CANNABIS CORPSE hit the road this week

Richmond, Virginia's CANNABIS CORPSE are hitting the road this week, just one day after bassist Landphil returns from MUNICIPAL WASTE's lengthy tour supporting LAMB OF GOD. Here are the dates:

05/16/09 - Cleveland, OH @ Now Thats Class - w/ Mortifier, Punching Moses
05/17/09 - Aurora, IL @ MIDWEST FUCKFEST - w/ Splitter, Weekend Nachos, Antigama, Plague Bringer, many more
05/18/09 - Chicago, IL @ Metal Shaker - w/ Splitter, Psytoxia, more
05/19/09 - Columbus, OH @ The Crackhouse - w/ Locusta
05/20/09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Belvedere's - w/ Mahagana, Short Dark Strangers
05/21/09 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Cafe Metropolis - w/ Infernal Stronghold
05/22/09 - Baltimore, MD @ Nowarehouse - late night post-Deathfest show

This "Cop Chiller" tour is just a warm-up, as CANNABIS CORPSE are planning more touring later this year. Quote the band: "We hope to come smoke your city... so stay stoney for the impending pot rapture!"

More thorough, up-to-date show info can be found at CANNABIS CORPSE's myspace page.

p.s. Robotic Empire will have full-color "Cop Chiller" t-shirts available for sale in just a few days.

ROBOTIC EMPIRE ONLINE STORE: sweet updates for mid-May

Not the hugest update ever here (we had a big one just a couple weeks ago)... although plenty of good stuff for the Robotic Empire - Online Store this week! No reason to beat around the bush, here's what we've got for ya:

NEW ITEMS:
* Caves, Caverns - Self-Titled Cassette (Cosmic Debris) $4.99
* Fight Amp - Hungry For Nothing - RED COLORED VINYL 12" (Brutal Panda) $12.99
* Orn - Teeth / Knowing CD (Elevation) $7.99
* Phoenix Bodies - Raise The Bullsh!t Flag - BLACK VINYL 12" (Slave Union) $8.99
* Pizza / Tideland - Split 7" (Cosmic Debris) $4.99
* Ramming Speed - Brainwreck 12" (Brutal Panda) $11.99
* Saddest Landscape, The - All Is Apologized For All Is Forgiven - RED COLORED VINYL 2x12"+7" (Cover Your Heart) $17.99
* Whisper Room - Birch White CD (Elevation) $9.99

RESTOCKS:
* Death of Anna Karina, The - Self-Titled 12" (Slave Union) $8.99
* Grey Ghost - Self-Titled 10" - BROWN COLORED VINYL Copper Lung) $9.99
* Grey Ghost - Self-Titled 10" - GREEN COLORED VINYL (Copper Lung) $9.99
* Loma Prieta - Last City CD (Slave Union) $8.99
* Love Like Electrocution - Self-Titled 1-sided 12" (Slave Union) $7.99
* One Starving Day - Broken Wings Lead Arms To The Sun 12" + 7" - BLACK AND WHITE COLORED VINYL (KNVBI) $17.99
* Phoenix Bodies - Raise The Bullsh!t Flag 12" PINK / BLACK COLORED VINYL (Slave Union) $8.99
* Phoenix Bodies - Raise The Bullsh!t Flag 12" CLEAR / RED COLORED VINYL (Slave Union) $8.99
* Saddest Landscape, The - Discography 2xCD (Slave Union) $11.99
* Three Steps to The Ocean - Self-Titled 12" - WHITE BLACK COLORED VINYL (KNVBI Records) $11.99
* Vanessa Van Basten - Self-Titled 12" - SPLATTER VINYL (KNVBI) $13.99

ITEMS NEWLY ON SALE:
* Bailer - Sing It Like A Victim 12" (Ash From Sweat) $7.99
* Bailer / Humble Ary - Split 7" BLACK VINYL (Ash From Sweat) $4.99
* Bailer / Humble Ary - Split 7" BLUE COLORED VINYL (Ash From Sweat) $4.99
* New Rome, The - Self-Titled 12" (Ash From Sweat) $9.99
* New Rome, The - Self-Titled CD (Ash From Sweat) $6.99
* Zombie Zombie / Kindercide - Split 7" (Ash From Sweat) $3.99

That's pretty much it for this week. It's also worth mentioning that we've opened up our entire distro catalog of non-Robo stuff to wholesale ordering... so if you have a distro/store/etc please get in touch. Thanks / peace!

