Echospace took six months to send me a pair of what they called "rare, Japanese import CD-Rs" for which I spent $40.
Because I had the audacity to ask—and receive—bandcamp.com's help in attempting to resolve Echospace's intransigence? Am banned via software from downloading anything from bandcamp.com, from now on.
Must admit: a lot of their music is extremely good. After about two years of being angry, and thus unwilling to buy their stuff?
Managed to find a few CD-Rs from sources other than bandcamp... ...and if—as seems likely—bandcamp.com did not directly profit from those purchases? Because they were from extremely-distant and unrelated retail operations selling them at unusual discount prices, or (OTOH...and very much so) individuals selling them for considerable $$$s on discogs.com? Yeah. I can deal with it. And...yeah, I'll probably never be able to buy any additional ones. But I already own 23 titles! That's quite enough...I'm fine.
Have been a fan of Modell's work since the '90s. Don't feel any personal grudges against the individuals. But as an organization: hey, if you're going to accept people's money? You have a responsibility to provide the products you promised, in exchange. Simple as that. To do less is somewhere between unprofessional and fraudulent.
Compared to some of the horror stories here? Sounds as my luck was somewhat better: relative to what others experienced.
I pre-ordered Sequential Spaces for $90.90 (US Dollars) in May of 2018 & TO THIS DAY (JANUARY 13, 2021) I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED MY ORDER OR A FULL REFUND. My uncle also never got his order either. PAYPAL & BANDCAMP DID NOTHING TO HELP ME AS WELL!! Stephen Hitchell & Eva Bordallo (Label & Digital Content Manager) have horrible communication & are very unfriendly as they're ignoring my emails. I even spent $100's on Echospace's products via Bandcamp while waiting for my Sequential Spaces order!!! DO NOT SUPPORT!!!!!!!! I look forward to meeting them in Michigan as I have friends in Ypsilanti (Ann Arbor).
People are still waiting for orders, I'm waiting for one from June 2019, the least they could do is send an email out with some form of explanation, it really is bad Karma.
I don't know what happened honestly... all I can say is I'm listening to Analogue Oceans right now and it's still bliss from the first all the way through to the fifth. Hopefully Stephen can get the label back on its feet. I know things have taken a while to arrive in the past, but it seems to have dropped off a ledge since 2017. Some people are frustrated, understandably, as folks have lost money. But we were all drawn here because the music is strong, and it still is. There's music enough here to appreciate for years and years. And if this is it...? Then it's been a great ride. No hard feelings and thanks for all the awesome late night voyages.
As a long time supporter of everything Stephen and Rod has put out this is my thoughts. (BTW its apparently just Stephen having the issue and with this label).
I have probably 15 or so releases I have paid for and havent gotten still. Including the blue vinyls. Am i mad about a few hundred dollars I have lost out on? Sure but its not the end of the world. All i can hope for is that Stephen is aware of who needs what and who has not gotten things. And then make it up to them. The part that does hurt is when we were told every reason under the sun on why things wete delayed and then not fullfilled. I hope those reasons were truthful but its hard to really believe all of them. Especially when people like myself wanted to help. Surely in this day of people doing things as bad as Gofund me for things we as fans , could have helped things considering it may have been financial. Even to me it seems like we dont know everything thats going on. Some feel lied to and some feel taken for money. I just feel dissapointed and all I can hope is that Stephen makes this right. If hes gonna have a future in selling music he might have to. Because many wont buy anything again.
The fact is that the music is so much better and on another level than almost any other artist I've ever heard. Does the label not run well, yes. Stephen and Eva have four kids and I have no idea what kind of medical stuff went on last year. I have ordered every physical item except the subtractive four disc set, stratosphere II and III, and deep sky netwerk. I recommend if you can't wait 4-8 months for the CD to just download the wav files and burn to a CD yourself. That is what I have done for the last four releases. I do miss the art tho, but you don't have to wait. I would like to keep supporting them as much as I can. They are very nice people and really care about the music! They are just upon tough times. I can imagine supporting a family of 6 on making very uncommercial music is so hard!! I have ordered 50 times in past four years at least. I got everything I ordered. Did it take a super long time.. sometimes. I never did get the anniversary vinyl, but no one did. I just look at it like, maybe one day.. Do they have poor communication, yes. When I have thought about it.. it has to be tough when you don't have answers or enough money to get orders out. I'm just speculating. Have I been super pissed about stuff involving orders, yes. I have learned to let it go. I'm writing this because of the blog or post about them in one of the previous reviews. They are not out to steal or rip anyone off. I think they just ran into some very bad luck.. moving several times and health issues. I believe they care very much about their fans. Hopefully luck turns in their favor and positive stuff happens in the future. All the most gifted artists have tough times. Stephen's music is the best of the best and cream of the crop. There once was a time when I thought alot of it sounded the same. You just need to put the time in and listen. They are not the same! The music is so deep, it is like heading down a never ending abyss. Just had to put my thoughts on here after reading all the trash some people posted. Be patient and it is only a little $ and most got it back when there was problem. Give 4-8 months like I said for physical orders. I lost my money on the anniversary vinyl, but I still think they will come around one day. I don't think they've ever had a release that has come out when it was supposed to. To my knowledge everyone get their stuff eventually.. even many years later. Love you Stephen and Eva!!
I will start by saying I loved this label and still love the music on it. Yeah sure, we all go through shit in our lives and I'll give them that, but taking our money and totally ignoring us goes down a path I do not respect. I guess people will do what they do, but at least make an effort to reach out and make a clear public statement on your intentions. When Bandcamp blocked the first Echospaace Detroit page, they went and made a new one, Echospce Studio and went on taking orders they never filled. That's some pretty lame behavior and so dishonest. It's so SAD!!!!! Stealing from your loyal fans.
So, I Placed an order on Dec 2 2017................ it's now November 11th 2020 and still waiting for it. You would think after more than 12 emails you would eventually get a reply. NOPE! It's well past the point where PayPal can do anything. I trusted I would eventually get my order, so I never filed a complaint. What was it Johnny Rotten once said? "Ever Get The Feeling You've Been Cheated?" The answer would be yes. Cheated by a label that I supported since it began. It's like being ripped off by someone you really liked. The feeling kind sucks.
The thing I do not understand is they took all our money and never bothered to make the record or never bothered to maybe have someone else make it. They never bothered to contact us, or keep us up to date.
At this point I've just given up. Perhaps Echospace will find eventually find their moral compass and return our money or press the records and CDs
psikopath
February 19, 2021