Hey! Hope your winter is kicking off in fine form for you... it should be sweater weather in Tucson any day now. Been out and about installing lathes and doing service calls in Buenos Aires, Sydney, Manila, LA, and soon to be headed to NYC, Mexico City, and Bergen, Norway in the next month of two. But in the between times, I've got a few new releases ready for ya!

PATREON SUBSCRIBERS: YOU HAVE BEEN SENT YOUR PATREON EXCLUSIVE CODES... Please log in to your patreon and check yr messages if you haven't seen them yet.

Table of Contents

"Pre-FLOATING ACTION" - Perigo Nau Tokar LP Pressed LP Freebie! PATREON EXCLUSIVE

XMAS SALE! - All this travelling Johnny AppleLathe life I've been livin' has really taken a toll on my credit card account. Help me Help You Help Me Help Yourself and Your Music Loving Friends by buying some cheap backstock!

Floating Action - ST LP Reissue- The classic official introduction of "Floating Action" to the world! Out of Print on vinyl for 15 years!

GIANT DAY - PYRAMIDS 10" - Elephant 6 Veterans return with a new project!

Lathe Cut Camp 25 - Mar 1-3, 2025

Patreon Exclusive - Pre-Floating Action - Perigo Nao Tokar LP!

This is the third Quarterly Patreon Freebie.. It is ONLY available to those Patreon subscribers who were signed up before Nov 30th. Previous freebies in the last 9 months have been from Dr Dog, Polyphonic Spree, etc and we have a lot more coming up in the near future. Sign up at www.Patreon.com/PIAPTK to get future editions!

Perigo Nao Tocar is the first album Seth Kaufmann recorded by himself. Recorded entirely on a four track and completely disowned by Seth almost two decades ago. Seth accidentally let it's existence slip while we were talking about the Ting Reissue. And then he said "naw, forget about that... that record isn't a real record, and it's not even real complete songs, and I wouldn't want anyone to pay money for it, thinking it was a Floating Action album". And I said "Well, I've got a solution! Because I love this record! It's raw, lo-fi, but is really fun and interesting and is quite obviously early stage Floating Action. So, how about I press up a handful of copies and give them to my Patreon Subscribers?” and he agreed! So, this is a real exclusive treat for EVERYBODY. A peek into the beginning stages of Floating Action.

It is only available on vinyl and no digital files will be given.

PIAPTK XMAS SALE!

All this travelling Johnny AppleLathe life I've been livin' has really taken a toll on my credit card account. Help me Help You Help Me Help Yourself and Your Music Loving Friends by buying some cheap backstock! 7"s as low $2, LPs as cheap as $5. Really great stuff at below cost prices!

Need the perfect gift for your friends/family? Or want to give Mike's daughter the gift of PIAPTK money in the bank account? Want to save my assistant Sam some end of year inventoryin' time? Now is your chance to get some excellent records at cut rate prices!

OR, Just throw me down $100 for Extra Value Discount Bin Mystery Box and get a stack of random goodness

Pick One Up Here!

FLOATING ACTION - ST LP Reissue!

The second in the series of Pre-PIAPTK Floating Action Reissues! The First OFFICIAL "Floating Action album", which has been out of print on vinyl for almost 15 years and commands ridiculous prices on Discgos. This reissue Limited to 250 copies on 180g Black Vinyl! And as is the running custom with these reissues, includes a Floating Action Air freshener (Ocean Breeze scent!).

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GIANT DAY - Pyramids EP 10" Lathe Cut

It is with pretty sad timing that I get to announce this 10" that I was super excited about from mems of the E6 Collective Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System etc less than a week after we lost E6 Stalwart and creative powerhouse, Will Cullen Hart. But, at the very least, his art and music will live, as will his tremendous influence....

(For those not familiar with lathe cuts, they are hand made in real time using an experimental process on 80 year old machines. They have a little higher noise floor than pressed records and are "Mid-Fidelity), but should still sound pretty good and track on even the lowliest Crosley)

Giant Day is the new project of Elephant 6 Collective vets Derek Almstead and Emily Growden. Both longtime partners and established musicians, they’ve worked, recorded and performed in Athens, Georgia for many years with multiple groups, including between them The Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal, Faster Circuits and Marshmallow Coast to name a few. This latest musical iteration combines psych, art rock, post-punk and dream pop influences into a new sound.

Now based in rural Pennsylvania, the duo is dedicated to crafting music, touring, renovating their historic farmhouse and perfecting their sound in their new recording studio. Giant Day’s debut album, Glass Narcissus, was released by The Elephant 6 Recording Company in August of 2024.

Giant Day’s Pyramids EP is a hand-stenciled, lathe-cut three-song collection of covers available exclusively on PIAPTK Records. It features “And I Moved”; a song Bette Midler sent back to songwriter Pete Townsend for being "too sexual”, “Revenge”, from The Eurythmics stellar first record, 1981’s In The Garden, and “The Sphinx”, a song by the Great Sphinx herself and Queen of Queens, Amanda Lear.

“Quirky rhythms with infectious backbeats, occasional bass bursts, and subtle detours into Broadcast/Stereolab territory abound.” -Shindig! Magazine

“This music is sleek and precise, as if assembled with instruments surgical in addition to musical. In Almstead and Growden’s harmonies looms a different kind of darkness than that which haunts Neutral Milk Hotel. But…offers something better than a nostalgic rehash of late 90’s Athens, Georgia: sharp, propulsive pop-rock that doesn’t bother gazing backward.” -Stereogum

“Digital goodness with an analogue feel, [Giant Day] lazily sway into your subconscious with that confidence and swagger brought on by future legends in this latest sound from the independent universe. That signature, somewhat obscure sonic goodness that takes the music where most fear to tread while coming out of the other side unscathed and utterly original.” -Jammerzine

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Well, it was a crazy summer, and now the fall about to pick up... I've got Lathe Cut Camp 24 coming up this weekend, and leave immediately afterwards for a Lathe Install in Buenos Aires. So before things get too wild, I need to get this big old stack of new releases out into the wild!

