Blog - Flicknife Records
Tuesday, 05 September 2023 20:16

Blog #37

HEY FLICKERS!

Sorry it's been a while, life is pretty crazy right now!
It's funny, all those centuries back when I said I wanted to get a job in a creative industry, people always thought I was mad. They're such risky jobs, they would say. Tiny chance you'll ever actually be able to support yourself, huge amounts of competition etc etc etc.

Funny, really. The one thing that actually looks like it might kill the creative industry, is the one thing they never thought to warn us about. I'm talking, of course, of AI. It's all over the news right now. AI art, Chat GPT, etc. Hollywood has ground to a halt, because writers and actors have gone on strike, with one of the main sticking points being the use of AI in current media. And now, they're telling us that by the year 2030 (which is worryingly close), AI will be able to create 'original' music that is indistinguishable from that created by a human artist. And I've got to say; as someone who writes about music, the thought of an AI writer putting out a piece of AI created music fills me with a special kind of dread.

It seems the war with the machines has begun. And we're losing, pretty hard.

But don't worry friends. There's a lot you can do. And I know what you're thinking 'But, Flicknife! We're already reading your blog, we're buying and streaming your albums, what else can we do?"

Don't worry, you Filthy FLICKERS, you're already doing just what you need to do. The only way we'll beat these heartless bastards and the AI they're using, is to support small, independent businesses… Just like you've been doing!

So, on that note, who wants to meet our latest additions to the vanguard, in the battle against the machines!

First up: A Flicknife mainstay, a group who make my job of talking up our albums really easy, by continually dropping absolute BANGERS:

The album Rich Deakin of Vive Le Rock, in his review, calls "A sonic smorgastarta that's as scrumptious as it sounds". Electric Cake Salad's 6th studio album is one for fans of underground outfits Hawkwind, Monster Magnet, Pendulum or Ozric Tentacles. Or anyone with a taste for EDM! With their usual blend of hard rock guitars, electro wizardry and some quality lyrics, if you're already a fan, this will scratch the usual itch! And if you've never heard their stuff before, this is the perfect first bite. I hope you enjoy!

You can buy your copy HERE.

Electric Cake Salad - Rule Zero

Our other spotlight release is a misunderstood classic in the making. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Other disagree, and say if you can't do your own thing, don't bother.

Jack Starr, former member of Virgin Steele, and his epic new release 'Rock Me Baby' said "Sod it! You're both right!"

Jack Starr - Rock Me Baby

What do you do when you want to pay homage to the artists that influenced you the most, during your formative years? Do you release a cover? Do you do your own thing, and thank them in the album notes? NAH! You take a leaf out of Jack's book and release a whole album of amazing, original tracks, each one inspired by the style of an artist that you love. Because that is exactly what Jack Starr has done, with his latest fantastic release. Eleven tracks (thirteen if you go digital) all created especially for this album, each one inspired by a different band that helped him find his own voice. Don't believe me? Maybe you'll listen to Kerrang! : 'Jack Starr's music unravels like a tapestry emblazoned with streaks of fire'

So, if you want your soul touched, pick up your copy HERE.

Lastly, we want to draw attention to not a specific album release but to a PLATFORM! Are you bored with Amazon amazoning all over everything? Are you sick of Spotify and their constant spotty ads? Yeah, we are too. That's why we've set up our store on Bandcamp! flickniferecords.bandcamp.com/music

If you want any of our stuff, you can find it there. From our latest releases like those mentioned above, to our epic 'Flipside Freaks' compilation series and much more. If you've got a hankerin' for some Flicknife, be it digital releases or physical, Bandcamp has what you need!

And it gets better! The first Friday of every month is "Fee Free Friday" when Bandcamp skip over any fees they might usually take and pass every special penny RIGHT to us.

