It's pretty rare when a band comes along that creates something truly unique. Scarcer still are multiple standout recordings from the same group. Rarest of all is one who amasses a large body of work that varies greatly, yet consistently remains impressive. Southern Florida's FLOOR were around for roughly 10 years and recorded well over a dozen times during their on-and-off existence. Nearly 100 tracks are the result of a decade of persistence amid overall underappreciation, and only in the wake of their demise did underground audio followers finally take note. Their huge body of work yielded only a few officially released records, and most of what the band recorded just collected dust in the vaults. Finally, everything ever laid down to tape by this truly ahead-of-their time(s) outfit has been compiled into one massive release.
From the living rooms and basements of 1992 to the studios of 2001/2002, FLOOR had an incredible evolution from the GODFLESH and early-MELVINS-inspired sludge worship, to the unrivaled sugary doom/pop amalgamation which would eventually pave the way for TORCHE, HOUSE OF LIGHTNING and others. The changes in sound from recording-to-recording means the sheer variation of style (and audio fidelity) witnessed throughout this collection is astounding, and when dating these recordings against what would eventually follow, it becomes crystal clear that FLOOR were consistently operating on that fabled "next level".
It is with great honor and elation that we are able to present the Below & Beyond Box Set to you. After many years in the making, FLOOR is finally able to conclude their existence with this extensive collection. Ten 12" LPs, one 7" EP, eight CDs and a (roughly) 32-page booklet of writings, photos, lyrics, artwork (and more) are all to be housed in separate jackets contained within a custom cloth-bound box. Each record comes on a different color of vinyl to match to the corresponding artwork, and two etchings accompany recordings that didn't have appropriate flipsides.
We are making 305 copies of this box set, and if the demand is there maybe more at a later date. It's hard to know what the response to this release is going to be, considering the band hasn't been active for over 5 years and had a varied fanbase during their actual existence... so 305 was the number chosen by the parties involved and we're offering up 275 copies to the public now.That all being said, the price for the FLOOR - Below & Beyond Box Set is $250 plus postage. We know this is a huge amount of money, so as a way of thanking those who pre-order, an exclusive t-shirt is being included (that's design+style will only be available with this preorder). If you purchase the box set PLEASE remember to include your t-shirt size in the "notes / comments" section at checkout... this includes any size you may normally be, from Youth Small to Quintuple Extra Large.
PLEASE NOTE: An enormous amount of work has gone into this release, but not quite everything is fully ready to go into production. So THIS IS A PRE-ORDER, and we're *hoping* to have the release in your hands by Thanksgiving at the earliest, and Christmas at the latest. Because those purchasing this box set are spending a lot of money, we have built a website with the sole purpose of keeping people who buy this informed on the status of the production. Some details of the project may slightly change as we approach the final artwork adjustments, so please realize the above image is simply a mockup of what the final product will roughly resemble (also feel free to click here to check out a bigger version of the above graphic).
Normally we do not like to take pre-orders for records because people (understandably) get impatient and often want to know what the status of the release is... and there are always the inevitable delays too. But due to the sheer cost of producing this beast, we have decided to break our "no pre-orders" rule on this rare occasion. We will do our best to get this done and in your hands as quickly as possible, but highly appreciate your patience and understanding that producing something this large can happen somewhat slowly. The "status" website link will be emailed to you if you place an order, so you can follow along as this beast gets closer and closer to full existence.
SHIPPING & PAYMENT DETAILS: Because this is such an expensive item, we MUST ship this to a confirmed address (the same one associated with your PayPal or credit card account), and only via a shipping method that is trackable with a signature confirmation. That means ALL people in the USA must order this via UPS GROUND and be able to sign for the package. It is a bit more expensive and possibly a pain in the ass, but it is also more secure for both the buyer and seller. If you cannot deal with this, please do not order (or find a friend who can comply with this to order for you).
ALL INTERNATIONAL ORDERERS: please choose USPS Priority Mail or any UPS shipping method & make sure your shipping address matches the address on your PayPal or credit card account. Please include your full telephone number in the "notes / comments" section as well. Also, we can NOT put a lower value on the customs forms, so please don't order if you can't pay any local taxes there may be on an incoming $250 US item.
And last but not least, if you order other items along with this box set they will NOT ship until the box sets are finished. If you want other items in the immediate future, please place a separate order for those & we will get them out to you ASAP.
A major personal thank-you is due to Anthony, Steve and Henry for braving everything that went into this, and for trusting us to finally do the band justice with this massive release. An additional thank you to everyone else who contributed as well (be it artwork, musicianship, moral support or otherwise), and to you for still being interested after all these years. Namasté!
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 23 September 2009 12:35 (fourteen years ago) link