Table of Contents

Polyphonic Spree - Fireworks Demo 7" PATREON EXCLUSIVE
Mr Husband - Wildflower LP
Scherler Sundays Comp LP + Bonus Fundraiser 7"s - Doug Martsch, Michael Hurley, Lavender Country and tons more!
Michael Nau + Mr Husband - My Only Friend 7" Stenciled Pic Disc
Adam Grahhs and Pan-AM - Pantosia 10"
Lathe Cut Camp 25 - Mar 1-3, 2025

PATREON SUBSCRIBERS: YOU HAVE BEEN SENT YOUR PATREON EXCLUSIVE CODES... Please log in to your patreon and check yr messages if you haven't seen them yet.

The Polyphonic Spree - Fireworks Demo 7"

This is the second of the Patreon Exclusive Freebies (the first one was a Dr Dog 7"). They are only available to Patreon subscribers of the Tenner $10/month level that were subscribed before 9/12/24. But I plan to keep on crankin' out the hits on a quarterly/biannual basis to future subscribers, and the freebie that will come out with the next batch is going to be really something special, so if you don't want to miss out, go to https://www.patreon.com/PIAPTK and sign up!

ALMOST every PIAPTK release from here on out will have some sort of special component for Patreon subscribers. Unique vinyl color, bonus disc or track, handmade component. etc

THE POLYPHONIC SPREE - FIREWORKS DEMO 7"~

Growing up in the Dallas area, Tripping Daisy was always a local favorite. Tim Delaughter has always written amazing pop songs and Polyphonic Spree of course is no exception. On top of that, plenty of my friends from college have been in the Polyphonic Spree, so I've been chasing them for years and it finally happened!

This is an early, never before heard PS demo called Fireworks on clear square vinyl with a transperency insert.

DO A GOOD DEED AND SUBSCRIBE HERE TO NOT MISS THE NEXT ONE!

Mr Husband - Wildflower LP

PIAPTK and Mr Husbands' first pressed vinyl collab after a fun string of sold out Lathe cut 10"s! And this is yet another exceptional slice of well written indie rock dreaminess!

Available on White Vinyl (150 copies), Purple Wildflower Pinwheel Vinyl (100 copies) and Unique Hand painted Test Pressings (20 copies).

Please do us a favor and add this album (and any other Mr Husband albums you feel like) to your "saved" or "liked" or "Followed" or "whateverthefuck" thing they have on your favorite streaming service. That kind of stuff really helps out the band get into the algorithm.

From Kenny (Mr Husband)
WILDFLOWER was sort of an accidental record. We never said “Ok boys we’ve got the songs now let’s go to the studio”. It came together song by song and surprised us. For years I had refused to set up a studio in my garage because it was such a bad fit for recording. There is no insulation so it’s usually freezing or sweltering (and you can’t record with electric heaters or air conditioners running or the noise will be there on the record). Also, the roof is just a sheet of tin so if there is any outside noise like rain or planes or if a squirrel decides to run across the roof it can easily ruin a good take. The roof also leaks which is awesome for vintage audio equipment. I could go on. But with the arrival of my wonderful daughter in 2021 I could no longer find enough time to record inside my house without disturbing her sleep. It was either the garage or no home recording at all which I’ve come to realize just does not work for me. So I finally gave in and lugged my equipment across the yard and set up a little corner studio in the garage to make some demos and test the space. WILDFLOWER is the result. Our drummer Chris Morris stuck with me during the most uncomfortable conditions to complete these tracks. One winter night we got started about 7pm after a long day of work at our day jobs. It got so cold that the kerosene heater couldn't compete at all and we could see our breath while tracking. We had to end the session because the cymbals started to sound terrible due to the extreme cold which is hilarious to me. I’ll always be grateful that I had a friend who cares enough about my songs to put up with that. Chris lost his dad to brain cancer as we were getting started on this project and he sort of used recording as a therapeutic space as he was grieving. That gave the sessions a higher sense of purpose and it steered us towards a wholesome process that I’m proud of. In the past I’ve gotten very obsessive when making records/art but this time around I let family life dictate the pace and didn’t let the process do me any harm. For that reason it is easily my favorite record that I’ve ever made. I really hope you enjoy it. Thanks for taking a minute to read about it and thanks for listening.

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Scherler Sundays Compilation LP!

My old Olympia buddy Markly Morrison (of LAKE, Lazer Zeppelin, Skrill Meadow, Fisher J Price, etc) has been hosting the EXCELLENT "Low Profile with Markly Morrison Podcast" which has featured/hosted an unbeliveable list of out there outsider musicians over the last half decade.. (all this is to say HIGHLY recommended)

In addition to Low Profile, Markly has been hosting a weekly summer show, ALWAYS FREE, ALWAYS ALL AGES, behind the Olympia Library with a regularly excellent lineup, sponsored by Olympia's
"Premium Shitty Beer", Scherler. Many a PIAPTK alumni has rolled through, in addition to the creme'de'la'creme of Pacific Northwest Indie Royalty.

Scherler Beer The Album: Volume One is culled from these performances and the profits go to support the ongoing series of free, all ages concerts. Ltd Ed of 500!

Tracklisting:
The Mona Reels - Don't Make a Promise
John Atkins (764-HERO, The Magic Magicians) - In Amber
Lavender Country - Y'all Come Out
The Gift Machine - One More Time Around
Karl Blau - Blue As My Name
Your Heart Breaks - Where Rejects Reign
Olivia Rose - Lottery
Michael Hurley - Ridin' Down the Canyon
LAKE - The Power Line
Elf Power - When the Red King Comes
Kicking Giant - This Song
Doug Martsch (Built to Spill) - Fruits of My Labor

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Scherler Sundays Fundraiser Bonus 7"s!

