[pokkeherrie]

here's the article that first mentioned it again for further info
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/35994/Thurston_Moores_Ecstatic_Peace_Inks_With_Universa# 35994


Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace Inks With Universal

Well, this was a surprise. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore has signed his record label, Ecstatic Peace, to a deal with the Universal Music Group. The towering alt-rock icon's imprint has been putting out limited-run releases by obscure artists since 1981, and now it has partnered with the biggest record company in the world.

Yoshimi, No Neck Blues Band, and Jackie-O Motherfucker, meet Ashlee Simpson, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z.

OK, Thurston, what's going on? "It's always been sort of a bedroom vanity label for me, releasing 500 copies of records," Moore told Pitchfork last week. "But through the years, I would keep getting demos from musicians that were really good and had such potential accessibility to go beyond the fringe that I was dealing with. A lot of these artists really wanted to be associated with Ecstatic Peace, and I was like, well, I pretty much do this out of my bedroom, and most of the stock sits in my basement."

"I have this desire to elevate it and put these records out that I think will do really well."

Certain Ecstatic Peace releases will now be distributed through Fontana, Universal's "indie" distribution company, which also handles labels like Absolutely Kosher, Star Time, and Vagrant. In addition, Moore will "sign and develop artists in joint venture with Universal Records proper," according to a press release.

"I'm being very cautious about this thing with Universal," Moore said. "I want to expose that aesthetic that exists in the underground to the mainstream without being presumptuous about it. Really blur the lines between what can exist at that level. Our deal is very modest. It's not like it was even five, ten years ago, where it was just funny money being thrown at young upstarts. Thank god! Even though I could do with the coin, it's great not to have that kind of pressure."

While Moore plans to use Fontana to distribute "more of the straight-up pop/rock and roll, less of the Hair Police/Wolf Eyes genre," he expects to continue releasing more difficult music through the Ecstatic Peace website. "We're going to sell exclusively on ecstaticpeace.com anything that doesn't look like it's gonna sell numbers that would make sense even through Fontana," Moore said.

Ecstatic Peace's first releases through Universal will include albums by Montreal singer-songwriter Tam and Boston band Black Helicopter, as well as Pagoda, the outfit fronted by hottie actor Michael Pitt (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Bully, Last Days).

Said Moore of Pitt, "I had no interest in an actor who has a band. But then I realized he was just some Jersey kid who moved to New York to play in a band, and the whole acting thing was just something he fell into. Music was his real deal." Uh huh, that's what they all say.

Future Ecstatic Peace releases not expected to come out via Fontana include works by Sunburned Hand of the Man, Magik Markers, MV/EE + the Bummer Road, and a collaboration between Moore and noize-mongers Prurient. In addition, Moore plans to reissue past Ecstatic Peace gems as Fursaxa's self-titled 2002 LP.

Moore is also working on a follow-up to his 1995 pop solo album Psychic Hearts, which, as previously reported, is due to be reissued (along with Sonic Youth's self-titled debut EP and the Ciccone Youth project's wonderfully bizarre The Whitey Album) by Geffen on March 14.

Lee Ranaldo fans should also rejoice in the news that the man is preparing a "singer-songwriter" album for Ecstatic Peace. For those of us who treat "Eric's Trip", "Mote", and "Wish Fulfillment" as sacred texts, this is most exciting.

Potentially even more exciting is the new Sonic Youth album, which finally has a release date: June 6. Yes, 6/6/06. "I heard that a lot of artists who had the 666 release date had requested to be moved," Moore chuckled. "We demanded it."

For the moment, the record remains untitled. "We're fighting about it," Moore said. "I want to call it Rather Ripped. Kim wants to call it Rocked Up. The other two guys are like, 'whatever.'"

Moore also dropped the bomb that the band plans to support the record on tour with…the Flaming Lips! "We always had this connection through the years," he said. "I think it's great that they still exist and are still challenging. It's about time we go out traveling together."

Steve Shelley in a bunny suit-- we can't wait!