Robotic Empire - Online Store

OTHER CRAP:
Robotic Empire's Twitter
Robotic Empire on Myspace
Robotic Empire's email list
Robotic Empire's news blog/archive
Robotic Obscurities free audio archive
Robotic Empire's youtube channel
Robotic Empire's main website

Quick mid-week Robotic Empire - Online Store update

Got a quick little power-update for ya mid-week here. Not a ton of stuff, but every single item here is pretty much badass! Hit up all this and tons more in the Robotic Empire - Online Store

NEW ITEMS:
* Coliseum - No Salvation - YELLOW WITH RED SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 12" (Auxiliary) $12.99
* Kylesa - Time Will Fuse Its Worth - JAPANESE IMPORT CD (Red Cobalt Industries) $19.99
* Nachtmystium - Worldfall - RED WITH BLACK SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 12" (Mexican Summer) $16.99
* Saviours - Into Abbadon 12" (Kemado) $17.99
* Sword, The - Age of Winters 12" (Kemado) $12.99
* Sword, The - Gods Of Earth - RED COLORED VINYL 12" (Kemado) $13.99
* Tombs / Planks - Split - GOLD COLORED VINYL 12" (Black Box) $10.99

RESTOCKS:
* Pusher - Self-Titled CD (Auxiliary) $9.99
* Tombs - Self-Titled 12'' (Black Box) $10.99

Robotic Empire - Online Store

ROBOTIC EMPIRE - Massive update! (New bands, Online Store stuff, etc!)

Hello again, it's been a while. A lot has happened at Robotic Empire over the past month or so... in fact, the label/mailorder is now split into two camps on opposite ends of the country. This massive move was a huge undertaking for us, but better for everyone in the end as it will mean a more organized setup for our Online Store operation (now located in Olympia, Washington), and some much needed change for the Virginia setup.

We want to thank everyone who ordered from us in any of our our pre-move sales, and also thank those who have been patient while we've gotten everything for the Online Store re-established out in Olympia. Things are fully operational again, and better than ever! So we are very pleased to present you a somewhat meaty update here, with lots of happenings both for the label and Online Store aspects of Robotic Empire...

First up, we're releasing some new records in June. It's been a slow first part of the year for the label (intentionally) but we've got a lot going on in the second half of the year. Kicking things off on June 9th will be the debut releases from New Zealand's DIAL and Louisville, Kentucky's BAD SECRETS.


DIAL is the first band from the southern hemisphere that we've ever worked with, and couldn't be much happier about this pairing. Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand... DIAL self-released a demo a couple of years ago that we recently got to hear on a trip to NZ last fall. Intensely powerful stuff is contained within this little five-song EP, so much that we asked the band if we could re-release and thankfully they agreed.

To quote our official hype sheet for this: "The material contained within is leaps and bounds beyond what most bands accomplish even at their best. DIAL successfully channels the darkest corners of the AmRep catalog, the raw ferocity of classic hardcore, offtime kilter of math-rock, and the whole concept that music can actually be dangerous. The air-tight composure of DIAL's debut recording is striking; focusing more on space and dissonance than technical shreddery. Obscenely heavy guitars collide with bludgeoning percussion and intense, vicious and scathing female vocals... turning the whole thing into a downright terrifying experience. Add an incredibly crisp recording, and this makes DIAL's debut EP one of the most impressive demos we've heard in years, let alone had the privilege to re-release."

We are really stoked about this release and it'll be available on CD and digitally come June 9th. To give you a little preview, we just posted a track from it on our myspace page:

* Listen to DIAL @ Robotic Empire's myspace
* Listen do DIAL @ their myspace page


Louisville, Kentucky's BAD SECRETS was born out of improv jam sessions between YOUNG WIDOWS' Evan Patterson and KODAN ARMADA's Dan Davis. They recorded three weekends of jamming together, whittled it down to seven songs and thus, their debut release is born. We went for the super conventional 9"+CD format for this one, since it's such a normal release and all. Hah!

In all seriousness though, we're really psyched to finally work with Mr. Patterson after knowing this righteous dude and his kin for years. Who knows, maybe we've got another release with him up our sleeves...

Until then, the self-titled debut 9"+CD from BAD SECRETS should hit the world on June 9th (if we can get the band to screen the covers in time) and we're very pumped on the ridiculous color vinyl we've got in store for it too. More info on this release forthcoming.


This is probably also a good time to announce that we'll be releasing the debut album from northern Virginia's TIDELAND! Mostly comprised of dudes we've known for years, upon hearing their killer full length that they recorded @ Godcity studios... deciding to release this was kind of a no-brainer. We'll be teaming up with our Italian brethren Sons Of Vesta to co-release this on both CD and 12", sometime later in the summer (most likely July or August).

We'll post up a track from this release sometime soon, but in the meantime several demos can be found on the band's myspace page. We should note: the album blows away everything they've recorded before.

* TIDELAND on myspace


Semi-related, TIDELAND will be playing the two upcoming MANNEQUIN reunion shows. Yep, our ol' brothers in grunge finally decided it was time to return to form! There's surely several reasons for this happening, one favorite being that Ian Widman wanted to drum for MANNEQUIN as his graduation present. We gotta give a hearty "congrats" to him for making this happen! If you live in Virginia (or anywhere relatively close) and want to check out these killer shows, they'll both be happening the weekend of May 9th/10th and the details for the shows can be found on TIDELAND's myspace page.

