the Microphones box set
big honking chunk
What is this? I stand by this movie I made to announce/explain the existence of this big honking chunk I’m offering for sale called “completely everything”, AKA the Microphones box set. It’s all the music made as “the Microphones” between 1996 and 2021, plus an abundance of extras.
It came out last year and sold out really really fast somehow, so we made more. After over a year of gnarly delays and fussing, it’s finally back in print. You can order it now. As a matter of fact, since today (Friday March 3rd, 2023) is “bandcamp friday” you can even order it on bandcamp and be slightly more beneficial.
To me, the most exciting thing in this box are the links to download the “stems” of almost all the Microphones recordings. These are the individual isolated tracks from the studio, unmixed. It’s for nerds. Since that is me, I find it very interesting to see inside of songs, to hear the footsteps and inhale before the singing starts, to hear the air in the room behind the humming. This is what I want to hear in many other peoples’ musics. For someone like me who spends a ton of time thinking of music in this exploded-parts kind of way, it is really nice to finally be able to share a version of these albums that more closely aligns with how I think of them: exploded. Mixing and releasing these wide sound flurries into merely two L-R channels always felt kind of diminishing after spending so much time in the studio with them in this boundless way. Now the chaotic translucent version is available.
I’m also really pumped on the book. It is comprehensive, but doesn’t exhaust. I left a lot of the mystery in. There is an abundance of material but it’s mostly up to you to build a timeline if you want. It creates the feeling of that time and place, Olympia and Anacortes around the turn of the millennium, the air where this music happened. More of a world immersion than a history lesson.
Now this whole thing is back in print, with a few little improvements (sturdier box, printed on faux-obi strip, shrinkwrapped). I’m so glad to be able to offer it to the many people who missed the weird quick sellout window last time. Thank you for considering this luxury object!
other news:
The Business Distribution (my people) will be at the Black Noise Record Fair at Aslan Depot in Bellingham, Washington on Sat. Mar. 4th from 1 to 10pm. P.W. Elverum & Sun releases will be on the table, ready to grip.
furthermore:
Did I add some more Mount Eerie shows to the “concerts” page at P.W. Elverum & Sun dot com? Yes, I did actually. A few more shows in Europe are coming together for May/June. Plans are getting made as time elbows its way forward.
Thanks very much wholeheartedly to all readers of this newsletter. I love it here.
see you later,
Phil
uk show?