There is more in this awesome drawing than in some books ❤️
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Shirley Collins 🥇
The new album from Shirley Collins, Archangel Hill, is out now. https://shirleycollins.ffm.to/archangelhill
This is an album that swoops like the Downs through the episodes and the musical companionships of Shirley’s road less travelled.
Please enjoy.
🎶
Disturbing art 😱
Suggestions of a parallel universe… an horrifying nightmare.
… but who can deny this disturbing, provoking artwork makes you “thinking”?
Isn’t “thinking” one of Art’s raison d’etre ?
😵💫
P.S. - look at above picture while listening to Edgar Froese’s Aqua 🎶😱😎🎶 for a one-of-a-kind experience.
Monday, May 29, 2023
Saturday, May 27, 2023
Breaking news - Analogtechnik’s DST17D “Ice Age”
After almost one year after Maestro Daniel Kim was instructed about the exclusive project - fueled by my pal Marco’s impeccable good-taste - for a no-compromises, cost-no-object, bespoke version of the DST’s cartridge: fossil-mammoth cantilever (yes!), meteorite-iron pole-pieces, silver ultra-low impedance triangle-shaped coils and extra care hand-tuning!
The result is just awesome… judge by yourself 🥇
A (more conventional but masterfully made) DST15D La Scala was briefly tasted by a selected panel of tasty and motivated listeners, was highly appreciated at last Munchen Hi End show, only a few days ago: the Silbatone’s WE system simply flew higher then before, without the Analogtechnik’s.
Not sure only my (biased 😇) opinion: the lucky listeners on last Friday in Munchen were - simply said - mouth-watering!
What about DST17D?
A Statement, folks! A labor of love from a quiet, skilled, happy man: a gifted artisan who infused his love for music into something of unique.
This cartridge will write history, period.
🥇
Friday, May 26, 2023
Bert Jansch & John Renbourn’s master-tapes
These old, venerable, 50+ years old BASF and AGFA tapes boxes are just wonderful 🥇 (for a lunatic as yours truly 😵💫😊😏)
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Rhino and Kevin Gray🥇
Rhino High Fidelity
To guarantee constant sonic excellence, as mentioned Rhino has chosen to turn to the good Kevin Gray who will take care of the cutting of the lacquers for all Rhino Hi-Fi releases and it will then be the German Optimal Media to print the 180 gram heavyweight vinyls ( for those who don't know it, for example it dealt with the latest 10th anniversary reissue of Random Access Memory by Daft Punk and is one of the main printing houses in Europe and in the world).
Reissues will feature thick, glossy gatefold covers with high-quality photos and graphics and a retro aesthetic that evokes the golden age of vinyl.
Kevin Gray says: “It will be an honor to remaster this series! In the Rhino catalog there is a great variety to explore: from Jazz to Rock to R&B. Rhino has a very large catalog spanning five decades. The possibilities are amazing! I can't wait to work on all of this."
Exclusive content
Another hallmark of the new Rhino High Fidelity series is the exclusive content.
The Cars includes a new interview with guitarist Elliot Easton about the instruments used on the album, as well as producer Roy Thomas Baker's recording notes for "Good Times Roll."
After listening to the Rhino High Fidelity version, Easton said, "It's like listening to a studio recording… It just blew my mind." He later reflected on the making of the album, saying: “We had the feeling that we were doing something that had never been done before, as if we were breaking new ground and creating sounds that had never been recorded before. It was very exciting. It was simply the chemistry between the five of us. It is not something that one can calculate or initiate. Succeed or fail. It's magic".
Coltrane's Sound includes notes and images from the original tapes, along with an archival essay by legendary producer Tom Dowd, the recording engineer for this album and hundreds of other Atlantic Records classics.
Dowd recalls: “It was incredible, even after an hour of intense playing [Coltrane] remained as calm and composed as when he started. Normally, when someone works this hard, he stiffens. Not John. Watching him play, I could not perceive the characteristics of his hands or fingers. It didn't appear to have any bones. He played with 'feathers'. His technique involved total confidence, control and composure.”
Rhino High Fidelity will take full advantage of Warner Music's extensive music catalog (and therefore all the labels under its hat, such as Atlantic, Elektra, etc.), creating superlative versions of historical albums from the worlds of Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop and beyond.
The Rhino High Fidelity series will continue to release two classic albums each quarter, each with the same packaging and audio quality as the initial pair, in strictly limited editions (list price is set at $39.98).
Upcoming albums in the Rhino High Fidelity series will be announced in the coming weeks.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Munchen, again 🥇
Munchen Hi-End is always an emotional short-circuit: meeting old, beloved friends and finding new motivations, fueling our passion for music which “needs” (obtorto collo) audio.
Meeting Heinrich Amand Basilius Martion after 17 years from Berlin Audio tasting was such a pleasure… and his impeccable good taste for music and his unique loudspeakers are a statement🥇.
What about Analogtechnik’s Daniel Kim? He’s the most humble, skilled, honest and clever artisan I’m aware of: his cartridges are among the best sounding and most exclusive available on the market, period.
Thomas Schick idler-wheel turntable and arm
Analogtechnik’s DMT25 Ice Age (with Fossil Mammoth cantilever)
SUPATRAC - Interesting arm from UK 🥇
Netty de With of STS and her tapes 🎶
Jonathan Weiss of OMA
Marco Minoccheri, my friend and tireless searcher of musical bliss.
Yours truly, per aspera ad astra 😊
Mirco Denti, part of our Italian Dream-Team: passionate and witty 🥇
Esther 🌸
My pal Beau Ranheim
Daniel
JC
Heinrich Martion
Suzuki-san
Joe
From Switzerland 🇨🇭
Hemiolia tapes from Italy 🇮🇹
Analogtechnik’s paraphernalia 🎶
Itamar from Israel and Daniel 🥇
My pal JC Morrison is… my best friend, my brother in arms, one of the sweetest, more spiritual individuals I know.
🌸🍀🌸
My very own Munchen audio fair only lasted a few hours but its effects renewed and propelled my love for humanity and for life… sure worth a 1,100 km round-trip drive 👍