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Back in early 2022, I knew that the 100th release for yk Records was around the corner. I wanted to do something special for it and just decided to throw caution to the wind and lob a Hail Mary to one of my favorite bands to see if they'd be interested in working together. It actually worked!
To rewind a little, waaaay back in the late 90's I worked at an indie record label called Spongebath Records. They had a small roster that included Self, The Katies, Count Bass D, Fluid Ounces and The Features (to name a few). Not unsurprisingly, early mixes and unfinished recordings would float around the office on various CDRs. One such treat was a full-length album from The Features recorded with Matt Mahaffey of Self. It was 10 songs and hit the sweet spot for the band's songwriting and Mahaffey's production style. I anxiously awaited its final form for release. But it never happened. The early 2000's rolled around and the album was mixed but Spongebath was dissolving quickly. The band had no label, no means of self-distribution and the tech was too immature to make it a meaningful digital release.
The recordings made their way outside of the Spongebath office and circulated amongst fans in crappy MP3 form for years. As YK-100 approached, I thought... what if those recordings were finally released properly?
So, I sent my Hail Mary to The Features and they responded positively. For the entirety of 2022, I plugged away at getting all of the pieces in place for The Mahaffey Sessions 1999. This album has been locked in the vault for 24 years and I'm happy to report it has stood the test of time.
We sourced the original DAT tapes from Matt Mahaffey, got the whole thing mastered for digital and vinyl by John Baldwin at Infrasonic Sound, had artwork put together by Sam Smith and then actually got it pressed at PMP Vinyl; a plant that is about 20 minutes outside of Murfreesboro, TN where Spongebath (and the original recordings) were actually spawned.
I'm glossing over a lot of the details but it's been a fantastic ride. I'm proud that my little record label managed to release 100 things and I'm still blown away that the 100th is from one of my favorite bands.
If you are a fan of The Features, you probably already know the infamy of this record. It's streaming and on vinyl. If you're not familiar with The Features, I still feel confident that you'll enjoy the songs. They don't sound dated in the slightest - a real testament to everyone involved. I'll go as far as to say that I think "33 1/3" shoulda been a hit and still should be!
Having the 100th release out in the world is a big celebratory moment for me and it also unlocks the floodgates for a lot of additional releases I've had pending. I'm invigorated by the response to this release and looking forward to the future.
To rewind a little, waaaay back in the late 90's I worked at an indie record label called Spongebath Records. They had a small roster that included Self, The Katies, Count Bass D, Fluid Ounces and The Features (to name a few). Not unsurprisingly, early mixes and unfinished recordings would float around the office on various CDRs. One such treat was a full-length album from The Features recorded with Matt Mahaffey of Self. It was 10 songs and hit the sweet spot for the band's songwriting and Mahaffey's production style. I anxiously awaited its final form for release. But it never happened. The early 2000's rolled around and the album was mixed but Spongebath was dissolving quickly. The band had no label, no means of self-distribution and the tech was too immature to make it a meaningful digital release.
The recordings made their way outside of the Spongebath office and circulated amongst fans in crappy MP3 form for years. As YK-100 approached, I thought... what if those recordings were finally released properly?
We sourced the original DAT tapes from Matt Mahaffey, got the whole thing mastered for digital and vinyl by John Baldwin at Infrasonic Sound, had artwork put together by Sam Smith and then actually got it pressed at PMP Vinyl; a plant that is about 20 minutes outside of Murfreesboro, TN where Spongebath (and the original recordings) were actually spawned.
I'm glossing over a lot of the details but it's been a fantastic ride. I'm proud that my little record label managed to release 100 things and I'm still blown away that the 100th is from one of my favorite bands.
If you are a fan of The Features, you probably already know the infamy of this record. It's streaming and on vinyl. If you're not familiar with The Features, I still feel confident that you'll enjoy the songs. They don't sound dated in the slightest - a real testament to everyone involved. I'll go as far as to say that I think "33 1/3" shoulda been a hit and still should be!
Having the 100th release out in the world is a big celebratory moment for me and it also unlocks the floodgates for a lot of additional releases I've had pending. I'm invigorated by the response to this release and looking forward to the future.
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