I was standing on the street in downtown Seattle when I got a call from Small Stone Records Chief, Scott Hamilton. We had just released a re-issue of my band VALIS first record "Champions of Magic" and he wanted to know what my plan was for the future. We started talking about all the great bands that had been around the northwest for the last few years and how not that many people outside of here had the chance to check them out. A thought popped into my head. Well, how about a split CD with one of these bands? Perhaps Mos Generator lead by guitar hero/producer extraordinaire T-Dallas Reed. This would give me the change to finally work with him after all these years of admiring him from a far. Yes that seemed to be a great idea. The as the conversation went on it we thought, what the hell, why include only 2 bands when we could put a bunch on there? At that moment the idea of a mind meld of sorts was created. Perhaps a meld of damaged and twisted northwest moss covered, rain drenched minds could be brought together by myself and T-Dallas. I proceeded to call the guys in Skullbot. At the time a bunch of underage long hairs from the small North Peugeot Sound town of Stanwood. Then T-Dallas got in touch with some of his South Sound friends and long time hard rockers, Golden Pig Electric Blues Band. It was all rounded off when Scott gave me a ring and suggested The Valley. I had just played a show with them recently as it turns out and my mind was melding with his to come to the same conclusion. This CD is just a sample of 5 out of many more great hard rock bands that have been and are creeping around the great Northwest in the first decade of the 21st century. -Van Conner This release is digital only so you will have to head on over to iTunes or eMusic to get it.