* An unmastered tour-only MANNEQUIN EP that had two released & two unreleased songs on it (and their name spelled wrong on the cover) can be found here: download "Yr Aching Tooth!!!"


Semi-related to that is that we've now got new t-shirts in our Online Store from both PYGMY LUSH and PG.99. Resurrecting the old "goth girl" design sourced from the PAGENINETYNINE / CITY OF CATERPILLAR split 7", we're psyched to have this one back in print. Along with that are two new designs from PYGMY LUSH, designed for their last tour. Totally classic, and available now in our Online Store.


Completely unrelated to everything above but equally exciting to us is the re-press of the A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - Primitive North 2x12"+CD split. The first press for this thing was a total blowout, so we've re-pressed it with the quickness in attempts to keep it available. Two new color vinyl combinations are available for this beast of a release, this time as "Aurora Forge" and "Phosphorescence". Maybe corny names (?) but it compliments the weird colored vinyl well, and we're equally pleased with how the re-press turned out as we are with the first press. This comes with a CD of the same jams, and is housed in some pretty fancypants packaging.

Related to that is the fact that we got some super rare CDs direct from Josh Graham of A STORM OF LIGHT and formerly of RED SPAROWES. This includes the self-released very first RED SPAROWES demo CD-R, and their limited live CD that Neurot released. Along with those (which WILL go fast) is the hard-to-find (FALLEN) BLACK DEER Latitudes CD release that Southern organized a couple years back. Hardly any distros got that thing and we scored some copies direct from the band.

Along with all that crazyness above, we've also received a healthy amount of new and re-stocked items for this massive first Online Store update from our bi-coastal locations! GO!

NEW ITEMS:
* (Fallen) Black Deer, The - Requiem CD (Latitudes) $12.99
* A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North [split] - AURORA FORGE COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Robotic Empire) $19.99
* A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North [split] - PHOSPHORESCENCE COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Robotic Empire) $19.99
* Chronic Youth - Das Chillin Cassette (Vinyl Rites) $4.99
* Drowning With Our Anchors - Breathing Lessons 7" (Commodity Fetish) $4.99
* Grief - Come To Grief - BLACK VINYL 2x12" (Throne) $24.99
* Grief - Come To Grief - BLUE SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Throne) $24.99
* Grief - Come To Grief - ORANGE COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Throne) $24.99
* Hex Machine - Omen Mas CD (Minimum Underdrive) $9.99
* My Disco - Paradise 12" (Fruits & Vegetables) $12.99
* Nadja - Corrasion 2x12" (Basses Frequences) $26.99
* Neil On Impression - L'Oceano Delle Onde Che Restano Onde Per Sempre 2x12" (Denovali) $22.99
* Pageninetynine - Goth Girl - Size: DOUBLE EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $15.99
* Pageninetynine - Goth Girl - Size: EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $14.99
* Pageninetynine - Goth Girl - Size: LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $14.99
* Pageninetynine - Goth Girl - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $14.99
* Pageninetynine - Goth Girl - Size: SMALL T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $14.99
* Pageninetynine - Goth Girl - Size: YOUTH LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $14.99
* Pirates Press - Vinyl Collage Puzzle (Pirates Press) $25.99
* Pygmy Lush - Donkey - Size: DOUBLE EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $13.99
* Pygmy Lush - Donkey - Size: EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Donkey - Size: LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Donkey - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Donkey - Size: SMALL T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Donkey - Size: YOUTH LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Man On The Moon - Size: DOUBLE EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $13.99
* Pygmy Lush - Man On The Moon - Size: EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Man On The Moon - Size: LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Man On The Moon - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Man On The Moon - Size: SMALL T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Pygmy Lush - Man On The Moon - Size: YOUTH LARGE T-Shirt (Robotic Empire) $12.99
* Red Sparowes - Demo 03.12.2004 CD-R (Self Released) $29.99
* Red Sparowes - Oh Lord, God of Vengeance, Show Yourself! CD (Neurot) $14.99
* Winters In Osaka - Molded To Crawl CD (Haunted Hotel) $9.99

RESTOCKS:
* Algernon Cadwallader - Some Kind Of Cadwallader CD (Be Happy) - $7.99
* Burst - In Coveting Ways - ORANGE COLORED VINYL 10" (Throne) - $13.99
* Dystopia - The Aftermath CD (Life is Abuse) - $9.99
* Monarch / Grey Daturas - Split 12" (Throne) - $15.99
* Noothgrush - Erode The Person CD (Throne) - $11.99

Phew! Wow OK so that's enough to keep us busy for a while right? There's plenty more on deck so this year's just gonna get crazier and crazier for us. We like it this way, so please get those orders in and we'll crank them out as quickly as possible. THANK YOU!

