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contains: -Label policy -How to get band signed on NH -MySpace -What is NH stand on ebay -What is NH stand on bootlegs -Re-pressed "limited" items & role of vinyl -Licencing Northern Heritage releases -hard to get -Mailinglist / how to get lists -NH is distributed by... -Countries where is no distribution LABEL POLICY Northern Heritage is black metal label. Distribution side is more tolerant for other styles and attitudes of metal or other underground scenes, incl. thrash/death/doom/industrial/etc. Each band is responsible for their own statements, but is highly supported by Northern Heritage as a label. Unlike commercial labels, NH doesn't apologize or make excuses for ideology or content of the bands. Northern Heritage does releases in all formats, aiming for decent yet traditional presentation and regular pricing. There are no special "die-hard" collectors editions, nor unnecessary multi-format releases (meaning A5digi / digipak / CD / LP / picLP / TS / LS / ... type of waste of collectors market). HOW TO GET SIGNED ON NH Most of all: YOU CAN'T. For years, label has been basically full. There is no need to sign new bands, since old ones keep label busy. None of the bands is chosen solely because of their musical abilities. NH is not only music label. If you have doupts would your band fit into NH, then it does not. There has been always priority to release Finnish bands and it won't change drastically in near future. NH is not highly interested in licenses or signing bands who already do records on other labels. Do not send mp3's. Do not send links. Do not send graphic files. If you insist on sending something, be it tape or CDr to NH p.o.box, but remember that material might be listened or not. There is no active "A&R staff" on this case. MYSPACE SITES Some of the NH bands have official myspace sites and some don't. Before trying to communicate with the bands through myspace sites, make sure it is official, and not merely a fansite maintained by someone with no link to actual members. EBAY There has been complaints of misuse of underground items, including NH releases. People use them only as money making opportinity, without respect for what any black metal would deserve. NH does not support idea that ebay has become the biggest marketplace for underground items, often with unnecesary inflated prices. High prices exists only because there are people willing to pay. Ebay sales exists because people are willing to find records the easiest and the most convenient way. They don't want to order from small labels from other side of the world who sometimes would still stock the items. Click of the mouse button is only thing they are ready to do, besides investing a lot of money. Many of these people are not interested in traditional underground ways. Why should we worry about such people paying too much of money for something? Many of the items which has been drastically overpriced or bootlegged due rarity, has been officially re-issued as CD by NH and are available here or around the world in perfect, but "less collectable" format. Some records of NH own releases and distributed items are strictly available 1 copy per customer and therefore minimize possibilities of misuse or restricting the availability directly to NH mailorder. People who sell their own collection away in internet doesn't concern us. If it is single copies sold, because they have no use for them. That is different situation than buying handful of "to-be-rarities" to rip off cash from others after couple of months. Likewise, CD's sold at ebay for cost of normal price or less doesn't concern us at all. I'm tired of hearing bullshit from people backstabbing label who sells few CD's via ebay, while themselves or their closest comrades are known as the worst bootleggers and rip-offers who show clear disrespect for the cult bands, underground people and other labels. So before trying to backstab some relatively harmless e-bay seller, I'd recommend to think who's fucking up the underground with their behavior. BOOTLEGS There appears some bootlegs CDR/CD/Shirts/tapes of NH related bands, often sold in online auctions and by some labels who seem to have money hungry attitude of ripping off not only their customers but also other labels and bands. If you are interested in authenticity of releases you might be bidding or buying, advice can be asked from NH e-mail if you have some concerns. RE-PRESSED "LIMITED ITEMS" & ROLE OF VINYL RECORD Due already bootlegged items, some of the old originally "limited" items have been re-pressed. Since 1999 when Northern Heritage started to publish limited vinyl, situation has changed. Before '99, there existed only couple Finnish black metal bands who had done 12" vinyls (Beherit, Impaled Nazarene, Archgoat,..) and equally small amount of those who did 7"s (Barathrum, I.N., Beherit,.). Situation was not far from that in most other countries. It meant most vinyl releases were special and far from massproducts CDs infesting the scene. Small edition was necessity merely due disinterest in "old" vinyl format and unknown bands. These days especially in worldwide scene, everything, including crappiest records, are released on limited edition vinyls. This is only because vinyl has become more of collectors item, than format to listen black metal. Northern Heritage releases vinyl, because it's format what I prefer. All the vinyl are meant to be LISTENED. They are NOT status symbols, they are NOT collectors items of people who are afraid to listen the vinyls because it's value could decrease from "m" to "vg" if they remove album from the plastic sleeve! Original idea of limited vinyls was to reach exclusively the true underground maniacs who listen this format with passion. Unfortunately too big part of records are nowadays ending into internet auctions, sold to those who will pay hundreds of $$$ to obtain something they probably consider status symbol. This has resulted that Northern Heritage intends to improve situation and those who truly want to listen records and be possessed by the message of the bands, don't have to compete with those with too well paying jobs. Many of old small edition rarities can obtained as official CD version which is not inferior sounding and looking bootleg. Once in a while to our ears arrives information of some labels planning Northern Heritage related bootlegs. Already now in ebay has been sold numerous shitty and cheap bootlegs. This is total insult and disgrace towards work of NH. In some cases somebody else is making altered artworks, even different logos, false advertising, etc so they could capture some more bidders. LICENSING NH RELEASES * ALL NH items are released worldwide when it comes out on NH. * If there does not exist pic. LP, it is not supposed to exist. We would do it, if it needs to be done. * Almost all of NH items has been already put out on tape, and future releases will be done by NH. * We don't either give licenses to re-press CD's or such things for different countries. One version, is the global version. HARD TO GET It is not difficult to buy or find Northern Heritage items. You only have to be prepared to send order to us or some of distributors and not expect them to be sold at your local shops. MAILING LIST NH mailorderlist can be viewed on this website (see mailorder list links on top of site!). If you do not have internet connection, it might get slower. Paper list is done very rarely, even just once a year. Any customer who places order to NH, is automatically included to e-mail list. If you don't want to be there, simply mail asking to be removed will do so. NH does not spam a lot. It is few times a year, when we announce our new releases via e-mail. PRIVACY POLICY All customer addressies are kept private. NH doesn't share e-mail or street addressies to any 3rd party. You can get your address removed from the mailinglist by simply requesting it. Above mentioned policy does not apply to persons or labels who rip-off the label. Unpaid c.o.d.'s, theft of trade items by not sending theirs etc. The names are exposed to the handful of labels working on same genre, to prevent further damage caused by the internet thieves (etc) seeking for new targets. There is no danger ending on this list unless you behave in damaging ways with intent to do so. NH IS DISTRIBUTED BY: Northern Heritage releases do not have guaranteed distribution everywhere. We trade with / sell to labels which we want, each time deciding who to deal with. Labels, distributions as well as just individuals can buy for wholesale prices. You don't have to be official company or even have name for distribution. If you are willing to take 5 or more copies per title, you can obtain wholesale price. NH prefers to use underground network than large (/mainstream) distribution companies. Some releases can be found from following labels, in aphabetical order: Aeternitas Tenebrarum Distribution (ita) Ahdistuksen Aihio prod (fin) Aura Mystique (fra) Avantgarde Records (ita) Blackmetal.com (usa) Breath of Pestilence (fin) Christhunt Prod. (ger) Displeased Rec (nl) Drakkar prod. (fra) Full Moon Prod (usa) Hells Headbangers (usa) I Hate Records (swe) Iron Pegasus (ger) Merchant of Death (ger) Metalblood music (swe) Miriquidi (ger) No Colours (ger) Northern Sound Records (fin) NuclearWarNow Prod (usa) Obscure Abhorrence Productions (ger) Osmose Prod. (fra) Primitive Reaction (fin) Red Stream (usa) Repulsive Records (swe) Regimental Records (usa) Spread Evil (fin) Supernal Music (uk) THA Distribution (jap) Undercover Records (ger) W.T.C. (ger) ....and some more! (does your label distribute NH releases, but is not mentioned here? - remind via e-mail !) NO DISTRIBUTION? Many corners of the world do not have NH distributor. Some intentional, some only matter of coincidence. Northern Heritage is not even intending to get releases distributed everywhere. But still, any distributor is welcomed to contact and ask for wholesale or suggest trades. We are not interested in lisence deals. We do not give records for consigment sales. Payments in advance only. New labels or those who we can't 100% trust, must always send trades first. |