Collecting merch (pt. 1)
I have always been impressed by bands who have found innovative ways with merchandise and I think it must have started with the Flaming Lips when they released the Gummy Skull Song, an EP “a USB keydrive and placed inside a brain-shaped gummy which was further encased in a gummy skull”.
Since starting Reverb Dream, I have also started collecting all types of band (and non-band) merchandise, especially since I started hearing more about products such as Orso’s coffee which they made to celebrate their album Caffè? and was mentioned in our interview.
In this article, I will list share my top five items (from four bands) that I have collected so far. And if you’ve been following my Instagram feed, you probably know already which ones may pop up already. A bit later on, there will be a follow-up with other items of merchandise from my collection.
Let me know if I missed out anything on the list!
Batbait:
The world’s smallest LP
Whilst researching for the interview with Batbait which appeared in July this summer, I noticed on their website that the band was selling the world’s smallest EP and the ceramic pieces to their debut album.
I thought that the world’s smallest EP, which contains the songs, Something’s Dripping From The Ceiling and Dry Plant Friend, was a really novel idea. By placing the record inside close to your mobile phone, the NFC signal sends you to a link to download the album. I also really appreciate the effort and the design put into it.
Ceramic alien shirt from the album, Dirty Clothes
Dirty Clothes has also been one of my favourite albums since starting the blog, and although I originally had another piece in mind, it didn’t take too long to convince me to get one of the main items from the album cover - the alien t-shirt. I haven’t worked out where to store it just yet but I’m very happy to have an extra souvenir of the album.
Beurre - jigsaw puzzle
As soon as I found out about the jigsaw puzzle, I had to get a copy. Unfortunately, at the time, they were all sold out. With the release of their latest (and fantastic) album, Resonate and Amplify, the band announced that they would be re-releasing the puzzles as part of their merchandise. The band’s bassist, Chadi Mesmer’s quote about the people who finished the puzzle during our interview has somehow stayed in my head:
I honestly can’t remember who first had the idea, but since our logo is basically unreadable, we thought it would be funny to turn it into an impossible puzzle. At the beginning we only made two or three, just as a joke, and they sold out immediately. In the end we put out around twenty. To our knowledge, only two people working together ever managed to finish one, which probably says more about their patience than about our sense of humour.
I was able to get a copy of the puzzle at their unforgettable, mind-blowing show at Sedel in Lucerne (with wolfer) and the next step is to find the time for it!
The band are also planing to release a butter dish with the band’s logo on but the product has had a slight delay. I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Satarma / Endful Horizon - wine
There must be something about bands from the Romandie and making wine! Already at the second Alles Post- MusikFest! in 2024, the band, Winter in Deutschland were selling bottles of wine as part of their merchandise. Their new drummer produces wine, they didn’t want sell CDs because no one buys them and printing Bandcamp codes seemed ridiculous so they stuck the code to bottles of wine. As a result, the listener can drink the wine whilst listening to the album.
During the summer this year, Satarma and Endful Horizon produced about fifty bottles of wine to celebrate the release of their split EP, Mirror Palace. After telling them about Winter in Deutschland’s idea, the bands were also inspired to print some Bandcamp codes for the bottles. The wine is a fendant, from the Chasselis grape, which grows in the Valais region and the wine was produced by someone close to the bands in Plan-Cerisier.
I was able to get a couple of bottles transported to Zurich, along with the excellent EP, Kangiten, which featured as my choice in One of Each article for the EP category. The band will be releasing their upcoming album, Fuzzorama, on 22nd November. Who knows if there would be more wine to come with it!
Ping Machines - Baby LP (wooden figure with USB stick)
Next to Liminality by Fomies and Resonate and Amplify by Beurre, the album, Baby by Ping Machines was also a vital part of the soundtrack of my summer holidays. I remember listening to the album whilst preparing the interview with Monobuster Records and enjoying the album from start to finish.
I had hoped to pick up a copy of the album on record but I was informed that it was only available on CD or as a wooden figure, in the shape of the album’s cover, with a USB stick inside containing the album. According to the band, a carpenter shaped the pieces and the band themselves did the sawing, drilling, sticking in the magnets and USB stick before oiling the figures.
Related articles: