Is anyone else a bit depressed by the consumerism trinkets?

[noveltywave]

This is not to complain, or rain on anybody’s parade, I’m just feeling kind of depressed and anxious about… goodie bags and large fonts!

I’m an old school Scottish BOC fan since Hi Scores. I actually have Hexagon Sun story to tell, but I hold of posting it because nobody would believe me.

I loved the ARG around Tomorrow’s Harvest. I spent the last 13 years coming back to Twoism almost weekly to check for updates, usually lurking not posting. Another weird story maybe around 2018 or something I had a chance to buy the Japanese TH RSD vinyl for ¥450,000 and I was so close to it I even talked to the record store owner on the phone and told him I’d be coming in later to pick it up (I didn’t thankfully - although my plan was to buy it and try and rent it to the National Museum Of Scotland in Edinburgh).

When the tapes were sent out last month and we were not sure if it was BOC or not, I was really excited. Then the posters showed up, finally that first You Tube track, the website went online, and of course that 30 second Inferno trailer, I was basically jumping up thinking “Fuckkkkkk yeah!!!”

But then the blatant WARP commercialism started to sneak in. First, we had all the variations of the albums with t-shirts, caps etc. There is a limited color vinyl with a larger booklet. Fair enough, better than Taylor Swift.

But I quickly learned in Japan each record shop has a different gift - Tower has a poster, Disk Union has a badge, HMV has a sticker or patch or something, I forget. I almost ordered two copies of the CD one from Tower and one from Disk Union because I wanted the poster and the badge, even though I already ordered the red vinyl online at Beatnik.

Then we found out Tower had the Inferno A2 new sheet thing. When I saw the post I went around three Towers in my area trying to find it - nobody had it that day. But I went around again week later and managed to grab a stack of about 10 of them. Now just sitting on top of my shelf gathering dust.

Then I was like. Hmmm. Colour vinyl has notoriously bad sound. Should I order the black one too? I was going to post on here and ask advice about it, but deleted the post and started this one instead.

Now we have the listening party goodie bags. I basically don’t care except for the keyring, I really want to get one of those! So I am arranging with my friend who has no clue about BOC, he is going to one event near us, I will go to another, we will see who can get the bag. However the party starts early, so I booked an hour of work. Now I am stressing about if I can make it on time, will I be able to jump on the train quickly and hit two stores possibly getting a fee goodie bags… How many people are likely to show up here anyway? It has been much harder to get info about the parties here than in the UK/US.

Suddenly I am like… What the hell am I doing? Why am I shifting my life around on this mad trinket chase, spending double money for a metal badge and a poster? Trying to get a keyring that will likely break pretty quickly anyway and is likely to just remind me of the trinket chase stress. I don’t even want my first listen of the new album to be in a damn record store while walking around the k-pop bargain bins!

Then I see posts online of people living far away from any of the parties who have no chance of getting anything but are probably huge BOC fans. I consider myself a pretty big fan, but I would never order a tshirt from Bleep for any artist ever, so I have no chance in hell of getting a VHS tape… even though I am a VHS collector with a shelf full of them (early Japanese Jarmusch tapes, Lynch’s Hotel Room etc).

Now I hear there is a scramble to get a hold of a limited red cassette tape.

It’s just like… What the hell? BOC okay’d all of this with WARP? You should google the Disk Union pin badge… it looks fuckin awful. Cheap souvenir garbage. The posters are ok but not great.

I remember back in 2002 at Avalanche in Glasgow and we could buy Geogaddi with a Kaliedoscope and I was like “hmm, that’s cool, but I don’t need it” and just went without it, because I had basically zero trinkets back then. TH came with a free poster, sticker and postcard, but nobody had any clue about that beforehand. I just took it up to the register on release day and they gave me them unexpected. I had to walk around with a poster all day.

Anyway, you can laugh at me (“boomer has meltdown coming to face with their favourite band actually doing merch!”) but I have decided to probably just unplug from the trinket chasing surrounding this album. Cancel all the orders and just pick up the regular CD. Or just download the damn thing from the black seas.


The whole thing just feels so unlike BOC. But maybe we were just wrong about them, it is my idea of them that is wrong.

And then I look at that massive yellow font on the cover and I think WTF?

Ok, so it did turn into a vent! Ha. Feel free to delete!

[noveltywave]

I tried ti go back and edit but it won’t let me. This is what I wanted ti write:

This is not to complain, or rain on anybody’s parade, I’m just feeling kind of depressed and anxious about… goodie bags and large fonts!

I’m an old school Scottish BOC fan since Hi Scores. I actually have Hexagon Sun story to tell, but I hold of posting it because nobody would believe me.

I loved the ARG around Tomorrow’s Harvest. I spent the last 13 years coming back to Twoism almost weekly to check for updates, usually lurking not posting. Another weird story maybe around 2018 or something I had a chance to buy the Japanese TH RSD vinyl for ¥450,000 and I was so close to it I even talked to the record store owner on the phone and told him I’d be coming in later to pick it up (I didn’t thankfully - although my plan was to buy it and try and rent it to the National Museum Of Scotland in Edinburgh).

When the tapes were sent out last month and we were not sure if it was BOC or not, I was really excited. Then the posters showed up, finally that first You Tube track, the website went online, and of course that 30 second Inferno trailer, I was basically jumping up thinking “Fuckkkkkk yeah!!!”

But then the blatant WARP commercialism started to sneak in. First, we had all the variations of the albums with t-shirts, caps etc. There is a limited color vinyl with a larger booklet. Fair enough, better than Taylor Swift.

But I quickly learned in Japan each record shop has a different gift - Tower has a poster, Disk Union has a badge, HMV has a sticker or patch or something, I forget. I almost ordered two copies of the CD one from Tower and one from Disk Union because I wanted the poster and the badge, even though I already ordered the red vinyl online at Beatnik.

Then we found out Tower had the Inferno A2 newspaper sheet pamphlet thing. When I saw the post I went around three Towers in my area trying to find it - nobody had it that day. But I went around again week later and managed to grab a stack of about 10 of them. Now just sitting on top of my shelf gathering dust.

Then I was like. Hmmm. Colour vinyl has notoriously bad sound. Should I order the black one too? I was going to post on here and ask advice about it, but deleted the post and started this one instead.

Now we have the listening party goodie bags. I basically don’t care about any of it except for the keyring, I really want to get one of those! So I am arranging with my friend who has no clue about BOC, he is going to one event near us, I will go to another, we will see who can get the bag. However the party starts early, so I booked an hour of work. Now I am stressing about if I can make it on time, will I be able to jump on the train quickly and hit two stores possibly getting three goodie bags if I am quick enough… How many people are likely to show up here anyway? It has been much harder to get solid info about the parties here than in the UK/US.

Suddenly I am like… What the hell am I doing? Why am I shifting my life around on this mad trinket chase, spending double the money for a cheap metal badge and a poster i’ll probably never hang up? Trying to get a keyring that will likely break pretty quickly anyway and is likely to just remind me of the trinket chase stress. I don’t even want my first listen of the new album to be in a damn record store while walking around the k-pop bargain bins!

Then I see posts online of people living far away from any of the parties who have no chance of getting anything but are probably huge BOC fans, bigger than many people in the big cities. I consider myself a pretty big fan, but I would never order a tshirt from Bleep for any artist ever, because I don’t wear tshirts, so I have no chance in hell of getting a VHS tape… even though I am a mad VHS collector with a shelf full of them (early Japanese Jarmusch tapes, Lynch’s Hotel Room etc).

Now I hear there is a scramble to get a hold of a limited red cassette tape.

It’s just like… What the hell? BOC okay’d all of this with WARP? You should google the Disk Union pin badge… it looks fuckin awful. Cheap souvenir garbage. The posters are ok but not great. As I said, the keyring looks cool but is probably more souvenir trash.

