Here I Am, Here Is Infinity Part 3

There is something amazing about records. I am talking about the "making a come back" vinyl format which seems to be gaining in popularity again. The bigger "canvas" for artwork, the large round platter, the tangible proof that a band exists or existed, all make it my preferred choice for acquiring music. There are several selections in my collection which I count as my favorite slabs: a test press for Bloodlet's Entheogen, the original two disc SunnO))) Grimm Robe Demos picture disks (with intact wax seal...yes I have played the records), the test press for Unbroken's And/ Fall 7", the twelve inch single for Blitz's New Age, the Isis Sawblade record. All of these have their own stories that go along with my having these; all of them are special for different reasons. Yes, there are still some holy grails out there for me, but nothing will ever be as special as the time that I played the test press for my first appearance on vinyl, Gholas Here I Am, Here Is Infinity.

The surprise on my face when the realization hit me of what I was opening must have been priceless; it did not dawn on me to look and see where the package came from anyway. In any case, there they were staring me in the face tempting me to listen to one of if not all of them. The black vinyl with the smooth b-side sat in the box until my wife got home (I can be sentimental sometimes and really wanted to hear it first with her). It was worth the wait and a completely surreal experience. Hearing the record also brought back all of the memories of the last few months and the effort that it took in producing this record.

The mixing process for this record was long and arduous with much tweaking that was necessary, but we survived that with our minds intact. Having settled on the vinyl format (with an included digital download), the members of the band all set out to take care of aspects of its production. The initial artwork was done by my wife, Jennifer Kakoyannis, of Fireplug Media (http://www.fireplugarts.com) then members of the band added artwork and then did the layout for the record. We sent the masters out to the pressing plant (yes this is simplifying the whole process a great deal) and took the artwork to a place that silk screened the covers for us. We did some special covers for a
"friends press" as well.

To be honest as stressful as the whole process was, it proved to be ultimately worth the effort. When finally seeing the friends press, I thought it looked amazing. The normal press of the record came out particularly well also. For those interested, it can be ordered through the band. Visit our Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/gholas or email us at gholasbooking@gmail.com to order. If you are not interested in vinyl we do offer the digital version on a donation basis. In fact, here is a link. If you dig it, drop us a line and let us know or if you are so inclined to donate towards our next record.