NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2010
Sugar Shack Records Ltd
Firstly can I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
You will no doubt be fully aware of the economic position we currently find ourselves in the UK.
The music industry is in a complete mess with physical product sales decreasing month on month and download sales increasing very slightly but not at a rate which will save the industry or the companies who trade within it.
I had to make a difficult decision in 2010 to cease trading as Sugar Shack Records Ltd on the advice of my Accountants MWM.
Where are we now?
As you should be aware Bristol Archive Records is a subsidiary label of Sugar Shack and with effect from the 1st October 2010 we continue business as usual with the new name Sugar Shack Records. The Archive label is by far the bigger party now with an average of six digital releases per month.
In 2010 The Archive has released three compilation CDs and two Vinyl albums however across the board sales including digital, have been bitterly disappointing.
The Future?
My commitment to Bristol music remains as strong as ever and my passion to ensure that artists from the past should be remembered and not forgotten is as important today as it was on the launch of www.bristolarchiverecords.com . Sugar Shack however will not release many new records in 2011.
I’m excited about The Bristol Reggae Explosion 1978-1983 on CD and Vinyl to be released in Feb 2011 and we follow this with a Talisman album in April. Pre sales look more positive and the initial press looks like we should get good reviews.
One of the major positives is the amount of traffic the website obtains and this is reflected in the search engine positions when tracking Bristol Archive Records – clearly people are interested.
I could not run the label without the support of the small team that works with me to provide the mastering, artwork, design, websites and sourcing of material. Thanks a million to all the team and thank you to you the artist for allowing your material to be made available through the Archive and Sugar Shack.
I wish I could report a healthier picture and I wish we were selling more music.
Please contact me directly if you wish to receive an accurate of account of your individual sales.
In time as the Archive gets bigger I believe things will improve but for now let’s drink a toast to the New Year 2011.
Yours sincerely
M DARBY
On behalf of the team
www.bristolarchiverecords.com / www.sugarshackrecords.co.uk