Robotic Empire
Richmond & Olympia chapters

Robotic Empire - Online Store

p.s. almost forgot, we caved in and signed up for stupid Twitter... so if you're into that, check out our micro-bloggin's here.

Robotic Empire's first digital-only releases (CAPSULE, ENEMY SOIL, VANESSA VAN BASTEN)

The whole music industry's changing fast, and the wiseman says "adapt or die", right? Well, I guess that's sunk in a bit here at Robotic Empire and we've decided to try out the whole "digital-only" release thing. Although we're cheating a bit, since these releases already exist(ed) in one physical form or another. We're pretty psyched regardless, as this is a relatively simple way to work with some choice bands (and hopefully lead up to future collaborations too).


CAPSULE: We already released their debut album Blue, and this digital-only (for now) release titled Tape + Demo + Tour compiles the ten songs from the cassette tape we made for them a few years ago (which contained their demo and 7" material), plus three rare tracks from a tour-only EP the band self-released. Here's our more "formal" description of the collection:

Miami, Florida's CAPSULE are a pummeling trio and this 13-track compilation collects all of their released material prior to their debut album, Blue. Originally released across a limited cassette, 7" vinyl record and a tour-only CD-R, these songs show the excellent progression from CAPSULE's demo up to their debut album. Mathematically intense hardcore/punk/grind with stop-start precision and a confusing conglomeration of crashing percussion, squealing guitarwork and a myriad of buried, blurry vocal shouts. An intense ride, and a great collection of CAPSULE's initial works.

* A newly-posted preview track from this digital-only release can now be found on their myspace page
* A recent video montage of CAPSULE's journey to "The Fest 7" can also be viewed here


ENEMY SOIL: This is the band that got me into metal. Most people have an older brother or cool friend or something that gets them into subversive music, but my first introduction to anything remotely heavy (outside of punk) was seeing ENEMY SOIL live in a basement in Sterling, Virginia. Needless to say it was a life changing event, and so it's sort of an honor to finally work with Richard "The Grindfather" Johnson after all these years. For those unfamiliar with the band, here's a more cohesive description:

ENEMY SOIL was a long-running, grinding monster who's members eventually went on to form or join PIG DESTROYER, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, DRUGS OF FAITH, PG.99, CITY OF CATERPILLAR, FRODUS, BATTLETORN and many, many more. The epitome of "underground", this massive collection is their swansong to blistering grindcore, with everything they ever recorded and/or released (except for one a 7" on Relapse). From their humble (yet crucial) drum-machine origins, to the behemoth of a full-band they would eventually become... the sheer variety (and quantity) of punk, metal, grind, industrial and more collected here is downright impressive. With 72 tracks over nearly two hours, this is an epic homage to the mighty ENEMY SOIL!

* A recently-posted preview track from this release can now be found on our myspace page
* Further samples of archive tracks can be found here (a variety) and here (super old stuff)


VANESSA VAN BASTEN: An Italian band we've been super into ever since hearing their La Stanza Di Swedenborg album a few years ago. There's so many "heavy post-rock" bands out there that it'd almost be easy for VVB to get lost in the shuffle... but (to us at least) their quality of material really sets them apart from the pack. Channeling more from Justin K. Broadrick's classic work than the realms typically trodden, VANESSA VAN BASTEN are a hypnotic beast... which is incredible considering the majority of their songs are constructed as just a duo! These digital-download releases of their three CDs will be our first time working with VANESSA VAN BASTEN and we're most excited to present their catalog to world digitally.


The debut from VANESSA VAN BASTEN, the duo that utilizes guests and contributors from the alternative and extreme Italian underground. This is how they describe themselves: "We make slow, heavy, metaphysic instrumental music. Our influences are the cosmic psychedelia, industrial rock like SWANS or GODFLESH, Neurot & Hydrahead catalogue." Basically, they take a lot of elements from a lot of great bands and re-work the styles into a captivating new whole. This is their humble debut, a powerful indication of their potential and the great things to come!


Incredible Italian duo VANESSA VAN BASTEN walk in the same footsteps as JESU, ISIS, NEUROSIS and PELICAN without totally jocking their styles. Very anthemic but not cliché, these guys would easily be a household name here if they were only FROM here. Seriously though, this stuff is intense! La Stanza Di Swedenborg is their stunning first full-length release, with eight tracks total.


Two years after the critically acclaimed La Stanza di Swedenborg, VANESSA VAN BASTEN returns with two brand new epic tracks combined on this beautiful EP, which was written by all band members. This heavy Italian postrock ensemble does not constrict itself to the laws of some Great Postrock Bible. Instead it blends in psychedelia, ambient influences, metal and shoegaze to result in a unique musical experience. Dreamlike and cinematographic sounds collide with heavy and dark sonic assaults: the music is incredibly crafted and reveals more of its intrinsic beauty every time it is being played. VANESSA VAN BASTEN has kept their DIY attitude as the tracks were recorded in the rehearsal room and at home with the aid of a technician and feature the same human drummer that toured with the band in the past (no more computer drums this time). Incredible and intense material from one of Europe's best underground bands.

