Things are predictably insane around the Lathe Cave. In the last month I cut records at Paisley Park for Justin Timberlake before his Super Bowl appearance, made a self-destructing record for Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee, and am now getting ready to drive to Vancouver to cut records for another big pop star that I can't name for a Mobile Vinyl Recorders gig. The day after the Vancouver gig, I fly from Seattle to Seoul, South Korea to install a record lathe in a boutique hotel with a studio. Then I fly back to Seattle, drive back to Tucson, and I'm home for a week before flying back to Asia to go on a month long trek in Nepal. Maybe I'm going to "find myself", maybe i'm going to get some perspective, maybe i'm going to take a non-working vacation, or maybe I'm just going to get out from behind my desk/out of the van and off my ass and get some exercise. But anyway, I'm going to Nepal to go hiking.

I've also got new Lps from SM Wolf and The Blank Tapes coming out very soon!

So blah, blah, blah, like always I could really use some cash to keep this whole disasterous excuse for an art project money pit afloat. SOOOO if you want to invest in some very affordable art from a lt of very talented masochistic starving artists, read on and whip out your credit cards... the whole world is going to explode this year anyway, so Visa can come retrieve the money from our cold nuke toasted hands, am i right?...

1. NPR's How I Built This
2. Sugar Candy Mountain - Do Right LP Preorder
3. Dead Meadow - hifi stereo diamond cut single
4. Pearl Charles - CD-Record

1. I'm featured on NPR/Ted Talks' "How I Built This"!

When you spend as much time on the road as Kris and I do, driving all over the country cutting vinyl records at parties, events, and festivals, you listen to a LOT of podcasts. And "How I Built This" is a perennial favorite in the MVR van, Morrison. So, I was obvious thrilled when they approached me about being feature on their "How You Built That" segment. I'm on the segment with wedding website, The Knot.

Listen to it here!

2. Sugar Candy Mountain - Do Right LP Preorder!

NOTE THIS IS A PREORDER
Any records purchased with this LP will be shipped whenever the SCM records are in, which should be around April 10thish.

Bay Area Co-Ed Psych-Pop Juggernaut, Sugar Candy Mountain, are following up their last album, 666, (PIAPTK's largest selling album ever) with another amazing banger, "Do Right".

Available in Ltd Ed "Blue Swirl" (300 copies), Ltd Ed Opaque Blue (500 Copies), Unlimited Translucent Purple, and Unlimited Black Vinyl.The bonus lathe cuts are on teardrop shape (Yung Hamesy, my assistant insists they are "alien head" shaped, and another friend insists they are "baseball field" shaped, so its an interesting Rorshach test about our personalities".

Don't Forget to pick up "666" and lead singer, Ash Reiter's solo record, Hola!

Spiel Below:
Part travelogue, part response to the current, turbulent climate, “Do Right” gives voice to the deeply nested anxiety of modern times attempting to offer a balm. Nature, it seems, is where the band often goes to calibrate it’s moral compass so frequently upended by the daily news-cycle. Sugar Candy Mountain invites you to join them on this journey singing “There’s a quiet place I go when I need to find my way/ There’s a quiet place inside/ Come on in just knock and a door will open”. Musically, the band remains rooted in 60’s and 70’s rock, with their signature honey sweet vocals. “Do Right” leans more heavily on synthesizer than the band’s previous records, lending the album a more modern feel. The album pairs the ephemeral orchestral arrangements of The Beach Boys with the pop sensibility of George Harrison on “All Things Must Pass”. Oscillating between the hazy psychedelic pop of Mild High Club, the driving energy of Dungen and the danceable familiarity of The Supremes, “Do Right” is a perfect cocktail of old and new, imploring the listener to take a ride into the sunset with Sugar Candy Mountain.

Pick them up here!

3. Dead Meadow - Here with the Hawk 7"

Dead Meadow has been one of my favorite bands since college, so I was beyond stoked when they approached me about collaborating and making some lathe cuts for their tour. They would hand-silkscreen the covers, and I would make the records. These are hi-fi stereo diamond cut lathe cuts, limited to 50 copies!

Side A: Here With The Hawk
Side B: Tomorrow Never Knows


Pick them up here!

4. Pearl Charles CD-Record

I first met Pearl Charles when she was the drummer/singer for The Blank Tapes, years AGO. But in the past few years, she has gone solo and made a name for herself as one of the best young songwriters out there, combining great lyricism with classic-sounding melodies. Sort of Fleetwood Mac meets Linda Ronstadt meets Joan Jett. or something. But totally amazing.

Pearl's contribution to the ongoing PIAPTK Cd-Record series is the demo for "Long Hair", a standout track from her new album, Sleepless Dreamer, out now on Kanine Records.


Pick them up here!

Well, over the years, PIAPTK goes through phases according to my interests at the time. Sometimes, I get really into making records out of plastic picnic plates with letterpressed covers. Sometimes I get really into making records out of CDs. Sometimes I want to make records with a bunch of weird holes and overlapping grooves. Sometimes I want to make records where the artists hand make the covers. PIAPTK has never come close to breaking even, financially, so I generally just do whatever I want to with it, all the time.
Recently, I've been in a lathe cut plexiglass single mood. But, now, we are entering a whole new era. Now I am in the mood to release a shit-ton of professionally pressed LPs. Which, as someone who prefers LPs to singles, is very exciting. But, as someone who has to pay the huge deposits, all at the same time, to get all these records pressed, it's pretty scary.
So, as usual, I need some cash, and I'm cleaning out the closets again to try to scratch up some cash to make some more wonderful physical musical pieces exist for a world who doesn't (as a whole) deserve them. But, you are here. And YOU deserve them.

1. Upcoming Releases
2. Graves - Easy Not Easy
3. Archives and Test Pressing Sale
4. Jim White Press

1. Upcoming Releases: We've got brand new LPs coming out for Sugar Candy Mountain, SM Wolf, The Blank Tapes, Golden Boots, and some other very exciting ones that we can't talk about yet.

First time on vinyl! Ships around March 1, 2018!

It is NOT hyperbole to say that Easy Not Easy is my second favorite album of all time. It is sexy, chill, vibey, subtle, melodic, beautiful and one of the best examples of indie rock songwriting to ever do in its' thing inside your eardrums.

If you are EVER going to take a chance on a record from PIAPTK, THIS IS IT. Go listen to the whole thing at Graves' bandcamp: https://graves2.bandcamp.com/album/easy-not-easy

This is a co-release with two of my favorite labels: IpreferpI and Almost Halloween Time.

Variants:
PIAPTK - "Beachwater Blue" with Bonus Lathe Cut 7" - LIMITED TO 100 - Blue and clear marbled vinyl plus bonus lathe cut single of a new tune
Almost Halloween Time - Handpainted Covers - If you aren't familiar with AHT, you should be. Every record is a unique, handmade oil painting by Luigi Fulgario. Absolutely gorgeous and ridiculous. We only have 25 copies of Luigi's versions available in the States. On black vinyl. PLEASE. NOTE: READ CAVEAT BELOW BEFORE ORDERING!
IpreferpI - Lime Green Vinyl (limited to 100) I know that they are still experimenting, but their variants are always great. Not sure what exactly it will come with.
Yellow Vinyl - Unlimited, but beautiful opaque banana yellow vinyl
Black Vinyl - Unlimited, but beautiful opaque, lunar eclipse black vinyl.
Test Pressing: Limited to 15. Comes in a plain white sleeve.

BUY THEM HERE

So, for every record that I make, I always try to keep at least 5 copies of each lathe cut and 10 copies of each pressed record for my archives. This assures that I won't oversell it, have replacements in case the USPS does what the USPS does best (loses/destroys a package), have a copy for a good friend who is a super fan, etc etc.