So, you fine, funky FLICKERS, there you have it, some of the arsenal you'll need to fight back the rampaging hordes of AI drones and their lacklustre attempts at art. It won't be easy, and it won't be happening any time soon... BUT, if we all stick together, and keep supporting smaller artists, indie labels and local bands, we CAN make sure that for generations to come, people will have new, REAL music to listen to. So, if you keep doing your part, we'll keep doing ours.

Catch you on the flipside!

Taheg, and the Flicknife Kru.

Tuesday, 20 December 2022 16:19

Blog #36

HEY FLICKERS!

Wow, 2022 was a lot, wasn’t it? I keep hoping I’ll write one of these end of the year wrap up blogs and just talk about how we all had a really nice year, and everything went so well. But this year, is not the year I get to write THAT post. Nope, 2022 was another year of struggles for all (well, most...) Many businesses, great and small, didn’t make it this far, and many more won’t make it to this time next year. But, it could be a LOT worse. Keep a spot in your heart for all those that spent 2022 fighting for their freedom, and their lives. If you wake up with a roof over your head, and even a little food in your fridge, you’re doing better than most. That’s something, right?

Tuesday, 05 April 2022 18:14

Blog #35

AHOY FLICKERS!

It's been a while, sorry everything's been so calm and free of catastrophes that time just slipped by!!

Seriously, though; The 'Rona continues to ravage the world, Putin has thrown his toys out of the pram and our country is being run by self serving morons, too busy lining their own pockets to notice that the world is burning down around them. But, on the plus side, we have music! Aaaah, music. A gentle song to calm the heart of a savage beast. Well, we don't have anything that will soothe your heart for you this time, but we've got some crackers, to get the heart pumping and the toe tapping. That's way better, right?

Wednesday, 06 October 2021 20:40

Blog #34

HEY FLICKERS!

We thought we’d try something a little different, this time around. We were talking the other day, at the Flicknife Towers, about albums that for one reason or another, were formative in our history. Not just albums that we enjoyed, but albums that went one step further. Teaching us something about who we were, who we wanted to be. Taught us vital lessons, that were formative in the young days of freak culture. Even beyond that, these albums that taught us all that an album could be, how they should be built and presented so that when the time came for us to start putting out albums of our own, we could make them the absolute best they could be!

Wednesday, 21 July 2021 15:26

Blog #33

HEY FLICKERS!

It’s been a busy couple of months, since we last spoke! Hope you’re all doing well. At least as well as Paradise 9! Their new album 'Science Fiction Reality' (that we mentioned in our last blog) has dropped and it's doing REALLY well. Lots of great radio plays and some great coverage in the press! But why would you take our word for it? Why not check out some of the reviews here?

Paradise 9 Review

This is a bloody super album of magical sounds.Jon Downes - Gonzo Magazine
Magical sounds! MAGICAL!

Paradise 9 Review

Even punks bloggers got in on the praise with a 4 stars review on the Punk Site.

See? Told you it was doing well! And it doesn’t end there, we’ve got some more reviews coming out: look for a piece in an upcoming issue of Shindig! You don’t want to miss it.

Wednesday, 10 March 2021 20:04

Blog #32

HEY FLICKERS!

Spring has sprung. A new season is here, some life has returned to the world. Lockdown is beginning to ease, and there’s a small chance that life may just return to something that resembles normality by June.

So, naturally, we’ve decided it’s time to try something a bit new! Spring is the time for fresh starts so that’s our plan.

Tuesday, 08 December 2020 16:23

Blog #31

HEY FLICKERS!

We’re back once again, for another round of "Someone let me talk to the masses, what a mistake that was" Also known, as the Flicknife Blog!
Yeash, it’s been a wild few months, eh? But don’t worry, there’s always a way to finish the year on a high and I just happen to know exactly what it is. So, if you want to make sure you have a rocking Christmas, and a rock-tastic New Years, listen close:

Cast your mind back! It’s March, 1982 and you’re listening to DOREMI FASOL LATIDO, watching Only Fools and Horses and drinking a cool glass of Pepsi, because some things are timeless. As you sit there, it hits you. What could be better, than sitting, listening to an album by your all-time favourite band, Hawkwind? Simple: listening to an album of Hawkwind, their friends, and some relations!
And thus, it came to being: Hawkwind Friends and Relations. One of the greatest album series of all time. But wait, there’s more!
Fast forward to today. Now, while you sit in that same old beanbag chair, listening to HFAR and thinking of better times, you can do it while wearing AWESOME t-shirts, featuring Hawks sleeves-inspired art! Aww yeah!