Four new one-sided 7"s (Clear Square lathe cuts) recorded live at Scherler Sundays (spearheaded by the excellent Low Profile Podcast). All profits from these singles will go to support the Scherler Sundays programs in my former home of Olympia, WA.

Doug Martsch - Cry For A Shadow
Michael Hurley - Slurf Song
Lavender Country - Back in the Closet Again
Kicking Giant - Fuck the Rules

All Limited to 100 copies on one-sided clear square 7"s with transperency inserts with art by Lazer Zeppelin's Andrew Ebright.

Past performers include Doug Martsch, Elf Power, Michael Hurley, Lavender Country, Mirah, Gift Machine, Gun Outfit, (and plenty of PIAPTK alums like Graves, Karl Blau, GIft Machine, LIttle Wings, Lee Baggett, etc).

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Michael Nau & Mr Husband - My Only Friend (Opal Cover)

Michael Nau introduced me to Mr Husband a couple years ago and I was smitten. To celebrate PIAPTK's first non-lathe cut Pressed Vinyl Mr Husband release, Michael and Kenny dug a long lost collaborative cover of Opal's My Only Friend out of the vault. The original plan was to just do a clear square one sided 7" with a foldover cover, but after Kenny sent me the artwork and I was looking at the foldover, I got a wild hair up my ass, made some stencils and four hours later had 125 stencilled discs, which got cut the next morning.

From Kenny (Mr Husband):
I can’t remember exactly who requested it but I was tasked with an “80’s” cover and I’m 100% sure they wanted something on the Tears for Fears / Thompson Twins / Chillwave spectrum. But being a life-long contrarian I chose this Opal song, a poignant suggestion from the great curator and lecturer Ian Nagoski of Canary Records (who was my pal and I was his bartender). Anyway By the time we made this recording somewhere around 2012 I had known Michael for a decade. Over the years we had recorded together a few times and were already comfortable with each other in that space which made this session a real pleasure. We met in the morning at my friend’s studio where I had been mixing records for local bands. I set up two mics in front of the couch. We had a little coffee, had a little chat, and then recorded 2 takes. This was the second take I believe. We overdubbed some piano and chimey bits and called it a day. The original is beautiful and hard to improve upon but we hope you enjoy the gentle ride on this version. RIP Roback. Love to Opal.

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Adam Grahhs and Pan- AM Pantosmia 10" Lathe Cut

Adam Grahhs (Amo Joy, SM Wolf, Frequency Ghost, etc) is BACK after putting together a live band to play songs off his one man band solo album, and deciding to re-record some of the songs for this EP. Adam is one of my favorite home recording engineers and this band is fire.

From Adam:
I put a live band together to play songs from my solo album Phantosmia. They brought an energy and perspective that took the songs into a fresh light so we put it to tape. The new album Pantosmia features new full band rendering of 4 of the tracks from that album plus a new instrumental written for this EP. We recorded it mostly live on 4 track reel to reel in my basement.

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LATHE CUT CAMP 25! Mar 1-3, 2025 in Tucson, AZ
(This Camp is PERFECT FOR NEWBIES or Folks who just want to learn how it's done whether they want to start cutting themselves or not!)
(Classes are Saturday thru Monday, but Monday is just extra practice and cutting of campers records, so if you need to fly in late Friday and leave late Sunday, you will get most of the information)
YOU ALSO GET TO CUT YOUR OWN RECORDS AND TAKE THEM WITH YOU!
THERE ARE ONLY 8 SPOTS AND ALL PREVIOUS CAMPS HAVE SOLD OUT!
Spend three days in scenic Tucson, AZ learning (almost) everything you need to know about DIY Record Cutting! The focus of this camp will be on mono "semi-professional" machines, with particular focus on Presto 6Ns, which are one of the most common and "industry standard" vintage machines around. (if you have a different model that you want to learn more about, please ask! I may have one you can use here, or you can bring your own). You can do some amazing things with these incredible machines, and I will show you how.
We will also talk about and do a little Stereo Diamond cutting demo.
Bring your own music and we will put it onto discs for you to take home. We will touch on professional record mastering/pressing, but my main interest and experience, and the focus of this camp, will be on the more DIY and experimental side of the hobby. There are only 8 spots available, so buy early because every previous camp has sold out!
Perfect if you are interested in:
Vinyl records and how their masters are cut
Learning how this strange black art works
Buying a lathe to make your own records
Ordering lathe cuts from a lathe cut service
Cutting your own music to disc

Topics covered:
The science behind vinyl record cutting
Lathe Operations and equipment
The pressing process
Lacquer dub plate cutting
Experimental and alternative materials (plexiglass, laserdiscs, picnic plates, etc)
Stereo Diamond Hifi One-Off Records (Introduction to)
Please Note: You are responsible for your own transportation to/from Tucson and your accommodations.

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Tucson summer is in full swing, which means you can find my ass somewhere else until it cools down. In the next eight weeks I will not be home for more than 3-4 days at a time in between trips to Portugal/Spain (to take my 13 year old daughter to see Olivia Rodrigo in Lisbon (in a transparently desperate bid for her to continue to think i'm "cool" as far into her teens as possible), Anchorage/Valdez Alaska, NYC for 4th f July to consult on a TV show with Natasha Lyonne and Giancarlo Esposito, Toronto to install a lathe, Buenos Aires to install a lathe, Colorado to see Dr Dog at Red Rocks (obvs a business trip), and a 3 night run to see The Dead at the Sphere in Vegas (again.... highly recommended... come roll with my crew Aug 1-3 if you are so inclined) etc.

|BUT, the new Floating Action LP "Cheey" just arrived, which means it is time to finally launch the other cadre of releases I've been sitting on for a while, and my tireless team of shipping professionals is waiting to serve you.


