN OF THE FdM SINGLES
getting near to announcing our next releases, and one 7" single isn't enough...
THE RETURN OF THE FdM SINGLE
It's been a while but we'll have news on a new 7" release very soon...
FAINTLY SOLD-OUT
copies of Dave McLean's 'Faintly Blowing' lathe-cut have sold out, but all is not lost - Dave is looking at the possibility of releasing a CD EP, with a new mix as a third track - more news when I have it.
PINHDAR 'FROZEN ROSES'
'Frozen Roses' is another lovely track from Pinhdar's forthcoming 'A Sparkle On The Dark Water' album; 'Sparkle' will be released on CD by the band very soon, with a vinyl version from Fruits de Mer to follow in the summer, tying in with them playing at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival.
News on the vinyl edition soon, meanwhile you can order the CD version from Pinhdar's bandcamp page...
CLICK HERE
.
CUSTARD FLUX 'RIGHT NOW HERE IN TIME'
'Right Now Here In Time' is a song from the next Custard Flux album 'Einsteinium Delirium'. Release date for the CD is June 7th on Friends Of The Fish, with the vinyl version to follow - again in time for Custard Flux's UK gigs, including our festival in Cardigan. The band will be handling all sales - again I'll share details as soon as I have them.
AN INTRODUCTION TO ANTON BARBEAU
Here's a taster from Ant's new compilation CD, pulling together many of his recordings for FdM, plus a few surprises...
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HONEY POST, WITH CRYSTAL JACQUELINE
...and here's 'Sympathy' (the Rare Bird classic), taken from the new honey Pot compilation CD, with tracks chosen by Jacqueline and Icarus...
PINHDAR SPARKLES
Cecilia and Max have unveiled the cover to their next album - 'A Sparkle On The Dark Water' - more news very soon
A LATE ARRIVAL...
I've just heard that DJ Astro will be flying in from Finland to spin some vinyl during the festival!
OUR PLANS FOR WORLD DOMINATION TAKE ANOTHER STEP FORWARD
Fruits de Mer was mentioned in a piece in the Greenock Telegrapph on local lad made good, Marco Rossi!
YOU WAIT AGES FOR ONE INTRODUCTION...
...and then two turn up at once - or at least will do in late-April - FdM club members are already pre-ordering, we'll tell the rest of the world why these are two essential CDs in the next couple of days
BACK TO MONO
Dave McLean 'Faintly Blowing' (mono phased mix) - here's the lovely video from Blood Meridian showcasing the b-side of Dave's forthcoming single...
GOD BLESS RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE AND ALL WHO SAIL IN HER
The latest issue (the one with The Beatles on the cover) includes a full page ad promoting the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival - great publicity from the powers that be at RC, who've sponsored our summer festival from its earliest days, and for which we are very grateful
NEW FROM PINHDAR
Here's a track from their forthcoming album, which we'll be able to tell you about very soon...
NEW FROM CUSTARD FLUX
...and this is a track from the next Custard Flux album, which we'll be able to tell you about in a month or so...
A GOOD EACH-WAY BET
Dave McLean's 'Faintly Blowing' cover was chosen as one of seven 'tracks of the week' by PROG magazine's editor Jerry Ewing, with readers invited to vote for their favourite. Dave took an early lead, only to be overtaken by hot favourites Big Big Train in the back straight; coming round the final turn, second place looked assured but suddently rank outsiders Exporing Birdsong burst through and won going away. Still, a very creditable result for a psych track in a prog mag! You can see the runners, riders and results
HERE
CUSTARD FLUX
Gregory Curvey and his new band will be releasing their next album via Fruits de Mer in June - although Curvey will be doing all the hard work - including taking orders and posting out copies - the poor fool! Lots more news soon.
FAINTLY WONDERFUL
Dave McLean goes it alone! Half of The Chemistry Set, Dave is releasing his first solo single - a spiffing (and spliffing) cover of Kaleidoscope's 'Faintly Blowing' on FdM, on April 1st.
Chemistry Set fans should be assured that Dave and Paul are working on new material.
COMPUTERCHEMIST JOINS THE PARTY
The latest addition to the Fruits de Mer Records goodie-bag at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival - a back-catalogue CD from Dave Pearson aka Computerchemist (could be any one of six CDs, the image shows just one of them). You'll already have heard Computerchemist on various FdM compilations, including 'Heads Together', check out the full Computerchemist catalogue
HERE
HEYDAY NO MORE
Very sad to hear that Nick Leese is retiring and closing down Heyday Mail Order at the end of March. Nick is a lovely, genuine bloke - he's been a supporter of Fruits de Mer Records from the very start and he was a massive help to me back at the start of 2012, when Andy decided to call it a day and I really needed to get support to keep the label going!!
NEW PINHDAR
Cecilia and Max have released a first track of their new album - it's called 'Humans'...
Why I am I telling you this? Well, other than it being a great song and performance by the Italian duo, and a rather nice trailer for their live set at this summer's Dr. Sardonicus festival, I might have more to tell you about the album in due course...
WHAT A PICTURE, WHAT A PICTURE...
a few more images from the latest FdM competition, showing Fruits de Mer releases in their natural habitat...
PEARL'S A DISCOGRAPHY
'Diving for Pearls II' has arrived at FdM Towers - the updated Fruits de Mer discography from Mark Brady; 80 close-typed A5 pages, it's a bit of a beast. It's not for sale, it's free with all FdM club members' orders for the new Soft Hearted Scientists triple LP 'Waltz Of The Weekend'.
FdM PHOTO COMPETITION
The latest Fruits de Mer Records competition - to win some exceptionally scarce FdM items - requires entrants to send in photos of Fruits de Mer releases 'in action', and they're flooding in...
ONE BIGGER THAN EIGHT
This summer's Dr. Sardonicus festival goodie-bag will include NINE CDs - the latest addition is an exclusive compilation from the Alain Pire Experience, including tracks from all their albums, including their next one!
Alain will be playing a solo set in the Cellar Bar on the Thursday night before the festival begins - and it's free entry for everyone with a festival ticket - not to be missed!
THE INFAMOUS FdM £5 T-SHIRTS RIDE AGAIN!
I thought we'd seen the end of our £5 summer festival t-shirts as trade prices shot up towards the end of last year, but a new suppier and we're back in business. I'm now certain that as well as ripping the shirt off your back on the FdM stall at the 20th Dream of Dr. Sardonicus festival I'll be able to sell you a new one.
SOFT HEARTED SCIENTISTS WALTZ INTO VIEW
Starting 2024 in style, we'll be releasing a gloriously over-the-top triple LP version of their latest album 'Waltz Of The Weekend' in late-February - all of their wonderful 75 minute CD ,plus an LP of 'extras' - availble for pre-order now from FdM if you're in the UK and from Shiny Beast if you're not