* Audio samples from each release can be found on VANESSA VAN BASTEN's myspace page

This would probably be a good time to mention that our most recent physical releases are also available digitally, including the A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - Primitive North split, BATTLE OF MICE / JESU - Split, GODS & QUEENS - untitled debut album, VERSE EN COMA - Rialto EP and almost everything else in our catalog of releases. These and much more can be found on iTunes, emusic, amazon.com, etc, etc, etc.

* A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - Primitive North split on
* BATTLE OF MICE / JESU - Split on
* GODS & QUEENS - untitled on
* VERSE EN COMA - Rialto on

For those out there who actually do pay for digital download releases, we salute you. You are directly supporting the musicians and record labels that completely depend on the independent music community to get by. We realize that in this current age of instant-everything, it's pretty easy for people to justify NOT paying for downloadable music. All that does though is take away from people sacrificing comfortable lives to give time, hard work and money... just to create an album. Please don't take that for granted. Thank you!

A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - "Primitive North" 2xLP+CDs are HERE! Just three days left on our massive music sale!

Apologies for the blitzkrieg of recent updates, but there's just 3 days left before the Robotic Empire - Online Store will stop processing new orders... as the time is very near for us to break down all the shelves, pack up all the boxes and move this whole mailorder operation to the other side of the country.

We're not leaving until early April, so there is still plenty of time to pull, pack and ship all orders received by/on March 15th. This also includes all orders for the brand new A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - Primitive North split 2x12"+CD that we finally just got in today! This beast of a release turned out simply incredible and we're really happy to have a new release available after months of slow label activity, especially one of this caliber.

What also rules is that A STORM OF LIGHT will be touring across Europe in early April. Upon their return to the states they hit most of the eastern-North America in May with the killer blackmetal bands WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM and KRALLICE! Tour dates for STORM and a song from the split can be found here. NADJA's own European tour dates can be found here.

We've also received a small amount of straggling, last-minute items that really are getting here just in the nick of time. If you want anything from our Online Store, please get those orders in within the next 3 days, so we can ship it out before our move in early April! We will still be accepting orders during the move, but any orders that come in after March 15th will most likely take at least a month to ship to you. So please get those orders in now if you want anything with the quickness!

NEW ITEMS:
* A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North [split] - BLOOD MOON COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $21.99
* A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North [split] - GLACIER COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $21.99
* Frodus - Conglomerate International 2x12" (Gilead Media) - $18.99
* Planks - Self-Titled 12" (Nar Shardaa) - $13.99
* Shokei - Painkiller 12" (Nar Shardaa) - $13.99
* Thou - The Retaliation of the Immutable Force of Nature - WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" (Gilead Media) - $9.99

RESTOCKS:
* Nebula - Atomic Ritual CD (Liquor and Poker) - $7.99
* Saddest Landscape, The - The Sound of the Spectacle - BLUE COLORED VINYL 12" (Nar Shardaa) - $13.99

And last (but certainly not least) there is still a MASSIVE site-wide sale right now where every music item in our Online Store that's over $4.99 is marked at least $1.01 off. This includes all CDs, vinyl, DVDs and cassettes... and many, many items are marked down significantly more as well. We're trying to get as much stuff out of here as possible before the move so please check out the site for a crazyinsane amount of discounted items! This sale ends in just a few days, with March 15th being both the last day this sale is active and the last day we're accepting orders to ship prior to the move!

Thank you!
Robotic Empire - Online Store

FINAL SALE for the East Coast existence of Robotic Empire's Online Store!

ALL MUSIC in our Online Store that's $4.99 and over is now $1.01 off for the next week. The webstore operation is moving to the west coast and we're trying to sell a bunch of stuff before the move in early April. Thanks:

Robotic Empire - Online Store

A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - "Primitive North" 2xLP+CD pre-order!!

Robotic Empire is honored to announce the pre-order availability of the massive A STORM OF LIGHT / NADJA - Primitive North 2x12"+CD release! Two LPs, one CD (of the same tunes): two new STORM tracks, one lengthy NADJA opus and re-mixes of each bands material constructed by the other band. Add in some pretty fancy packaging and this is one mighty "split"! This is available now for pre-order in the Robotic Empire - Online Store. Here's our longwinded hyperbole:

Every few years arises a collaboration that stands to test the myriad "split" releases that get haphazardly scrapped together. Primitive North is a shining example of what two strong bands can amass when their forces are joined together.

