Majestic toreadors of surf-punk-rock The Pixies, have their entire back catalogue re-mastered and collected together in a luxurious box-set that oozes class and exudes art from its every pore. "Minotaur" is released not via their smartly-dressed label of choice 4AD but as part of the Artist In Residence imprint, based in the U.S.. It will be available through selected outlets on the UK including the Rough Trade shops and website.

This sumptuous release will appear in October on 2 formats. The most lavish (and therefore expensive) the "Limited Edition" will set you back (sit down before reading this next bit) around £300 (it's OK you can stand up now, slowly does it). But in true collector's style, this is a very special looking edition. Released as a limited run of 3000 worldwide, this first version features all 5 Pixies albums on 180gram vinyl and is signed by the band and designer Vaughan Oliver. Also included are the same albums on 24-carat gold CDs, Blu ray audio versions, dvd audio versions and DVD of their 1991 Brixton date, a wealth of posters and prints plus a 96 page book featuring works by Oliver and Simon Larbalestier, the Pixies sleeve and graphic design partners who designed their entire output back in the 90's for 4AD. But, get this..... just 25 copies out of the 3000 will also feature very rare test-pressings of the vinyl albums cut from the original analogue masters. The whole caboodle is enclosed in a box package designed by the 2 designers, natch.

This is indeed a work of art and is aimed at the serious buyer but, if pennies are a little short in these times of recession, there is always the cheaper "Deluxe" version available priced at (cough) £115 approx. The 'budget' set includes the 5 cd/blu-rays, a 54 page book and the DVD of the Brixton gig as well as being dressed in a beautiful slip-case package. It is also a limited edition.

Both versions have been on pre-order for a while now but there are still some copies left for reservation. And if you cannot stump up the kudos for the above you can always check out their upcoming tour - see the article by our very own Solange on this site for details!