Thursday, 03 September 2020 19:18

Blog #30

HEY FLICKERS!

Yeash. Well, it’s September. We’re still on lockdown?! ‘Rona refuses to leave. I think it’s safe to say, by this point we’re bouncing back and forth between angry, confused and resigned to spending this whole year hiding away drinking tea and watching ‘Only Fools and Horse’ on repeat.

Of course, here at Flicknife, we’d never even CONSIDERED letting something as small as that stop us from our task. We’ve been working since ’79. We’ve seen off everything history has thrown at us this far and we’ll see this off too. So, we’ve got a few wonderful releases for you today, to keep your spirits high and the good vibes flowing, until we all emerge on the other side of this current trauma.
How about we get started, then?

We dug around, looked under some roots, flipped over a few stones and we might have just ‘scavenged’ up some new tracks for you!

That’s right folks, The Scavengers are back! Forged like Damascus steel from former members of Crazyhead and Gaye Bykers On Acid, the Scavengers never fail to impress. So check out their epic new release 'Rights of Salvage' (SHARPCD20117 release date 25/09/2020), featuring 11 brand new tracks. It’ll be available as a digital download from all the good stockists and most of the rubbish ones. BUT, if you’re a special kind of legend, you can swing by our store and get one of the very, VERY, VERY special limited edition CDs. They’ll be first come first served. And trust me, these are going to fly out, so you’d better hurry!

Saturday, 30 May 2020 17:43

Blog #29

HEY FLICKERS!

How's everyone doing? We're living in trying times, locked away in social isolation, scrubbing ourselves down every five minutes. But we can survive this: the human race has lived for millions of years and I'm sure we've got at least 10 left in us. But it's not all doom and gloom, being locked up in our homes has given us plenty of time to listen to great music because although we can't be together in person, we can still feel connected through entertainment. We've been selling a lot of great albums, both physical copies (sent safely, don't worry!) and a huge upswing in digital sales which is great! So don't worry people, even in these darkest of times, you can still rock hard, thanks to the Flicknife Kru!

Sunday, 29 March 2020 12:15

Blog #28

HEY FLICKERS!

I know, it's been a while... We've not spoken since Christmas, can you believe it? Things have been CRAZY down at Flicknife HQ. But, if you think anything as minor as a government enforced lockdown in order to halt the spread of a nigh on apocalyptic pandemic is going to stop us putting out new tunes, you've not been paying attention.

So, New Blog? New Blog!

We have some great releases for you...

First up!

Schizo Fun Addict – The Last Wave (FOF40). In collaboration with Fruits De Mer, we're bringing their new album out to the masses! A GREAT band who are an absolute must own for anyone that wants to hear Lo-fi Mary Chain meet 'Pet Sounds'. But here's the real news:

The CD will be available only from our store, in a LIMITED RUN, only 50 will EVER be produced. So grab them as soon as they come in!!
But wait, there's more! There is also an extra special coloured vinyl edition package, ALSO limited to only 50 units, available direct from the Fruits De Mer festival (if it happens): otherwise, the vinyl packages will be sold by FdM from their site and 5 will be sold from the Flicknife store. This extra special pack is loaded down with a bunch of goodies from us AND Fruits De Mer. This is a real collectors item, so grab them fast... because if you don't you'll end up paying 100 times as much when you buy it from eBay next month!
But don't worry. If you miss out on both of these, there's always our unlimited supply of digital copies!

Schizo Fun Addict

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