(Original on kaizers.no, Text backup here)
(Photo. Geir Zahl. Janove packs lim ed. records).Today (and yesterday), our dear friends and supporters from the Studio Tour 2010 receive their limited edition version of Violeta, Violeta, Volume I.
Because of all you know about declining record sales, free streaming, and failing mechanisms to raise revenue from recorded music, Kaizers Orchestra did a so-called Studio Tour, four nights in early 2010. The idea was to raise money for the next recording. The tour sold out and Kaizers could pack their bags and go into the Duper Studio in Bergen.
To thank for the support, the audience at these concerts got a Kaizercard that could be sent in to receive a lim. ed. version of Volume I. People are now receiving this version, a few days before the album actually hits the shelves.
- The most important thing for us is not to go down in quality, Janove Kaizer says, to explain the stunt to Kaizernews.
- Sound is a science, and to make a bucket ballet like Kaizers Orchestra sound good, you need competent people, top facilities, and the best equipment. Those things cost a lot of money to rent. The business solution we have right now is that we share the costs with our record company, Petroleum Records, and to cover our part of the action, we had to play a small tour.
- What else can you say about this lim ed version?
- Aesthetically, it differs from the original version mostly in details, actually. The lim ed is a digipak version, and it is embossed on the outside, and otherwise there is a slightly different layout at certain places on the inside, the devil is in the details. It comes in an edition of 4000 copies, which makes it relatively rare.
- People have wondered if there is any extra material?
- Actually, it wouldn't have been an issue to add an additional song or two. But we chose to not do this. This was an artistic decision made by the band and record label. The trilogy consists of 30 songs, no more, no less. We don't mess with that concept, and we hope that people understand. They should get enough Kaizers material to contend themselves with over the next two years as it is, we can promise that!
- Those who didn't get a lim ed copy now, is there hope for them?
- Not everyone who got one has submitted the Kaizercard, and thus we have some more records than we sent out. We plan to sell them as merchandise at the concerts, so they will be available to the fans.
- Finally, do you expect to be stormed with mails now, from people who didn't get the album but thought they should get it?
- Hopefully not! There will always be some. Some have sent us blank address cards and envelopes without return address, and there is little we can do for them. On the other hand, we also cannot help those who may have moved from the address they gave us and haven't arranged that the mail is sent on to them. We sent the records out to absolutely everyone that we could send to. We have even paid the postage for half of you, so we hope people will be happy happy happy now!