Reaching well beyond their debut album, And We Wept the Black Ocean Within, A STORM OF LIGHT has entered intense uncharted territories. Fusing delicate melodies with oppressive dirge metal and dense atmospherics, STORM have truly come into their own with these two phenomenal tracks. Contagious, hypnotic and haunting... although no major surprise considering A STORM OF LIGHT is helmed by frontman Josh Graham, who cut his teeth as the visual artist for NEUROSIS and founding member of both RED SPAROWES and BATTLE OF MICE.

The prolific duo of NADJA delivers one truly massive, 20+ minute epic of blissful genius. Their track consists of their patented molasses-thick wall of super-dense fuzz and surprisingly tuneful white noise spanning the spectrum of what NADJA is: a true behemoth of stark, glacial-paced sludge. Shapeshifting from a serene and uplifting aural setting to an absolutely soul-crushing Broadrick-esque industrial nightmare, NADJA is a beast of many faces.

On Primitive North we get the best of both worlds, as volatile remixes also accompany these original works. Each band has reconfigured the other’s material, resulting in remixes that compliment the original songs well, and near-perfectly blend the two groups together. Adding to all of this is stunning original artwork by Graham, packaged in a beautiful 5-color gatefold sleeve with a CD version of the same material included inside with the double vinyl LPs. Last but not least, the flipside of the remix LP has laser-etched artwork, helping A STORM OF LIGHT and NADJA take the whole concept of a "split" release to the next level.

* an A STORM OF LIGHT track from this can be previewed here
* several NADJA tracks from other releases can be heard here

Normally we don't do pre-orders, but we're making an exception with this one because it's arriving here very close to our move date. In order to ensure we can pack/ship these before the Online Store's cross-country move in early April, we're taking orders for this beast of a release NOW! We're supposed to get our copies of this on March 10th, and hope to have the bulk of the pre-orders shipped out just a few days later. Please note: any additional items you order along with this will be held and shipped along with your pre-order!

The other major thing of note for this update is that after 10 years of knowing the Hydra Head guys, we FINALLY got them to do a real trade with us. Of course it came in when we're getting ready to move the Online Store to their side of the country... but whatever, beggars can't be choosers right? This means that the awesome HH vinyl we just scored is receiving the same $1.01 off that all our "large format" vinyl is seeing until March 8th. This stuff and a rad Escucha restock are all we've got for ya this week:

NEW ITEMS:
* A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North [split] - BLOOD MOON COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $21.99
* A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North [split] - GLACIER COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $21.99
* Clouds - We Are Above You - CORN BLUE COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Hydra Head) - $19.99
* Clouds - We Are Above You - WHITE COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Hydra Head) - $19.99
* Clouds - We Are Above You - YELLOW COLORED VINYL 2x12"+CD (Hydra Head) - $19.99
* Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward - GREEN COLORED VINYL 12" (Hydra Head) - $16.99
* Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward - MAROON COLORED VINYL 12" (Hydra Head) - $16.99
* Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward - WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" (Hydra Head) - $16.99
* Monarcs / Osceola - Split - BLACK VINYL 7" (Escucha) - $6.99
* Oxbow - The Narcotic Story - RED COLORED VINYL 12" (Black Diamond) - $12.99
* Pelican / These Arms Are Snakes - Split - BLACK VINYL 10" (Hydra Head) - $11.99
* Pelican / These Arms Are Snakes - Split - CLEAR WITH BLUE COLORED VINYL 10" (Hydra Head) - $11.99
* Pelican / These Arms Are Snakes - Split - DARK BLUE COLORED VINYL 10" (Hydra Head) - $11.99
* Pelican / These Arms Are Snakes - Split - WHITE COLORED VINYL 10" (Hydra Head) - $11.99

RESTOCKS:
* Daughters - Hell Songs 12" CREAM COLORED VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Daughters - Hell Songs 12" GREEN COLORED VINYL* (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Daughters - Hell Songs 12" PLUM COLORED VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Monarcs / Osceola - Split 7" WHITE COLORED VINYL (Escucha) - $6.99
* Pelican - City Of Echoes 12" BLACK VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Pelican - City Of Echoes 12" CLEAR LIGHT BLUE VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Pelican - City Of Echoes 12" CLEAR w/ BLACK SPLATTER VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Pelican - City Of Echoes 12" METALLIC SILVER VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Pelican - City Of Echoes 12" PINK w/ BLACK SPLATTER VINYL (Hydra Head) - $12.99
* Suis la Lune - Heir 10"+CD (Escucha) - $18.99
* Tusk - The Resisting Dreamer 12" BLACK VINYL (Tortuga) - $15.99
* Tusk - The Resisting Dreamer 12" MAROON COLORED VINYL (Tortuga) - $15.99

Robotic Empire - Online Store

ROBOTIC EMPIRE ONLINE STORE: $1.01 off all "large format" vinyl!

