January 8, 2011

New release+shirt from ISIS, repress from CAPSULE and way more!

Now this is a re-ighteous update. We've got a beautiful ISIS re-issue, an overdue CAPSULE re-press, an old ISIS t-shirt re-printed and a rock solid slab of other new re-leases & re-stocks for the Robotic Empire - Online Store. Lets get at it:


Its no secret we're big ISIS fans. Have been, still are, will be. Robotic Empire and ISIS have a lengthy history, but even after releasing four remix LPs, two 2xLP albums, one live 2xLP and a massive commemorative box set together, this release still carries serious weight. After being out of print for years, we're proud to re-issue (our personal favorite) ISIS album, Oceanic, as a fine 2xLP release.

Showcasing a band at the height of a monumental transition, Oceanic was and is hailed by many fans as ISIS' landmark album, simultaneously earning widespread critical acclaim. Raising the massive bridge between crushing metal and atmospheric post-rock, ISIS truly came into their own sound on this brilliant sophomore album. Now housed in a heavyweight "tip-on" style gatefold jacket, Oceanic has been carefully re-mastered and re-cut for optimal sound quality.

We are absolutely thrilled to be reissuing this double LP, even despite the band's somewhat recent breakup. Regardless, this album stands the test of time and we're honored to present it to you today. 2000 copies of this have been pressed up, with the following numbers and colors of vinyl:

* 100 on Seaweed (translucent green w/ black streaks)
* 200 on Gyre (opaque olive)
* 300 on Brine (swamp green/clear swirl)
* 1400 on Black

Although technically a pre-order, this is completely finished and available now in the Robotic Empire - Online Store and will begin shipping the week of January 24th.


Absolutely related to this is the uncovering of an ollld ISIS t-shirt design from their archives. Printed in minimal numbers for a Japanese tour many many moons ago, this Oceanic-specific shirt is finally available again (and stateside). Printed on Alstyle shirts (sweatshop free & akin to American Apparel texturally) with a 20% ink discharge, the minimalism of this print perfectly compliments ISIS' abstinence from convention. In an overflowing sea of huge-print shirts, its nice to see something actually utilizing space as a vital design element. Anyway, blathering aside this boils down to a simple, super cozy shirt from way back when. Nice! This is available now in the Robotic Empire - Online Store.


Completely unrelated but equally awesome is the new re-press of CAPSULE's stellar debut album, Blue. First dropped nearly 3 years ago, this tornado of fury is a powerful combination of grind, screamy hardcore and technical wizardry. A seriously convolutely conglomeration of genres and styles, it actually takes several spins of this monster to truly soak up all the crazy tunage that's going on within. 500 more of this bad mamma jamma were pressed up:

* 100 on Tropical Blue (translucent electric blue/beer mix w/ blue streaks)
* 200 on Primordial Blue (translucent blue w/ amoebas)
* 200 on Ocean Blue (opaque aqua blue/baby blue mix)

This is finally available again after being sold out for quite a while, and the 12" also comes with a CD of the same jams, inserted into the interior of the custom die-cut high-gloss gatefold jacket itself. A great package and a killer debut album, we're pretty hyped to have this available again! Just in time too as their new album No Ghost will be dropping via RVA brethren Rorschach Records later this year. Until then, you can pick up Blue (and/or their beastly Self-Titled collections LP) now in the Robotic Empire - Online Store. Appropriately, we've got some sweet CAPSULE t-shirts there too :)

Beyond those new/old Robotic Empire label releases, the distro n' other labels' items new & restocked to the Robotic Empire - Online Store this time around are substantial enough to shake a stick at. Some pretty gnarly new stuff across the board, including Deathwish crushers (COLISEUM, DOOMRIDERS, STARKWEATHER and TRAP THEM), an awesome old NADJA double-album finally released on vinyl, THOU's monumental Summit on wax via Southern Lord, the new BUCKSHOT FACELIFT 1-sided LP, some Super-Fi import stuff, the newest COALESCE and PHOBIA 12"s on the cheap via Relapse... plus on the restock tip we've got crucial vinyl from BLACK TUSK (color wax), CAPSULE/FURNACE and ENVY. YES! Here's the full list:

NEW ITEMS:
* Art Of Burning Water - Head Of The Tempest 12" (Super Fi) - $13.99
* Buckshot Facelift - Anchors of the Armless - 1-Sided BLACK 12" (Old Souls) - $9.99
* Buckshot Facelift - Anchors of the Armless - 1-Sided GREEN COLORED VINYL 12" (Old Souls) - $9.99
* Buckshot Facelift - Anchors of the Armless - 1-Sided RED COLORED VINYL 12" (Old Souls) - $9.99
* Capsule - Blue - OCEAN BLUE COLORED VINYL 12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $12.99
* Capsule - Blue - PRIMORDIAL BLUE COLORED VINYL 12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $12.99
* Capsule - Blue - TROPICAL BLUE COLORED VINYL 12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $12.99
* Coalesce - Ox 12" (Relapse) - $9.99
* Coliseum - True Quiet / Last Wave - ORANGE COLORED VINYL 7" (Deathwish) - $4.99
* Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive 12" (Deathwish) - $9.99
* Geisha - Maudit A Minuit 12" (Super Fi) - $13.99
* Isis - Oceanic - BLACK VINYL 2x12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Isis - Oceanic - BRINE COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Isis - Oceanic - GYRE COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Isis - Oceanic - SEAWEED COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Robotic Empire) - $19.99
* Isis - Oceanic Japan - Size: DOUBLE EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) - $15.99
* Isis - Oceanic Japan - Size: EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Isis - Oceanic Japan - Size: LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Isis - Oceanic Japan - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Isis - Oceanic Japan - Size: SMALL T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Isis - Oceanic Japan - Size: YOUTH LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) - $14.99
* Nadja - Thaumogenesis 2x12" (Important) - $19.99
* Phobia - Unrelenting - RED COLORED VINYL 12" (Relapse) - $9.99
* Starkweather - This Sheltering Night - DARK BLUE COLORED VINYL 12" (Deathwish) - $9.99
* Thou - Summit 12" (Southern Lord) - $14.99
* Trap Them - Seizures In Barren Praise - WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" (Deathwish) - $9.99

RESTOCKS:
* Black Tusk - Taste The Sin - GREY COLORED VINYL 12" (Relapse) - $9.99
* Capsule / Furnace - Split 7" (Moment of Collapse) - $4.99
* Envy - Abyssal 12" (Temporary Residence) - $9.99
* Envy - Compiled Fragments 1997 - 2003 2x12" (Temporary Residence) - $18.99
* Envy / Thursday - Split 12" (Temporary Residence) - $10.99
* Snowblood - Self-Titled CD (Super Fi) - $7.99

What an update! Hot on the heels of that last totally massive one too, which had another new label release & t-shirt as well... so we're wailin' on it full-speed here! Thanks for keeping us busy, hopefully you enjoy the new tunes!

-Robotic Empire

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