Every once in a while I clean out the archives to raise money (and clear out space). But it's hard to set prices sometimes because of Ebay/Discogs flippers. If I mark them up a little over original price, but below discogs/popsike selling prices to remove profit incentive from flippers, people that really want them think I'm gouging. If I sell them at original price, ebay/discogs flippers do what they do and the person who comes to this page 10 minutes too late, who really wanted to own the thing ends up either not getting it or has to pay an inflated price from the flipper.

That being said, this time around, I'm just selling these test pressings (many of which are expensive in secondary markets (Most have never been available at all and this is the first time anyone can get their hands on them) for the same price... $30.00. INCLUDING the crazy expensive Scott McMicken and other Soild Gold Test Pressings. However, to get the Scott McMicken stuff you have to email me personally via the contact form, after you've already checked out with your other purchases and convince me you aren't a flipper. If you've bought stuff from me before, tell me... I can just search through my sales.

UPDATE: I put this on Instagram for about 3 minutes and immediately wished I hadn't. I got flooded with folks, wanting In Your Dreams, and especially "IT". Everybody was PIAPTK's "biggest fan" (many had never bought much, if anything), and nobody was wanting to buy anything now except the Scottman LPs. So, maybe you'd better send me a photo of your PIAPTK and/or Dr Dog collection or something. And to be honest, if you haven't really bought much from PIAPTK in the past, and aren't buying anything in this batch, I would prefer to sell this stuff for super cheap to people who have and are. If you are broke, I get it. If Scott is the only thing on the label you like, I get it (but you have probably not actually checked out anything else on the label), but I don't have many of these, and they should go to people with more than a cursory interest in what we are trying to do here. It may take a day or two to get back to you. Much love, and all respect regardless.

If you ARE a flipper, let someone who actually wants to own it buy it... k?thx.bai

ARCHIVES OUT OF PRINT - More or less original price (Soild Gold $25 across the board, tapes $10)

Scott McMicken - It & In Your Dreams on LP and Tape (EMAIL REQUESTS ONLY)
Floating Action - Is It Exquisite - Color Vinyl Almost Halloween Time
Haboob - 1st Pressing Red Cover LP (no MP3s)
Kristofferson Tribute - 2xP Kickstarter Package - 2xLP Black Vinyl with Letterpressed Cover + Bonus Wooden Wand Flexi
Wooden Wand Born Bad 1st Press Silkscreened
Golden Boots - LABRYYYNTH
Golden Boots - DBXnSPF - 1st Pressing Handmade Covers
Grandaddy - Arm of Roger - The Ham and Its' Lily
King Gizzard - Lock Groove 7"
Poison Control Center - Picnic Plate Record

R STEVIE MOORE - SATURDAY SINGLES SERIES LATHE CUTS
RSTVMO - Disembodied Poetics/Look,,,
RSTVMO - PIAPTK/Falling
RSTVMO - I know Them All/I love all the Girls
RSTVMO - A to the S/Actually...

HENRY ART GALLERY - 10" Silkscreened Lacquers (The event that launched Mobile Vinyl Recorders)
Eric D Johnson (Fruitbats) SIGNED
Grand Archives SIGNED
Joe Plummer (Built In Sun, Shins, Modest Mouse, etc) SIGNED

7"s
RSTVMO / Billy Anderson Split 4
Grey Waves - VOID 6

4. Jim White - Waffles, Triangles, and Jesus Press Reviews!

According to the distributor, this great new Jim White record may be "charting" this week. I've finally made it to the big time, yall, and without having to grow out a pony tail. So, if you want to see why everybody is loving this record, read some of the reviews below:

Still have a few copies of the Waffles and Syrup vinyl left AVAILABLE HERE

REVIEWS
NoDepression
Line of Best Fit Review
80% on Metascore
PopMatters 7/10
Allmusic 5/5
American Songwriter Magazine 4/5
FolkRadio.CO.UK

Well, alright. I guess that's it until next time, which probably won't be too far in the future. ::shruggy dude in the blue shirt emoji::

Mike.

