At Sugarfrost, I (Akiko, aka Akko-chan) am the dreamy and John is the sarcastic. English-only readers among our customers only get to hear half the story on the insert of Frosty 16, we received a request for translation of my bit. So here it is-
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Get music back into our hands
Did we re-release this single just for the sake of some nostalgia?
We Sugarfrost released records between 1991 and 1995. We released just what we really liked, and still believe that they were good records. All those records that we designed and created with a little help from our friends have flown all over the world, into the hands of those who bought. Even after 20 years, some are still quietly sat in their record box home, some are out and enjoyed with friends. I like how the records live the life with their owners, and that's only possible with the physical existence of vinyl records.
Now the shape of music has changed so much. But where's the fun in the shapeless data of music? I like my music in my hands. To be able to admire sleeve design, to be able to find little extras that may come with it, to be able to even read something like this - and all that happens even before playing the actual record. And then, let the turntable turn, let the player play. Here we go!
Music isn't some kind of party trick.
You press this and music comes out there. Isn't it, alarming, like? Music is becoming just that, some people already believe that's how it comes. That shouldn't be the way, should it?
So, this little record is our little resistance. A silly one at that, too.
No profit in pressing just 200 copies of vinyl. And I did spend long time doing designs, printing and even badge making - one by one.
But what money do we make if we just re-released it as download? The same pennies. That's where we started when I and Graeme (Love Parade/Eva Luna) started talking about it. If we do it, and if we won't be making money out of it anyway, how about some fun? Make something we love having, something we can cherish, something we can feel! So the wind won't blow it all away, our memories of 1991....
Akiko