It is the late 1980s and we have just been discussing the rites of passage involved in setting up a record label.
Kevin Pearce has sent me tapes of soon-to-be-released The Claim album to follow another tape by four Welsh no-hopers. "But there is a southern bias here" I'm thinking from my Birkenhead bedroom - desperately seeking a Merseyside angle.
More importantly for my sanity, I needed to focus my attention away from the drudgery of a civil service position - a million miles away from where I wanted, nay, NEEDED, to be.
Probe Records had previously been very helpful when I was searching for the latest Hurrah! releases etc... and a meeting with Jeff Davies offers a major glint of hope.
Primed with the enthusiasm fired by the ignition of Esurient Communications, I'm excited by the walk up the spiral staircase to the owner's lair. A 21-year-old of simple tastes. Band after band are wheeled out and played on the tiny turntable under the window ledge.
"These are quite good and worth looking out for," I'm told as another Bunnymen cliche rattles out of the speakers. My heart sinks a little further yet, despite the career in journalism, the BIG question is invariably out of my league - bar one.
"Whatever happened to The Decemberists?"
The words tumble out of my mouth - Kevin has mentioned the name previously during the days of fanzine fame - but they fail to register any real significance with Davies.
"They became `The' Hellfire Sermons" I'm told. "And released a single recently." The cardboard box pulled from beneath a film of dust and placed in front of me.
The plastic hits the turntable and the needle enters the groove. Suddenly I'm smiling deliriously - Esurient has found a winner. Freak Storm glides across my senses with a passionate ease - ripping at my heart but failing to break it. I'm not that wrapped up in Rachel Clean but, hey, I've heard enough already and we're moving.
But I was a little perturbed by the fact some group called Hyme Records have issued the single - that naivety is still with me. Clutching a couple of copies, the race is on for the Post Office in Whitechapel ("don't look for it, it's not there anymore" - ed., aping Rob Reiner's narrator in Spinal Tap!)
Kevin has a copy within 24 hours and has distributed a tape to Esurient collaborators in the south where Bob Stanley reaches out for a copy. The ball has started rolling on a journey of epic proportions...
Well, almost.
Ian Rodgers - 7/12/02