Short and sweet: All large format vinyl (10", 11", 12", 2x12", etc) in the Robotic Empire - Online Store is at least $1.01 off until March 8th. Many many items are reduced significantly more, so please check out the site to see everything on sale. All CDs are in the same boat too (-$1.01 in price), so please pick something up if you can. We're gearing up for a major move and need to get as much stuff out of here as possible before relocating the Online Store to the other side of the country!

For anyone who hasn't kept up with what's going on with us and the latest updates, it can be summed up pretty well here.

Come March 15th we're gonna have to STOP shipping orders until the mailorder operation is re-established in Olympia, Washington. Orders will still be accepted after March 15th but will most likely take a month+ to ship out from the date you order. Please get your orders in now if you want your stuff in a timely manner, otherwise your patience will be appreciated while we haul all this stuff from one side of the country to the other in early April!

Some 11th hour stragglers:

NEW ITEMS:

* Raein - Ogni Nuovo Inizio - 1-SIDED WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" (Sons of Vesta) - $15.99

* Tideland - Self-Titled CASSETTE (Self Released) - $4.99

* Windmills By The Ocean - Self-Titled DAMAGED 12" (Robotic Empire) - $5.99

RESTOCKS:
* Cannabis Corpse - Blunted At Birth CD (Forcefield) - $9.99

* Her Breath On Glass / Khere - Split 10'' PINK COLORED VINYL (Sons of Vesta) - $14.99

* La Quiete - Self-Titled 7'' BLACK VINYL (Sons of Vesta) - $5.99

* La Quiete - Self-Titled 7'' WHITE COLORED VINYL (Sons of Vesta) - $6.99

* Tideland - Self-Titled CD-R (Self Released) - $4.99

* Verse En Coma - Rialto - TAN COLORED VINYL 10"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $16.99

* Verse En Coma - Rialto - WHITE w/ BLUE SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 10"+CD (Robotic Empire) - $19.99

You may notice the handful of color vinyl VERSE EN COMA 10"+CDs restocked there... those are some seemingly-cursed copies that got shipped to the wrong address and took us OVER SIX MONTHS to get back. Major thumbs-down to the jerk who lives there giving us no help whatsoever! Anyway, we raised the price a couple bucks on those for the hell we had to go through to get them back. Get one now or forever hold your piece.

Please consider picking something up from us if you can, and this "large vinyl" sale will end March 8th. Peace!

Robotic Empire - Online Store

SMALL VINYL SALE! +updates on Robotic Empire's cross-country move

As we get closer and closer to the Robotic Empire - Online Store's cross-country move in early April, we've slowed down the amount of new items we bring in to make the whole move easier on us. However, to keep things busy for us we've decided to run some serious sales in our Online Store, and for the next week all "small vinyl" is $1.01 off. This means 5", 6", 7", 8" and 9" releases that we carry are all $1.01 off. **(please order more than one item if you're gonna get some of this stuff so we don't totally lose our asses)**

In addition to this "small vinyl sale" we've also marked down all CD releases over $4.99 at least the same amount (sometimes more). This is resulting in a massive amount of items currently on sale in our Online Store and we'd appreciate it if you'll check it out and consider buying something to help lighten our move a bit!

Come March 15th we're gonna have to STOP shipping orders until the mailorder operation is re-established in Olympia, Washington. Orders will still be accepted after March 15th but will most likely take a month+ to ship out from the date you order. Please get your orders in now if you want your stuff in a timely manner, otherwise your patience will be appreciated while we haul all this stuff from one side of the country to the other in early April!

We've also received a few straggling packages we'd been waiting on for a while, so there's a supersmall update of new items as well:

NEW ITEMS:
* Aldebaran - From Forgotten Tombs - GREY BLACK COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $15.99
* Audrey - The Fierce And The Longing - CLEAR YELLOW COLORED VINYL 12" (Denovali) - $14.99
* Blueneck - Scars Of The Midwest - CLEAR COLORED VINYL 12" (Denovali) - $14.99
* Blues - Snakepit - OP* AQUE BROWN BEER COLORED VINYL 12" (1912) - $17.99
* Blues - Snakepit - BLACK BEER COLORED VINYL 12" (1912) - $17.99
* Dominic / The Third Memory - Split - WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" (Denovali) - $14.99
* Mihai Edrisch - L'Un Sans L'Autre - CLEAR WITH BLACK HAZE COLORED VINYL 12" (Denovali) - $14.99
* Mihai Edrisch - L'Un Sans L'Autre - CLEAR WITH RED HAZE COLORED VINYL 12" (Denovali) - $14.99
* Pelican - The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw - BLUE GREY COLORED VINYL 2x12" (Viva Hate) - $27.99
* Pelican - The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw 2x12" (Viva Hate) - $27.99
* September Malevolence - After This Darkness, There's A Next - HALF CLEAR HALF BROWN COLORED VINYL 12" (Denovali) - $14.99
* Yob - Catharsis 12" (Kreation) - $15.99

RESTOCKS:
* Nachtmystium - Eulogy IV - CLEAR WHITE BLACK SPLATTER COLORED VINYL 12" (Kreation) - $16.99

In addition to the sales mentioned above, many items that we have a lot of are also currently on sale. Some of this stuff now has a heavy discount, and the very newest additions to "sale items" can be found here:

SALE ITEMS:
* Brainworms - Which Is Worse - 180 GRAM VINYL 12" - WAS: $14.99, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 33% off
* Capsule - Blue - BLACK VINYL 12"+CD - WAS: $14.99, IS: $12.99 - SAVE: 13% off
* Capsule - Blue - DAMAGED BLACK VINYL 12"+CD - WAS: $9.99, IS: $8.69 - SAVE: 13% off
* Cattle Decapitation - Karma Bloody Karma - PICTURE DISC 12" - WAS: $17.99, IS: $14.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Cave In - Perfect Pitch Black - BLACK VINYL 12" - WAS: $14.99, IS: $13.99 - SAVE: 7% off
* Daybreak / Godstomper - Split 12" - WAS: $9.99, IS: $8.99 - SAVE: 10% off
* Get Rad - Say F#*k No To Rules, Man - BLUE/PINK COLORED VINYL 12" - WAS: $10.00, IS: $8.99 - SAVE: 10% off
* Gersch, The - Self-Titled - WHITE COLORED VINYL 12" - WAS: $10.99, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 9% off
* Lamb Of God - New American Gospel 2x12" - WAS: $17.99, IS: $16.99 - SAVE: 6% off
* Robotic Empire - Blackmetal Sabbath - Size: Youth Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Blackmetal Sabbath - Size: Small T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Blackmetal Sabbath - Size: Medium T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Blackmetal Sabbath - Size: Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Blackmetal Sabbath - Size: Extra Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (BLACK) - Size: YOUTH LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (BLACK) - Size: SMALL T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (BLACK) - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (BLACK) - Size: LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (BLACK) - Size: EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (BLACK) - Size: DOUBLE EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $11.99 - SAVE: 8% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (WHITE) - Size: YOUTH LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (WHITE) - Size: SMALL T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (WHITE) - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (WHITE) - Size: LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (WHITE) - Size: EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 15% off
* Robotic Empire - Destroyer Zombies (WHITE) - Size: DOUBLE EXTRA LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $12.99, IS: $11.99 - SAVE: 8% off
* Robotic Empire - Love Virginia (Green) - Size: Large T-Shirt - WAS: $9.99, IS: $7.99 - SAVE: 20% off
* Robotic Empire - Love Virginia (Green) - Size: Extra Large T-Shirt - WAS: $9.99, IS: $7.99 - SAVE: 20% off
* Robotic Empire - Love Virginia (Purple) - Size: Small T-Shirt - WAS: $10.00, IS: $7.99 - SAVE: 20% off
* Robotic Empire - Love Virginia (Purple) - Size: Large T-Shirt - WAS: $9.99, IS: $7.99 - SAVE: 20% off
* Robotic Empire - Love Virginia (Purple) - Size: Extra Large T-Shirt - WAS: $9.99, IS: $7.99 - SAVE: 20% off
* Robotic Empire - Weed Snakes - Size: Youth Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Weed Snakes - Size: Small T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Weed Snakes - Size: Medium T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Weed Snakes - Size: Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Robotic Empire - Weed Snakes - Size: Extra Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Skitsystem - Wolves / Daggers - Size: Small T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 8% off
* Skitsystem - Wolves / Daggers - Size: Medium T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 8% off
* Skitsystem - Wolves / Daggers - Size: Large T-Shirt - WAS: $12.00, IS: $10.99 - SAVE: 8% off
* Skitsystem - Wolves / Daggers - Size: Extra Large T-Shirt - WAS: $14.00, IS: $12.99 - SAVE: 7% off
* Ultra Dolphins - Uber - Size: SMALL T-Shirt - WAS: $11.99, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Ultra Dolphins - Uber - Size: MEDIUM T-Shirt - WAS: $11.99, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off
* Ultra Dolphins - Uber - Size: LARGE T-Shirt - WAS: $11.99, IS: $9.99 - SAVE: 17% off

Our WHOLESALE ORDERING is still going on without a hitch, so please keep those coming in. Click here for more info if you are interested in wholesaling from us!

And last but not least, in an homage to the town that still houses us all: a spotlight on the current Richmond, Virginia metal underground has been the theme for the latest Robotic Obscurities audio archive posting. This includes rare, demo and/or otherwise unreleased material from CANNABIS CORPSE, BATTLEMASTER, INTER ARMA, BASTARD SAPLING and NECKBRACE... all killer metal bands that Richmond's birthed within the last few years.

Remember: the "small vinyl sale" ends on 2/27/09 and please if you can, order more than 1 item if you're picking up discounted small vinyl so we don't totally eat it. Thank you!!

Robotic Empire - Online Store