Record of the Year: The Aggrolites – “Reggae Now!”
Wow, 2019! What a year it’s been here at PIRATES PRESS & our in-house label, PIRATES PRESS RECORDS! We celebrated our 15th anniversary in a big way this past October with the totally insane ROCK THE SHIP FESTIVAL, all while keeping up the business of pressing the most cutting-edge vinyl & merch in the world! Let’s take a look back at some of the most epic pressings we’ve manufactured this year, as featured on this very blog every week!
When it comes right down to it, we would like to spotlight OUR Record of the Year: REGGAE NOW by THE AGGROLITES, as featured as our Record of the Week back on May 17, 2019! There is so much to say about what this record has meant to us. It was the first time a record on PIRATES PRESS RECORDS hit “the charts”…and it’s STILL charting 7 months later with continuous radio play. We truly could not be more proud. Go see THE AGGROLITES if you get the opportunity to – they never disappoint! You will be sore from dancing the next day, though – even if you are normally the kind of person who DOES NOT DANCE. Please note, this is NOT stoner reggae. This is old school, high energy, get-your-dancing-shoes-on reggae with SOUL!
So let’s take a second to look back at this momentous release!
Let’s start with the most important part…the VINYL! Before you even put the needle on the record, the artwork stands out on its own as it was drawn and painted by the legendary tattoo artist TOKYO HIRO! Whether it’s the classic “BLACK,” the “BLOOD RED,” or the eye catching “DEEP PURPLE” & “WHITE” or “BLOOD RED” & “BLACK” “GALAXY” vinyl, fans and collectors alike went wild for all 4 versions! We sent them out into the world alongside the “Pound For Pound” picture flexis that made their way into fans’ hands in advance of the LP and got everyone duly excited for the full record.
Everyone went crazy for the “AggroPanther” design knocked up by legendary Tattooer/Illustrator Tokyo Hiro! True fans grabbed (and continue to grab!) all kinds of merch to show off the incredible art! The PIRATES worked around the clock to meet that demand, with two embroidered scally caps, two mesh hats, an array of t-shirts, a 3/4 sleeve black & white baseball tee, polos, a hoodie, an AGGROLITES coffee mug for the caffiends, and for our patch & pin aficionados, a woven patch and a slew of enamel pins and buttons!
But far from a “one and done” deal, PIRATES pulled out all the stops once again, answering rabid fan demand for a new pressing of the band’s classic LP, DIRTY REGGAE! Celebrating its own 15th anniversary, DIRTY REGGAE is for THE AGGROLITES what SHOCK TROOPS was for COCK SPARRER, or LET’S GO was for RANCID…the legendary album that served as the band’s mission statement, and set the standard for all that would come after! Not to mention, the merch train keeps on rolling, with SKATE DECKS, as well as brand new SCARVES & KNIT BOBBLE HATS coming out just in time for the coming winter weather! THE AGGROLITES & PIRATES PRESS is a match made in heaven, and you can get all of this amazing music & merch, as well as everything we have coming down the pipe in the future, at our AGGROLITES WEBSTORE.
This is indicative of the kind of care the PIRATES put into every project we take on, and the excitement it generates. No doing things halfway. We press the most eye-catching, high quality vinyl, utilize the most incredible artwork & printing techniques in the industry, and maintain a world-class manufacturing department capable of creating any merch you could ever imagine. If you’ve got a project you’re ready to take to the next level, say “AHOY!” to PIRATES PRESS today, and we’ll get it done!
BAND NAME: THE AGGROLITES (Website / Store / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube)
LABEL NAME: Pirates Press Records (Website / Store / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / YouTube)
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Thanks for keeping up with us all year long! Have a great week, and we’ll see you next time! The year may be winding down, but our ship keeps right on sailin’ on!