Table of Contents

Dr. Dog - Here Comes the Hotstepper / Great Work Everybody "Dub Plate" 7" PATREON EXCLUSIVE
Brainiac - We'll Eat Anything stenciled/screenprinted 10" of never before released demos
Floating Action - Cheey LP
Spaceface - BIttersweet symphony MIRROR 7" singles
Nathan Sabatino Reworks M Nau, Dream Sitch, Begale, and Floating Action.




Dr. Dog - Here Comes the Hotstepper / Great Work Everybody "Dub Plate" 7"

This is the first of the Patreon Exclusive Freebies. They are only available to Patreon subscribers of the $6 and $10/month level that were subscribed before 6/14/24. But I plan to keep on crankin' out the hits on a quarterly/biannual basis to future subscribers, so if you don't want to miss out, go to https://www.patreon.com/PIAPTK and sign up!

ALMOST every PIAPTK release from here on out will have some sort of special component for Patreon subscribers. Unique vinyl color, bonus disc or track, handmade component. etc



Dr Dog: Here Comes the Hotstepper / Great Work Everyone
Welcome to the first installment of the PIAPTK Patreon exclusive series, available only to PIAPTK’s Patrons (plus some copies for the band to distribute as they wish).

Handwritten labels on round black vinyl, dub plate style with yellow dusty!

It is an homage to the predecessor of the modern lathe cut record, the dub plate. Dub plates were used heavily in Jamaican reggae and Disco / House dance music in the 70s and 80s. They were one-off copies of a song cut in real time on a lacquer acetate blank record. In reggae, dubs were used to provide sound system DJs with a one-off copy of a song, sometimes with “toasting” where a DJ would sing or talk over an instrumental, identifying the sound system and proclaiming their superiority over other sound systems. This recording would be exclusive to that sound system and would be a way of setting them apart. In Jamaica, King Tubby and Arrows Studio were instrumental in providing dubs to sound systems. I used to own the Presto 8DGV cutting lathe from Arrows, but it now resides in the Living Computer Museum in Seattle. However, the Grampian cutter head from Arrows is still the daily runner in my cutting studio. In House music of the late 70s and 80s, dubs were used to extend 3 minute pop songs and to add musical elements such as drum machines and effects to really heighten then dance floor experience in clubs like Studio 54 and Paradise Garage. DJs would get dub plates made at dub factories like Sunshine Sound, Angel Sound, or Melting Pot sound. Rich Flores, who ran Melting Pot sound actually still makes my cutting styli to this day. DJs would also use dub plates to “field test” their remixes to see how the dance floor responded to the mix before they pressed the record in a larger quantity. Much like the Jamaicans, the house DJs wanted to bring songs and remixes to their club nights that no other DJs had.
The packaging of this record pays homage to both of these scenes. The yellow dust jacket and generic “studio label” is similar to the labels used by King Tubby and Arrows, and the poorly written chicken scratch shorthand (each hand written by me) is an homage to some of the NYC dub plates that were labeled this way to prevent other DJs from finding the track for themselves.

DO A GOOD DEED AND SUBSCRIBE HERE!




Brainiac - We'll Eat Anything stenciled/screenprinted 10" of never before released demos

One sided 10" with four songs, all previously unreleased early home recorded demos. It is silkscreened and stencilled in a whole candy store selection of color combos. Limited to 200 hand numbered copies (the band got 100 freebies that they sold on their last tour).

About it:
Whoa boy, another bucket list band that I fell into just by asking nicely and being in the right place at the right time. I found Brainiac in the late 90s during my spazzy math rock phase and BOY did I wear out Hissing Prigs in Static Couture and Electroshock for President, and I must have seen John Schmersal's later project, Enon live 30+ times. I was really excited a couple years ago when the Brainiac documentary came out (if you haven't seen it, it's great!), and it really brought me back.

So, after the doc, I thought to myself "What is Schmersal up to now? Can I find him? Well, I did, introduced myself and talked to him about maybe doing something for his current solo project "Crooks on Tape". But, he's been on tour with Caribou for the last few years, so nothing has really materialized. He currently lives in Joshua Tree, CA, where I spend a fair amount of time, so whenever we are both there at the same time, we meet up for lunch or breakfast. Last time I was there, we had breakfast, and I casually, no presh-style, threw in my usual schmooze "not tryna be the too much business-guy, but just reminding you I'd love to collaborate on a project if the opportunity arises...." Amazingly, and totally unexpectedly (never in a million years did I expect to do a Brainiac release), he told me he had some rare, early Brainiac demos that they were looking for a cool way to release on a physical format to sell during their May tour. Since he was leaving to rehearse and record with Caribou in London, he put me in touch with the rest of the band and we hammered out some art together.

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Floating Action - Cheey LP
The newest LAST Final Floating Action album is here! CHEEY!

And, continuing with our long running tradition of including some sort of small, flat, and stupid freebie swag item with each new Floating Action album, it was a no-brainer to include "Cheey Candy" with industrial product design art by my 13 year old daughter, Ryer.

Limited to 250 copies. On Translucent red and Patreon exclusive white with Red Splatter.

WHILE YOU ARE AT IT: Add on the only two Floating Action LPs still in print: JInx Protecting (colored vinyl with Floating Action Incense and custom incense burner) and TING! (with Ting scented AIr Freshner)

Seth's Cheey Blurb

It feels like all songs are just rushing through space, kind of parallel to us. Who knows how many we’ve missed, failed to connect with. I feel like I’ve created enough albums in my life, I should probably stop. But then keep getting these darn ideas…so why not record them? Since the pandemic, I’ve been double-jobbin’ in, music & handyman for a vacation cabin rental place (Greybeard Rentals). No days off, ever - hard to find time to work on music.

