In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the original CD release and final show, The Final Recordings has been re-issued on vinyl. mig50 spearheaded the project over the course of a year, and I was happy to contribute audio sources and artwork assets which were used to prepare this vinyl pressing.  

To coincide with this anniversary and reissue, the Chromelodeon Archive is proud to present:

The 10th Deathaversary Lost Media Collection

buried for 10 years, now RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE

Over the past few weeks, I have been digitizing video, ripping CDs, scanning photos and flyers, and cataloging the contents of a twenty-five pound cardboard treasure chest sent to me by Ryan Soloby. This unearthed media chronicles the band from it’s earliest incarnations, right up until the final show on April 27, 2007.  As if this wasn’t enough, there have been a few other interesting tidbits which have been added to the archive, including some upgrades, additions, and corrections to previously available content.

Ryan provided the following message to accompany the content:

Reasons why this is a thing, and why it might matter to some people:

1. It is lucky that the following content survived. Chromelodeon was never very organized to begin with. This stuff was jammed into various boxes labeled “to sort later” and shuffled between moves for a decade. On top of that, the FORMATS of them were a nightmare. Chromelodeon existed before the era of iPhones. We had stuff spread cross analog and digital film and cameras of various formats (VHS? Why?).
2. A brief glimpse into some of daily band life, from start to finish. Weeks and weeks and weeks spent on the road, pockets of friends across the country, enough of an occasional adrenaline rush to keep the moment up, years spent of the band cracking and repairing itself until the experience was over. A lot of the good times (and bad) are captured here. Sometimes, the two blended together. If you were a friend or a frequent show go-er, there’s a chance you are in a picture or video here.
3. The very first Chromelodeon show video was found, and on top of that, the very first Drive Thru Pharmacy show was found (the ska band that comprised mostly of Chromelodeon members, in the 90’s). Interesting to have on record the beginning phases of this musical trip, if you can manage to get though it.

So take a browse while waiting for the upcoming 10th anniversary vinyl release, or while listening to it. Enjoy a final taste, and thanks for listening.

-Ryan

Browse all of the new content here, watch the new video footage on YouTube, or check out the highlights listed below (in rough chronological order).

• Video footage and audio recordings of Drive Thru Pharmacy (late 90’s ska band featuring members of Chromelodeon), including their first show.
• Brace yourselves: footage of the Hip Hoppo Gestapo has survived.
• Choose Your Own Adventure era footage, including the very first CYOA performance and video of a basement practice session.
• A very large assortment of photos, both of live performances and candid moments. 
• News posts and website content salvaged from the remains of chromelodeon.com and the CYOA website.
• An assortment of show flyers, merch, handwritten setlists, and even sheet music from the band’s entire lifespan.
• A collection of reviews and press coverage scavenged from website archives, hoarded magazines, and wrinkled newspaper clippings.
• Several rough mixes of the Adventures In A Haunted House EP and the In The Year 20XX EP.
• Video of 2002-2003 shows, including Denny’s first show and a complete set at The Fire.
• The “Legendary” video evidence of Chromelodeon’s first encounter with SPARKS.
• Complete footage of a 2004 Ninja Gaiden 2 set.
• Several previously uncirculated live concert recordings, including the complete KXLU studio session with songs from Ninja Gaiden 2 and Heart of Sawdust.
• A pro-shot video with soundboard audio of a 2005 3rd US Tour show. 
• Video clips and photos of the MAGFest 4 Sprite Slowdown performance.
• Rough mixes, and isolated chiptune tracks from Sprite Slowdown V1, including both a remix kit and the full multitrack session for Red Max.
• Several unheard Dino Lionetti compositions, including the original version of G. A. H.. 
• Audio of a practice session featuring a previously unheard song which never made it beyond the “trying shit out phase”.
• The visuals, backing track, and a drum and keyboard practice session for the 4th US Tour.
• A wide assortment of chiptune tracks, demos, and even unfinished songs from The Final Recordings.
• A peek into the plans for the unfinished second Sprite Slowdown album.
• Complete footage of the MAGFest 5 performance and  The Final Show at the First Unitarian Church.

2017-04-28 edit: “But wait, there’s more!” 
I just received a package in the mail containing 4 discs worth of goodies from the 3rd US Tour in 2005:

• The 3rd US Tour audio backing tracks, including the chiptune audio for several songs from Heart of Sawdust and The Final Recordings.
• The visuals projected during 3rd US Tour performances.
• A really sweet sounding soundboard + room mic recording of a performance at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA.
• An collection of LSDJ save files. Yep. Holy shit, right?

Endless thanks to Dino, Patrick, Dan, Denny, Dave, Eddy, Cameron, Brendan, Matt, and especially Ryan for their contributions of content, advice, assistance and support.

In the middle of the scramble to process this new content, both the backend and frontend of the site was updated and reorganized. If you encounter any broken links, corrupt files, or other site-related oddities, contact me at admin {at} chromelodeonarchive {dot} com.