I remember back in 2002 at Avalanche in Glasgow and we could buy Geogaddi with a Kaliedoscope and I was like “hmm, that’s cool, but I don’t need it” and just went without it, because I had basically zero trinkets back then. TH came with a free poster, sticker and postcard, but nobody had any clue about that beforehand. I just took it up to the register on release day and they gave me them unexpected. I had to walk around with a poster all day, trying not to get it bashed. I still haven’t hung it up because it lists all the track titles and I wish it was just the album cover.

Anyway, you can laugh at me (“boomer has meltdown coming face to face with their favourite band actually doing merch!”) but I have decided to probably just unplug from the trinket chasing surrounding this album. Cancel all the orders and just pick up the regular CD. Or just download the damn thing from the black seas.

The whole thing just feels so unlike BOC. But maybe we were just wrong about them. I can’t believe we waited 13 years and it is kind of spoiled by a mad souvenir trinket trash chase. Does not feel like what the new album should be about.

It is my idea of them that is wrong. I had an image in my mind of them as anti-consumerist nature loving isolationists. Chasing the better things in life. I need to adjust my own mindset to the reality of “merch”.

And then I look at that massive, massive, ugly yellow font on the cover and I think WTF?

Ok, so it did turn into a vent! Ha. Feel free to delete!

[MyKneesAreCold]

I agree with you, I’ve had several moments during this album launch where I’ve had to confront my own consumerist tendencies. Pre-ordered a shirt and CD initially, then got tickets + shirt for the inferno listening session, then I discovered the cassette tokens at the event and ordered a copy after some brief hesitation, then the flexi disk reveal with the deluxe vinyl copies had me considering buying the album for a third time. Had to draw the line somewhere, so I’m counting an L on the flexi disk.

But ultimately I don’t think this reflects any values of band themselves. It’s been 13 years after all, a few merch drops for the fans is a generally positive thing I think.

[2020k]

The thing that has really rubbed me the wrong way is that in order to get a VHS tape you had to have bought a WarpBOC merch drop from 2025. I don't have other words to describe it other than tone-deaf.

The inflation on eBay prices for anything from the era so far has also made me want to turn off wi-fi forever.

Some of the listening parties looked underwhelming too. I said it somewhere else, but Berlin looked like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

A couple of months ago I read an interview with BOC who said they don't even okay their own t-shirt designs, so a lot of what's come out over the years outside of the actual music/visuals has been Warp. That's the silver lining I'm holding on to this era.

I do hope we get interviews.

I have both BOC color vinyl (IABPOITC and TCH) and they both sound beautiful, so I have faith the red Inferno will be just as great. However, seeing that GZ had anything to do with the pressing makes me a little uneasy....most things I have from them are hit or miss. MOST things they did for VinylMePlease sounded like garbage.

[shelf]

I think I get what you're feeling, but its been 13 years, fans like memorabilia, and its a special time so... I kinda understand why they did what they did.

I also wasn't feeling the large font or album cover design in general, but it seems to get more appreciation over time once the vibe and sound of the new album was revealed.

I'm sure it could be better, but they're musicians after all, visuals come second on their front.

as for the trinket chase, thats on you. and I wouldn't fret so much about it, it's just one of those things.

They are in the music business after all, it's a give and take. Promotion costs money and they need to recoup costs and be strategic in their (WARP/BOC) promotion.

I imagine you being happy with them just releasing on bandcamp and having a pay-what-you-want system, maybe that time will come but they're professionals and they're under contract with warp, so its gotta be they way it is (generally) for now.

Hopefully that trinket finds you.

[noveltywave]

> However, seeing that GZ had anything to do with the pressing makes me a little uneasy....most things I have from them are hit or miss. MOST things they did for VinylMePlease sounded like garbage.

This is great info! Thanks for the heads up about this!

[noveltywave]

Thanks for the reply really, helps me out of the slump a bit!

> They are in the music business after all, it's a give and take. Promotion costs money and they need to recoup costs and be strategic in their (WARP/BOC) promotion.

I wondered recently how their financial situation actually is without any releases or live shows in years. I keep hearing most musicians make money from tours so I wonder if BOC have day jobs too now.

> I imagine you being happy with them just releasing on bandcamp and having a pay-what-you-want system.