I had been to this one small cabin to fix things a couple times, right in Black Mountain where I live. It had all these cool zones that struck me as cool places to sit and write - the cabin is on old stone stilts, and had a bamboo forest on a creek in the back.I was able to rent it with a discount from Greybeard, and had it for 2.5 days, in January, 2024.I packed up an extremely minimal batch of recording gear, and set it up in the cabin. Brought my espresso machine too of course.

This is the first Floating Action album where I’ve ever been totally alone, and able to focus 100% on what I was doing. Not much time either, 2.5 days, I entered this deep vigilant focused world, and just wrote and recorded like my life depended on it. I would go to sleep around 1am and get up at 7am, immediatetly keep working. It was cold (highs around freezing), I often wrote out by that creek, bundled up and freezing. I wrote and recorded so fast and focused, I got all of CHEEY made in those 2.5 days.

Relatively stripped down album, my self imposed rule for this one was, upright and electric bass on every song, at least two drumkits on every song, and no keys. (I put a little piano on ‘Stay Glued’ later).

No guests on this one, just me. (except for my daughter singing on the chorus of ‘Ants They Follow Fat’). I mixed it as I recorded, then Kyle McEvoy mastered it…nothing was ever analyzed or thought about..

It’s my favorite Floating Action I’ve ever done!
-SETH KAUFFMAN


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Nathan Sabatino Reworks M Nau, Dream Sitch, Begale, and Floating Action.

Hand stencilled discs for the one sided 12" of Nathan Sabatino Reworks from the Dream Sitch Family.

Remixes from Michael Nau, Dream Sitch, Floating Action and Begale (Mike's wife Whitney).

Track Listing:
Dream Sitch - Sideways (DJXII Pool Party Mix)
Floating Action - Give It Time (Egyptian Laser Mix)
Michael Nau - I Root (Kawai 151PS Mix)
Begale - Now and Then (K.0! Stretch Mix)

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Spaceface - Bittersweet symphony MIRROR 7" singles

For the first time in well over a decade, I decided to make MIRROR VINYL SINGLES. These have a little more surface noise than our standard lathe cuts, and are slightly lower-fi, but they fit very well with the vibe of this tune.

A sneak peek of the still-in-progress new Spaceface album! Spaceface covers a song that us old folks couldn't escape on the radio while they were still in day care. And listening to this 100 times in a tow, I am reminded of what a banger it actually it was. Everything old is new again, and Spaceface crush this version.

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Well, ya’ll feelin’ spring yet? In Tucson, it’s tank top weather. Got a TON of news and new releases (and we are really branchin’ out, genre wise on this batch) … Michael Nau, Floating Action (Tribute), Mastodonna, and Tucsonans Jim McGuinn and Female Gaze, and, of course, as long as Lathe Cut Camps keep selling out, I’ll keep having them, so, #23 is up for sale now…. but let’s start with some cyber-begging, shall we?

PATREON

Well, I’m doin’ it. I’m starting a Patreon. In the almost 2 decades of running PIAPTK, only two of those years has PIAPTK actually broken even…it usually hemorrhages money, I’m a masochist that clings to a totally untenable business model. To quote my buddy Isaac I “clung on…like barnacles on a boat, even though the ship sinks, you know we can’t let go”. Which is totally fine, I suckle the filthy milk of the corporate teat cutting records at corporate events to make a living and then I spend that money on PIAPTK as a hobby. It beats golf. BUT…. If you are one of those folks who enjoys PIAPTK and who has a little extra monthly dough to throw down in exchange for eternal gratitude (and some good exclusive perks… I promise to work super hard to make it worth your while…), it will really help to smooth out my cash flow and make it easier to keep bringing you the excellent records I always have.

Perks:

-Exclusive Patreon ONLY releases (choose between 2 or 4 a year). And these are NOT going to all be some bands you’ve never heard of. There will be some new artists, but I’m planning on THROWING DOWN here. I already have some heavy hitter bands (we are talking the kind of bands that sell out in hours if not minutes, when I’ve worked with them before) that have committed. This will be the only way to get these releases and they will be limited to the number of Patrons (plus obviously some copies for the artists to do with what they want. (These will be held for you and shipped with your next purchase)

-Exclusive Friends and Family Versions of some releases – Exclusive colors, covers, etc We can’t do it for every release, but for a good amount of them, we try to make something special for our regulars. These will be limited and only available on a first come first serve basis, but we WANT to get them to as many patrons as possible.

- Discounts – Before every email blast, you will receive a one week discount code good for anything, including new releases and lathe cut camps.

-24 hour advance notice of releases – Get your discount codes sent to you at least 24 hours before I launch the new email and get the jump on everyone else.

- Exclusive Digital Drops – every week or two, I’ll drop some digital files. Could be sneak peeks of upcoming releases, .wav files of in print LPs, long out of print lathe cuts, unreleased and unheard outtakes and rarities, etc.

-More of the same ol’ bullshit you’ve come to love/loathe from my email blasts, but with behind the scenes glimpses and upcoming releases…

DO A GOOD DEED AND SUBSCRIBE HERE!

Michael Nau – Tour Releases (Three of em!)

Michael Nau is, by now, in the middle of the east coast leg his mostly sold out first tour in four years. And, you probably know how much I love Mike and his music, and how freaking prolific he is, so I took some of his recent recordings and made him some tour merch… and made myself some copies to sell here.

2024 One-sided Tour 8”s
A pair of one sided 8" lathe cuts culled from a home recording session of over the Christmas Holiday featuring Michael's family on vocals and saxophone.
Michael Nau - Dance Pebble / Blue Flower / Inst 9
Michael Nau - Smoke Flowers / Wood Bats / Heartready
Each limited to 75 copies on Clear One Sided 8"s with transperency Insert.

Michael Nau – Pit of Joy Lathe Cut LP

Ltd Ed of 100 White Vinyl Lathe Cut LPs in reused and stencilled sleeves left over from the previous Nau album, Less Ready to Go.
This is NOT a traditional Nau Record, so don’t buy it expecting his traditional stuff.
I think the hype sticker sums it up best "noisy Instrumental recordings from a period of morning devotion" + "instrumentals made up of the sounds found under rocks" + "instrumentals for the spare room"

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The Friend Who Knows: A Tribute to Floating Action LP

This album has been long in the works... If you preordered it through the Indiegogo, you should already have received it. If you missed it there, , I have a limited number available.

LOOK AT THE FREAKING LINEUP of this thing! If you’ve been sleeping on Floating Action, just know that a lot of of your favorite artists haven’t.
ALL PROFITS from the release go to Seth's Charity of Choice, The Concrete Jungle Foundation.
I've only got a handful of the "Super Deluxe Version" That includes a special color vinyl (smokey clear), plus a special cover hand-stenciled by Seth, and an 8" with bonus tracks from Tyler Ramsey, Eric Slick, and Daniel Martin Moore.

Side One:
Bryan Cates – Unrevenged
Michael Libramento – Digging
Satiety - Long Night, Bright Lamp
Scott McMicken - Cinder Cone, Pt. 3
Jim James - The Balance
Angel Olsen - Not What I Came For
Side Two:
Invisible Creature - All It Takes Is One
Fruit Bats - Harshness of the Blow
Jacob Rodriguez - Say Goodbye
Daniel Martin Moore - Evening Blessing
Tyler Ramsey - To Connect
Michael Nau - Lotus on the Hill

8" Lathe cut tracks:
Tyler Ramsey - To Connect v2
Daniel Martin Moore - Four Leaf Clover
Eric Slick - Seized

All Songs written by Seth Kauffman & originally recorded by Floating Action -- Produced by Daniel Martin Moore -- Mastered by Kevin Ratterman -- Released by OK Recordings & PIAPTK
What some of the artists have to say:
"there's just nothing quite like floating action music. it's the easiest to love music that i think i've ever heard. so present and so deep and so fun and such feel and so free! for the heart and body in equal measure. maximum inspiration." - Scott McMicken
“I immediately fell in love with Seth’s recording style when a boyfriend had shown me Floating Action in 2012. Something about the way every instrument sounded weathered in the sun like a hot summer day after a long time of walking aimlessly. I was new to the community in Asheville at that time but over the years I would get to know him and his wife and later got up the nerve to invite him to play some guitar on my album, My Woman. You can really hear Seth’s influence on my music on that record especially on songs like “Those were the days” or “Heart Shaped Face” - Angel Olsen
"whenever i need a blast of emotional weirdness full of dirty funk and soul....that tastes organic and pure, yet deep fried in delicious stark raving madness....i turn to the healing sounds of seth kauffman's floating action brand musics." - Jim James

“Seth’s records are never far from the turntable in our house, we probably listen to Floating Action more than any other artist. The music is so fun, yet profound for deep dives, and just sounds so great — inventive arrangements and classic playing that is all somehow thoughtful and carefree at the same time. One morning in late 2020 after listening to “Outsider Art” for the third time in a row, I thought, “There are so many great musicians who love Seth’s music as much as I do… We gotta do a tribute album.” Everyone I asked about it was psyched, and it slowly took shape over the following months, with one amazing track after another rolling in. Working on this album has been a source of pure joy. We hope you love it." - Daniel Martin Moore

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Mastodonna – Hail Satin LP

Tucson's own Madonna-Songs-In-The-Style-Of-Mastodon Brutal-Pop-Shredders. Made up of an all-star cast of Tucson musicians, Mastodonna. If you fall in the overlap of the Sexy-pop / Heavy Riffs Venn Diagram, you NEED this LP. Ltd Ed of 500 on Pink Vinyl. Sample it Now on your favorite streaming service.

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Jim McGuinn – Mop Me Up / The Makings Of

Jim McGuinn (grandson of Byrds frontman, Roger McGuinn) was my first ever employee, shortly after I moved to Tucson, while he was still in high school. He and I traveled the highways and biways of America together, cuttin' records, Jammin' Waylon, and raisin' hell all over the country.
But, last year, Jim moved to Nashville to chase his dream of being the next Randy Travis. And damn, he's givin' it a real good go. He put together a killer band of friends (several of whom are Nashville Session dudes) and has been knockin' out Neo-Neo-Traditional Honky Tonk bangers... and here are the first two. Mop Me Up & The Makings Of (The One That Got Away).
If you like late 70's / Early 80s style honky tonk country, check these out (streaming now on Spotify, etc). But, fair warning, whether you like these earworms or not, you will NOT get them out of your head for years. MoPPPPppppp meeeee UPPPPPPP.......

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Female Gaze – The Joy of Missing Out

Female Gaze is a power trio, and one of the best bands in Tucson right now. We whipped up these one sided 7"s with transparency inserts with a weeks notice so they had something to sell when they opened for Explosions in the Sky at the Rialto Theatre here last month.

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LATHE CUT CAMP 23! May 18-20, 2024 in Tucson, AZ
(This Camp is PERFECT FOR NEWBIES or Folks who just want to learn how it's done whether they want to start cutting themselves or not!)
(Classes are Saturday thru Monday, but Monday is just extra practice and cutting of campers records, so if you need to fly in late Friday and leave late Sunday, you will get most of the information)
YOU ALSO GET TO CUT YOUR OWN RECORDS AND TAKE THEM WITH YOU!
THERE ARE ONLY 8 SPOTS AND ALL PREVIOUS CAMPS HAVE SOLD OUT!
Spend three days in scenic Tucson, AZ learning (almost) everything you need to know about DIY Record Cutting! The focus of this camp will be on mono "semi-professional" machines, with particular focus on Presto 6Ns, which are one of the most common and "industry standard" vintage machines around. (if you have a different model that you want to learn more about, please ask! I may have one you can use here, or you can bring your own). You can do some amazing things with these incredible machines, and I will show you how.
We will also talk about and do a little Stereo Diamond cutting demo.
Bring your own music and we will put it onto discs for you to take home. We will touch on professional record mastering/pressing, but my main interest and experience, and the focus of this camp, will be on the more DIY and experimental side of the hobby. There are only 8 spots available, so buy early because every previous camp has sold out!
Perfect if you are interested in:
Vinyl records and how their masters are cut
Learning how this strange black art works
Buying a lathe to make your own records
Ordering lathe cuts from a lathe cut service
Cutting your own music to disc

Topics covered:
The science behind vinyl record cutting
Lathe Operations and equipment
The pressing process
Lacquer dub plate cutting
Experimental and alternative materials (plexiglass, laserdiscs, picnic plates, etc)
Stereo Diamond Hifi One-Off Records (Introduction to)
Please Note: You are responsible for your own transportation to/from Tucson and your accommodations.

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Hey Ya'll. Today is my 45th Birthday. I'm sure it will surprise absolutely nobody that I'm Capricorn AF. I'm also officially exactly 50% through my absolutely-best-case-scenario-but-highly-unlikely-maximum life expectancy. So, for my birthday, and in honor of both of our own mortality, help us both out and buy a bunch of the amazing records I'm serving up for ya!

Everytime I keep telling everyone around me that it's time to put PIAPTK out to pasture, the Universe keeps fucking with me by giving me bucket list artists I can't refuse. A few months ago, it was Modest Mouse, lately it's been the pre-Dr Dog project of Scott and Toby, Raccoon, then Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, and Whit McGraw from Cotton Jones and her first ever solo release. And a constant flow of Floating Action keeps the PIAPTK pond stocked with sick regular releases that I can't say no to.

One of these days yall won't have PIAPTK to kick around anymore... but today ain't that day.

This Time:
-New Year Super Sale - Lots of backstock at stupid low prices
-Raccoon (pre-Dr Dog) / The Teeth - Split LP
-Begale (Whitney McGraw from Cotton Jones Basket Ride) - Loose Ender LP
-Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) / This is the Kit Split Single
-Floating Action (Seth Kauffman) TING LP Reissue
-Lathe Cut Camp 21

New Years Super Sale

Get rid of some of that Visa Giftcard from Mom and Dad and help me clear out some shelf space with these hella deep discounted titles. These are all below my cost. The longer they've been here and the more space they are taking up, the cheaper they are.

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Raccoon (Dr Dog) / The Teeth - The Christmas City EP

THIS IS NOT A CHRISTMAS RECORD! It is called "The Christmas City" in honor of The Teeths' connection to Bethlehem, PA.

I have wanted to do a Raccoon (Scott and Toby before Dr Dog) record since I first started working with Dr Dog almost a decade ago. Thanks to an impending Teeth reunion (3 nights at Johnny Brenda's in January!!) and a total chance run-in with Raccoon member Rory Connell in Battery Park NYC while we were both headed to a free John Cale show, the stars aligned for this righteous slice of early aughts CD-R history to come out on vinyl for the first time ever!

Limited Edition of only 500 copies with heavy duty printed eurosleeve innersleeves, and some other fancy, deluxe PIAPTKish packaging features.

300 standard copies and 200 "deluxe copies" on "Microfiche Reader Screen Haze" colored vinyl that comes with a bonus 5x7" lathe cut featuring a Raccoon session outtake called "Fiesta Stallone" and it's just as weird as the name implies. Also 20 copies of the Test Pressing with "numbers matching" Sleeve, Library Card, and LP.

Don't forget to pick up the other Dr. Dog related releases from Scott McMicken, Toby Leaman, and Eric Slick here: https://piaptk.limitedrun.com/bands/drdog

From Rory Connell:

Raccoon and The Teeth found each other in Philadlelphia early in the century. The bands shared stages at the various rock and roll toilets of the day, from Phiiladelphia to outposts such as West Chester, PA, Newark, DE, and Bethlehem, PA (the Christmas City). The Christmas City EP was conceived as a compact disc that could be sold at their many shows.

The EP was recorded by Mike Quinn quickly over the course of a few weekends in May 2003, allowing for a shared mid-fi sonic texture and a grouping of songs about odd men in desperate situations. Tracks were recoreded in Quinn’s bedroom that he shared with his cousin Pat Finnerty, with overdubs often recorded while band members sat on the beds of Quinn and Finnerty.

The recordings serves as s transition point for both bands. The Teeth would settle their lineup after its release and build its reputation in Philadlelphia and as a touring act. Raccoon would dissolve soon after its release, as band members Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken turned thier attentions to Dr. Dog.

The 20th anniversary edition of The Christmas City presents this EP on vinyl for the first time, with a recreation of Aaron Modavis’ excellent artwork for the format. The release presents Raccoon on vinyl for the first time. The release is limited to 500 copies. Each copy has a numbered checkout card.

A limited number of 200 copies include the record on "Microfiche Reader Screen Haze" and bonus record featuring a lathe cut of “Fiesta Stallone,” a Raccoon outtake from The Christmas City EP sessions that was removed to make way for McMicken’s last minute song “The Thick and the Thin.” “Fiesta Stallone” was assumed to have been lost for years, until a 3” CD-R of a mix of the recording was discovered. The song has been placed on an equally obscure and impractical format for this limited edition—a 5”x7” clear plastic lathe cut of this schizophenic lost Raccoon song.

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Begale (Whitney McGraw from Cotton Jones Basket Ride) - Loose Ender

The Debut solo album from Whitney McGraw (Cotton Jones Basket Ride) and boooooy is it a doozy.

Only 200 copies made All on 180g Tan to Rose colored marble vinyl to match the sleeve art.