1. Jim White - Waffles, Triangles, and Jesus 2xLP Preorder PLUS Bonus Demo lathecut!

Scratch another of my favorite artists off ye old PIAPTK bucket list. I fell in love with the music of Jim White in 2007 when I walked into a record store/head shop in Odessa, Tx and heard his at-that-time-new album, Drill a Hole In That Substrate and Tell Me What You See, playing over the PA. He's a former NYC Cab driver, European Male Model, Pro surfer, etc etc. The kind of guy who's backstory mythos is just a compliment to his amazing songwriting, rather than the entirety of his cultural appeal. Musically, he's extremely diverse, one song might be a tear jerker about a murder, while the next song ponders eternal questions like "What if Jesus Drove a Motorhome?". Sort of an angel-voiced Southern Gentleman Tom Waits.

He's released records on Luaka Bop (David Byrne's label), Yep Roc, etc. Huge Indie Rock Americana stalwart labels.... and now for some reason that I don't fully understand, he's agreed to let PIAPTK release his new one, Waffle, Triangles, and Jesus.

There are only 150 copies on WAFFLES AND SYRUP colored vinyl, and the only place to get them is PIAPTK or from Jim himself. We have 100 to sell online and he has 50 to sell at shows. INCLUDES VINYL ONLY BONUS TRACK!

PREORDER BONUS: Also available only until the release date of Feb. 2, you can get a bonus lathe cut 7" with the 1994 home recorded four-track demo of "Wash A World Away"... a song that was written 23 years ago, but didn't get a proper recording and release until 2018!

Will arrive before release date. Includes a digital download card

PICK THEM UP HERE!

2. Lathe Cut Camp 7: March 3-5. 2018.

(THIS CAMP FOCUSES ON NEWBIES AND THOSE WITHOUT MACHINES, BUT WHO WANT TO LEARN AND SEE IF INVESTING IN A LATHE IS A GOOD FIT FOR THEM, OR THOSE WHO RECENTLY ACQUIRED A LATHE AND WANT TO LEARN THE SECRETS!)

YOU ALSO GET TO CUT YOUR OWN RECORDS AND TAKE THEM WITH YOU!

March 3,4,5th, 2017 (Sat March3 and Sunday March 4th are the most important days, the 5th is just additional practice and cutting of attendees records, in case you have to leave early)

Spend three days in scenic Tucson, AZ learning (almost) everything you need to know about DIY Record Cutting! The focus of this camp will be on mono "semi-professional" machines, with particular focus on Presto 6Ns, which are one of the most common and affordable vintage machines around. You can do some amazing things with these incredible machines, and I will show you how. Bring your own music and we will put it onto discs for you to take home. We will touch on professional record mastering/pressing, but my main interest and experience, and the focus of this camp, will be on the more DIY and experimental side of the hobby. There are only 7 spots available, so buy early because every previous camp has sold out!

Perfect if you are interested in:
Vinyl records and how their masters are cut
Learning how this strange black art works
Buying a lathe to make your own records
Ordering lathe cuts from a lathe cut service
Cutting your own music to disc

Topics covered:
The science behind vinyl record cutting
Lathe Operations and equipment
The pressing process
Lacquer dub plate cutting
Experimental and alternative materials (plexiglass, laserdiscs, picnic plates, etc)

Please Note: You are responsible for your own transportation to/from Tucson and your accommodations. However, the hotels here are pretty damn cheap (DO NOT book a hotel on Oracle Rd unless you enjoy the company of tweekers and ladies of the night).

RENTAL ROOOMS AVAILABLE: And, if you want, I've got a cute mid-mod casita mother in law next to my house that I rent on airbnb, that can be yours for the whole stay (you can come in Friday night and stay until Tuesday, or longer if you want) for $200.

