The Tax Man Cometh…

Like many independent providers of digital goods, we’ve been somewhat sideswiped by the new changes to EU VAT. Unlike many, we were aware of the upcoming changes but were under the belief that Bandcamp would be able to pay the charges directly on our behalf; this is currently not the case.

We believe that Bandcamp are doing everything they can to ease the burden and look forward to their proposed solution later in the year. We equally do not begrudge paying tax where it is deemed to be appropriate. However, the removal of exemption limits means that every sale we make within the EU will be eligible for the new tax, require tax returns to be completed and potentially mandate the capture of information about our customers. We are here to make music, not complete tax returns.

Many of our peers are therefore removing music from streaming sites because of this change. We don’t want to.

As of today, all of the Ordo’s musical offerings on the Bandcamp page have either been moved to streaming only (for a number of high-profile releases that took still-to-be-recouped investment to create) or free download. Once Bandcamp are able to deal with the VAT charges on our behalf, we will return to a small-charge download model. Unfortunately, this change means that the amended releases will no longer appear our our supporters’ pages. We apologise for this and are not entirely sure why this is the case. However, we feel that making sure the music is still available to be enjoyed is the most important thing.

We hope you agree. Many thanks.

EDIT: Bandcamp now administrate payment of the relevant taxes so Ordo Pestilentia releases are now being made available as digital downloads, as the physical copies sell out.

LVTHN – Empire In Flames

LVTHN’s ‘Black Lake’ is now sold out from both Ordo Pestilentia and Paradigms Recordings (but still available through the aether). If there are a few remaining in distros, we know not of them. In honour of this we’ve decided to make a recording that came from the same sessions as ‘Black Lake’, but one which eventually followed its own path to oblivion, available on the Ordo Pestilentia Bandcamp page as a free stream (or downloadable for an exceptionally fair price).

‘Empire In Flames’ sees a deviation from LVTHN’s forays into a fog-shrouded past and turns to the dust-caked present that so very nearly was. Some of the elements that make up this 28-minute track were eventually re-envisioned and pressed into service for subtle harmonics on ‘Black Lake’, but in this exclusive release they are allowed to follow their own bleak path.

“…listen carefully to these instructions, your life depends on how well you follow them…”

LVTHN – Black Lake

LVTHN’s ‘Black Lake’ is now sold out at the label, so we’ve made it available to stream and download from the Ordo Pestilentia Bandcamp page. The final few physical copies we have in stock are also available to purchase through Bandcamp.

“With LVTHN, Wraiths’ Gaendaal conducts a harrowing descent into the darkest abyss and is here inspired by the haunted shores and murky depths of Scotland’s ancient lochs to bring forth the Black Lake. 4 excursions into the unknown over 48 minutes. Presented in finely screen printed arigato pack and issued in a strict edition of 100 exemplars only.”

A hypnotic, unnerving yet strangely tranquil meditation upon the horrors that drift upon the wake…

LVTHN – As Flesh Turns To Stone

Another recent discovery in the Black Archives…

A previously unreleased track from LVTHN, intended to bridge the gap between Throne of Bones/Shrouded by Fog and the later era but which could never find a suitable home, now available for stream and download through the Ordo Pestilentia bandcamp page. In some ways, this is a spiritual successor to the themes initially explored in The Sea-Witch’s Lament. 

LVTHN – Fog On The Barrow-Downs

Buried by time & dust…

Originally released as the opening track from the Sonic Visions of Middle Earth compilation on Foreshadow Productions, we’ve made LVTHN’s ‘Fog On The Barrow-Downs’ available for stream and download through the Ordo Pestilentia bandcamp page. Featuring Gaendaal’s first, and likely only, vocal performance for LVTHN, this 12-minute piece is a requiem dirge for those who linger still in the the hollow hills.

Cold be hand and heart and bone,
and cold be sleep under stone:

LVTHN – Black Lake

LVTHN’s Black Lake is now available from Paradigms Recordings and through our own bigcartel shop.

“WRAITHS may very well be familiar to you from their Paradigms debut and recent releases on Aurora Borealis, including a recent colaboration with Pyramids. With LVTHN, Wraiths’ Gaendaal conducts a harrowing descent into the darkest abyss and is here inspired by the haunted shores and murky depths of Scotland’s ancient lochs to bring forth the Black Lake.

A hypnotic, unnerving yet strangely tranquil meditation upon the horrors that drift upon the wake. 4 excursions into the unknown over 48 minutes. Presented in finely screen printed arigato pack and issued in a strict edition of 100 exemplars only.

FILE UNDER : Haunted Soundtracks / Dark Ambient.“

A sample of ‘Drowned Cathedral’ is available here.

Digital Store Open

The digital Ordo Pestilentia store is now open, with many new and old Ordo-related items available. Now we start work on the physical store, which will include many rarities from the archives.