From Whit: These song were conceived from time at home, a spontaneous generation brought to order by many loving hands. Sung by Whitney McGraw with contributions from Michael Nau, Seth Kauffman, Mat Davidson, Andrew Dost and Graeme Gibson. Mixed by Graeme Gibson.

this record is a stone cold crusher.

I haven't fought this long and hard with gentle but persistent pressure to release a record in a LONG time. It's been years in the making and finally coming to fruition. The final straw that made me put the real hard sell on was when I had an emotional epiphany this summer at sunrise in the mountains outside of Thessaloniki Greece to the opening track Now and Then. And if Skeleton Chord doesn't end up in the background of every movie released in the last half of 2024, there is no universal justice.

Please also check out the EXCELLENT new Michael Nau record that came out last week on Karma Chief Records... https://www.coleminerecords.com/products/michael-nau-accompany-release-date-12-8-2023. Also Check out Mike's East and West Coast tour here: Tour - Michael Nau

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Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) / This is the Kit Split Eulerian 7"

I've been trying to work with my friend Kate Stables (This is the Kit) since 2014 when I met her in Paris. And when we finally got to work together, she brought with her Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, a band I've loved since college. This single features both artists covering each others' songs on a 7" square Eulerian Circle and is available only at www.PIAPTK.com and on their tour in Oct 2023. Limited Edition of 200!

While you are at it, buy Gruff's new album "The Almond and the Seahorse" and This is the Kit's new album "Careful of your Keepers"!!!

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Floating Action (Seth Kauffman) TING LP!

We are starting our one in/one out/next one In Floating Action reissue campaign at the beginning(ish). The first(ish) solo release from Seth Kauffman, before he donned the Floating Action moniker.

Only 200 copies made on black 180g vinyl. Each LP comes with a free Ting Scented Air Freshener.

Once this sells out, we will press the ST Floating Action LP, also in an edition of 200.

(ALSO PICK UP a copy of the excellent Floating Action LP Jinx Protecting (it comes with a beautiful FLoating Action Incense Burner and Incense pack).

From Seth:
2004…it’s a blur, really. I had experimented in 2002 a little with a cassette 4-track, playing all the instruments on an album called Perigo Nao Tocar. But ‘Ting’ was the first time i tried recording with a computer too. With unlimited tracks I realized ‘hey i could add more percussion, and even play a bunch of violins to make a little string section.’ I was listening to deep motown cuts, and lots of Sergio Mendes Brasil ‘66, so I was just trying to make something that sounded like that, but sloppier and more rusty…try to take it to some new unknown place. I really wanted every song to be different from the last. The recording methods I used then were laughable (still are now, but…even more then.) I never really intended for anybody else to even really hear it, but had given a couple cd-r’s of it to musician buddys, and they freaked out. So then I snail-mailed a cd-r of ‘Ting’ to a delta blues/gospel label I revered, called Hightone Records, and they put it out! And then the label went out of business. And that was pre-streaming era, so it only existed on cd…which means it basically disappeared for over a decade. I had pretty much forgotten about it, until I realized around 2020 that I probably should release it into the streaming world. The original individual tracks I of course didn’t save properly, so they’re gone forever- but I did ‘poorly re-mix’ the songs off a cd…really just added a little reverb and compression. Then had my pal Kevin Ratterman master it, since Hightone had released it not even mastered…kind of awesome when you think about it. And now (2023) the brilliant PIAPTK came up with the idea to put it on vinyl- what a weird backwards path for ‘Ting’! It began life as a cd, died and was buried for ten years, then reborn as digital, and now finally, vinyl.

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Lathe Cut Camp #22 - March 2-4, 2024 Tucson, AZ!

(This Camp is PERFECT FOR NEWBIES or Folks who just want to learn how it's done whether they want to start cutting themselves or not!)

(Classes are Saturday thru Monday, but Monday is just extra practice and cutting of campers records, so if you need to fly in late Friday and leave late Sunday, you will get most of the information)

YOU ALSO GET TO CUT YOUR OWN RECORDS AND TAKE THEM WITH YOU!

THERE ARE ONLY 8 SPOTS AND ALL PREVIOUS CAMPS HAVE SOLD OUT!

Spend three days in scenic Tucson, AZ learning (almost) everything you need to know about DIY Record Cutting! The focus of this camp will be on mono "semi-professional" machines, with particular focus on Presto 6Ns, which are one of the most common and "industry standard" vintage machines around. (if you have a different model that you want to learn more about, please ask! I may have one you can use here, or you can bring your own). You can do some amazing things with these incredible machines, and I will show you how.

We will also talk about and do a little Stereo Diamond cutting demo, which is new for this lathe cut camp!

Bring your own music and we will put it onto discs for you to take home. We will touch on professional record mastering/pressing, but my main interest and experience, and the focus of this camp, will be on the more DIY and experimental side of the hobby. There are only 8 spots available, so buy early because every previous camp has sold out!

Perfect if you are interested in:
Vinyl records and how their masters are cut
Learning how this strange black art works
Buying a lathe to make your own records
Ordering lathe cuts from a lathe cut service
Cutting your own music to disc

Topics covered:
The science behind vinyl record cutting
Lathe Operations and equipment
The pressing process
Lacquer dub plate cutting
Experimental and alternative materials (plexiglass, laserdiscs, picnic plates, etc)
Stereo Diamond Hifi One-Off Records (Introduction to)

Please Note: You are responsible for your own transportation to/from Tucson and your accommodations. The New Lathe Cave is in Midtown Tucson near the corner of Grant and North Country Club Rd.

Purchase is non-refundable. I understand that sometimes plans change and things go awry, and will try to apply your credit to a future camp, but due to the limited nature of the camp, I can't refund your payment if you aren't able to attend.

About the Presenter: For more info on me, please visit the About page of this site.

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