You can also stay in one of the bedrooms of my kitschy, quirky midmod house for $125 (each bedroom sleeps at least 2, so if you are coming with a friend/partner, just buy one bedroom for the both of you). There may be other people staying in the other bedrooms, so you will share a bathroom and a common space. Rooms available: MASTER BEDROOM (one full size bed, and your own bathroom), CREEPY OLD MAN ROOM (one full, one twin, and lots of paintings of creepy old dudes), PINK ROOM: One queen, one twin, pink and blue stripes.

About the Presenter: For more info on me, please visit the About page of this site.

3. Penpal Update

I know I've been an awful penpal. I got 25ish penpal packages months ago, and have been out of town/the country almost the entire time. That being said, all of the packages are sitting unopened, in a box just waiting for me to open them and write replies. The records are done and ready, and I THINK you will find them worth the wait. It is a split 7" on Baseball Field shaped vinyl from two artists that will be well known to PIAPTK fans, one of which is a "reunion" of sorts. Both artists requested that their involvement not be announce formally, but you will have NO problem recognizing them when you receive them. Also, each cover is different. Each one features a photo that was found almost 20 years ago in the wall of a garage that my friend drove his car through. It was a box of stained and weathered large format negatives that I scanned in, color inverted, and forgot about. Now, they've been given new life as part of his project and each cover will be picked out especially for you.

I am hoping to get these replies mailed out soon. Thanks for your patience!

4. Post Inventory OOP Drag Out of Previously Sold-Out Records..

Every year we have to do inventory, and that usually means finding extra copies of things that we didn't sell at the time in order to save copies for post office mishaps, defective products, etc etc. Also, in the case of the King Gizzard record, there were a couple people who tried to buy 5-10 copies, whose orders we canceled or scaled back.

So, there are now super scarce copies of KGATLW, Devendra, Tara Jane ONeil, Floating Action, Willis Earl Beal, etc. At some point we will be digging out more rarities and test pressings.

PICK THEM UP HERE!

5. New Site Coming One of the Days!

I, more than anyone, realize how crappy my website is. I've migrated most of it over to a Shopify account, and will hopefully one of these days put the finishing touches on it so it can be launched... but, I'm never in town to finish it, and I'm really sorry about that. In the meantime, if you have problems, please keep emailing me at Mike@piaptk.com.

1. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - 36 Seconds from Polygondwanaland That Go On Forever Eulerian Circle 7"!

King Gizzard is giving away their new LP, completely free and in a no-strings-attached-Creative Commons fashion. Allowing any dumbass like me with dreams of running a record label to release it on any format they want.

Rather than doing what everyone else is doing and putting up a preorder for a record they haven't even heard yet and selling it to people 6 months before they have any chance of getting the records in, I decided to do something a little different and more immediate....

Introducing "Thirty Six Seconds From Gondwanaland That Go On Forever" - a 7" Eulerian Circle disc with 20x 1.8 second locked grooves (10 per side). EVERY RECORD IS COMPLETELY UNIQUE. These will be made one at a time out of 100 different samples from the LP that I will have on random play while I am cutting them. Each locked groove will be one of a kind and unpredictable. These locks could be an annoying and off-tempo hiccup, an amazing drone, or a perfectly repeating mathy drum loop. But each disc will be totally singular and unlike the rest. Only 100 copies made.

Comes in a heavy duty Picture disc sleeve with transparency insert. They should ship in a week or so!

It's REALLY hard to get a good photo or scan of this thing!

PICK THEM UP HERE!

Well, this will be the last big update for a while. But, I am staying busy. After a month in Europe on tour with Michael Nau, I spoke on a panel at the Making Vinyl panel in Detroit, and I'll be headed to Scandanavia in a week to train some Swedes on how to use their machines.

Lathe Cut Camp 6 was great! So, I'm looking to book Lathe Cut Camp 7 in January or February. If you are interested, email me at lathecuts@yahoo.com.

Housekeeping Notes: There are still a handful of copies of Floating Action - Is It Exquisite and the Devendra Banhart Remixes 8" available.

