If someone had told me that Noctorum’s latest album The Afterlife would make four Billboard charts in the first week of release I would have said there’s more chance of me growing old. But the facts speak for themselves. Still, somehow Billboard have deemed it unnecessary to place the album cover in its appropriate box next to its chart position? Am I going mad or would that not be an essential and important thing to do for the sake of the magazine’s presentation and the artist’s profile? Next, you will be telling me that most people will be listening to a small inferior device of lesser quality for the sake of convenience. As if?
Thank you to everyone for supporting us on the album through the PledgeMusic campaign (we are still waiting to be paid in full) and also to those that supported us in the latter stages making sure that this actually happened. Thanks to everybody that has helped Dare and I finally get some notice for our Noctorum project on this, our fourth album, but also on the previous three. All records are a labour of love for me but we couldn’t make them without you, the musicians and all the people that work with and work at the label. Honourable mentions to Stephen Judge at Schoolkids Record and previously Robert Rankin Walker at Heyday. Rachel and Lizzy for helping with artwork past and present. Also Shauna has been doing some great work in the promo department and Daniel a fine job of getting you your album undamaged with the shrink rap neatly folded inside for collectors like me – then there’s Olivia whose unending work, creativity and dedication saves us all!
With thoughtful planning, Olivia and I will be starting a British tour in London on March 14th, playing an eclectic mix from various creative incarnations in celebration of Noctorum’s US success. Legend has it that The Zombies had broken up in celebration of their US No.1 single – for detail nerds that was Cashbox No.1, Billboard was No.2. I’m not sure how long The Afterlife will stay on these charts with Beyoncé and Rihanna nudging us from behind but let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
For the future I hope that one thing leads to another and each creative journey we go on will help the next one and inspire us to never stop what we do. I’d also like to say that rather than creating confusion I’d like to think that the eclectic nature of this creative journey is what keeps everything interesting and sharing new ideas with collaborators is exciting to say the least. I’ve just spent a month here in Stockholm with Swedish Progressives Anekdoten, will be working on the instrumental Atlantium project in April in Penzance, followed by a continuation of the second MOAT album and then various other projects are in the building stages – I hope the idea of working with many different people continues to be an interesting musical approach rather than a confusing one for the audience.
I love The Beatles for their fearlessness.
Love from all of us to all of you.
Marty
Billboard Charts and Positions:
Heatseekers #16
Alternative Albums #24
Independent Albums #39
Rock Albums #47