Opposite actually. I want one single definitive physical release like “this is the vinyl”, “this is the CD”. I was quite happy when TH came out as a CD with no Japanese bonus tracks. One novelty item and collectors bundle is good, like “here’s a red vinyl with an extended booklet and a kaleidoscope for all you mad fans”.

If they release a “collector’s double disc edition” with remixes and bonus tracks six months later I’ll….!!!!

[Den]

For whatever it’s worth, the atmosphere at the session was very relaxed - the merch table was essentially empty. You could buy a tape or shirt in the corner if you wanted to. The folder with art, sticker, etc. were given away. All commerce felt deliberately unobtrusive. I think the depression comes from the attachment to these things.

[wingster3]

You need Chemicals. *crying face emoji*

[babylulu]

I’m an old school Scottish BOC fan since Hi Scores. I actually have Hexagon Sun story to tell, but I hold of posting it because nobody would believe me.

but WHAT is the Hexagon Sun story?

[Wildfire]

Yes you can't drop that wee bombshell and not spill the beans now!

[A_Northern_Soul]

I get what you mean - but it's a personal thing; I'm not going to bother about getting a poster or keyring or whatever; I'm not bothered about *stuff*. But if that kind of thing means they're able to continue making music on their own terms or even retiring or whatever, that's fine. They don't make money from touring, there's hardly any ££ in sales of "normal" CDs/vinyl any more - the money is in the super deluxe limited editions which fans/ collectors are willing to pay over the odds for. I imagine they get a small but steady streaming income, fairly regular licencing to TV income but probably not much of a steady income from BoC. Although given they signed a deal in the mid/late 90s when the music industry was full of confidence, money and cocaine and CDs were selling massively (at a high cost), chances are they were fairly well set up early on. But if luring people in with stickers or a keyring pays for a holiday then fair play to them.

As for the artwork/ font - I think it works - it looks like a film poster; although I do wonder if there was a word from above that "the font needs to be bigger" so it's more visible as a thumbnail on a phone screen.

Anyway, about that Hexagon Sun story....

[Cupz]

I bought all the dumb thingies mostly just to support the band. We vote with our money. I did get a feeling not everyone at warp involved with the promotional and trinkets stuff really "got" the spirit of boc fandom but maybe I'm out of the loop. (a baseball cap but not a beanie whaaaa?).

[Quadrivium]

I fully agree. Bit disappointed tbh.

[Oseary Drakoulias]

Hard disagree. These are fun items and, as others have said, mostly freebies that are very easy to ignore. Is it annoying to not get a VHS or whatever? Maybe, but they did their job of promoting the album in a fun way.

Also, for the most part colour vinyl has been no worse quality than black for a good few years now. That said, pressing standards have dropped across the board. The worst-sounding album I own is a black Seefeel repress from a few years back that's practically unlistenable. Unfortunately it's a bit of a lottery with Warp releases. I guess we'll find out either way in a couple of days.

[Sherbet Head]

It is not worth getting depressed over some t-shirts and posters. They look cool and it's a nice (completely optional) way to support the brothers, allowing them to continue creating the art that we all enjoy.

[momatt]

It's just a few keyrings, stickers and posters.
They're not chopping down the Amazon for these, I presume.

[NNYz?]

I would love some of the 'trinkets' too! sadly not able to attend any of the events

nice to see true fans wanting to support their fave artists!......not so nice to already see a lot of the free packs being listed on. ebay! nice way to support the artists!...I mean line someone elses pocket!

[Wildfire]

Also yeah I have to disagree with the sentiment, the odd bit of tat with a release is just fine. The fanbase love them and it puts a few bob in their pocket, don't really see who is losing out with the merch?

[Altruizine]

What's the deal with relentlessly looking for opportunities to be upset these days

The thing that has really rubbed me the wrong way is that in order to get a VHS tape you had to have bought a WarpBOC merch drop from 2025. I don't have other words to describe it other than tone-deaf.

The VHS mailings were cute as all hell and that was an obvious if not the only way to track down BoC mega fans' current addresses