1. Michael Nau Euro Tour discs available individually
2. Tara Jane Oneil - Women of the World/Believe handmade 7"s
3. Willis Earl Beal (aka Nobody) - 7"s
4. Sugar Candy Mountain - 666 Repress
5. Ash Reiter - HOLA LP on Red Vinyl
6. Comfort and Joy - Indie Rock Xmas LP

1.Michael Nau/PIAPTK European Tour Singles BACK FOR SALE... again!

**So, TWICE, We had to take these down for sale right after we sent emails because of some miscommunication with Michael's two Labels. We thought we had it ironed out, and then we didn't and then we did, and then maybe we did or maybe we didn't. Anyway, we took them on tour, and have a few of each individual disc left, so we are making them available again (until somebody tells us we can't sell them again, so get them soon if you want them!).

Purchase includes instant download of all four songs.

They are being made in the next week or two, and will be one-sided silkscreened psychedelic swirl pic discs (the photos are just the screenprinting files)

While you are at it, pick up the Michael Nau CD-Record featuring the demo version of I Root, the first single from Some Twist!

PICK THEM UP HERE!

2. Tara Jane O'Neil - Women of the World/Believe

Was extremely excited to be approached by Tara Jane O'Neil to make her some records for her Japanese tour (happening now). We made 75 of them, hand painted and stamped by TJO herself, and we both got half to sell. Includes covers of "Believe" by Cher, and "Women of the World" by Ivor Cutler.

PICK ONE UP HERE!

3. Willis Earl Beal (AKA Nobody)

Willis Earl Beal (who also goes by the name Nobody) is a mysterious and strange guy. He's been on my radar for a long time, because he lived in Olympia shortly after I left, and I would hear about him from a lot of my friends around town. He's prolific and has released records on XL Recordings, Tender Loving Empire, Found Magazine, etc. Check out his wikipedia pageto get some background on him.

About a year ago, I found out that Willis had moved to Tucson, and I spent the next 8 months trying to get ahold of him. It finally happened, and this single is the outcome.

PICK ONE UP HERE!

4. Sugar Candy Mountain - 666 Repress AND Ash Reiter Solo LP, HOLA!

666 has been BLOWING UP. It is officially the highest selling PIAPTK release ever. So it had to be repressed in both the US and in Europe. Now, in addition to being available on beautiful and stark black vinyl, it is also available on Coke Bottle Clear, and a few copies on solid pink vinyl.

We also have some distro copies of SCM Front Woman, Ash Reiter's solo LP, "HOLA"!

PICK ONE UP HERE!

5. Comfort And Joy Xmas Comp!

We found 6 copies of this amazing Xmas Comp in a box from a couple of years ago, and now is the time to spread the Xmas joy!
Released by my good buddies, Liz and Carlos Perpetua-Valdez, all profits from this killer Christmas Compilation go to benefit a charity for Homeless Teens in Seattle.

Only 500 copies, all on Gold and Silver Specked Vinyl!

Side One:
1. Quasi – “Christmas on Credit”
2. Rob Crow (Pinback) - ”Wasail Among Us”
3. Joe Jack Talcum (Dead Milkmen) - ”Christmas Waltz”
4. Human Hearts (Franklin Bruno) – “June is as Cold as December”
5. David Ivar aka Black Yaya (Herman Dune) - ”I Fought the Lord”
6. Golden Boots – “Mele Kalikimaka”
7. Wckr Spgt – “The Ballad of Snowy Brown”
8. Refrigerator – “Christmas in the Sun”

Side Two:
1. The Music Tapes – “Let it Snow”
2. Ida – “Heard it from Heaven Today”
3. Nima Kazerouni ft Maston – “Dear Santa, This World is Strange”
4. Wooden Wand – “Silver Bells”
5. Outravez (Monotonix) - ”Banu Hoshech Legaresh”
6. Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) – “Piano Fell Asleep In The Bushes”
7. Mike Watt - ”The First Noel”
8. Terry Riley - ”God Rest Ye”

PICK ONE UP HERE!