Disk of the Day - Bayou (ECM - 2021)

 

This amazing disc was introduced to me by chance by my friend Marco Minoccheri at his place in Bologna, a couple of weeks ago.

I was attracted by the atmospheric intro made of shimmering cymbals and ultra-low end.

I could describe this disk content as well-dressed silence.

Do you a favor and buy this sonic beauty on beloved ECM.

You won’t regret 😏

P. S. - also available on vinyl ✅

Your hi-fi sucks 🥳

 

Audio Avoidance Personality Disorder and Audio Narcissism:

It all boils down to criticisms, at both the giving and receiving end.

Some people love to criticize, but criticisms without etiquette tells you more about the person, than the object of his criticism.   If someone invites you to their home for dinner, would you criticize every dish?   Not enough salt on this, to much oil on that.    And would you criticize somebody's wife?   "O her ass is too fat and her boobs are too small?".  How would you like somebody to criticize your wife?

Ask yourself whether you are capable of basic human decency which includes proper manners and etiquette.    So why criticize another person's system, especially when you may not be the ultimate expert yourself.

Very common amongst Asian audiophile groups is the "Si Fu" (Grand Master) syndrome.    They see audio as some sort of path to enlightenment, as if there's some ladder to climb, to achieve seniority.   

I have no Si Fu and I don't need Si Fu's. Anyone who thinks of himself as a grand master over some stupid Hi-Fi shit, is truly exercising self loathing stupid egotism.   And you can be sure, you are no Si Fu, as you are most certainly preaching subjective taste, and not objective certainty.

 And there is always somebody with a bigger dick than yours.

The flip side of the coin is, some people simply cannot handle the slightest criticism.  Some are so thin skinned that they would disassociate entire social groups in fear of criticism.   

What's the big deal, really ?   If my system sounds like s*** to another person, does it really matter to me?    Is it going to hurt my feelings?  Do I lose sleep over it?    

Stupid is as stupid does.   Do not let others define who you are or what you like.   If I like McIntosh, what's it to you?   

Audio Narcissists should also take heed, that if you can't take criticism, stop giving them yourself.  Unless if you want to be Donald Trump.  Childish.

At the end of the day, human relationship is more valuable than what you own, or what others think of what you own, so don't fall into the pitfall of misplaced priorities.

So don't let stupid childish behaviors sever friendships over some stupid expensive toys.

Thanks to Richard H. Mak for above inspired and inspirational prose.

UHER - a “kleines Meisterwerk aus Westdeutschland”

 

BASF Hobby-Box

 

An editing-kit for 1/4” tape… I got this humble gift from (classic Italian hi-Fi maker) Revac’s founder.

🙏🥇🙏

Thanks! A nice add to my open-reel related stuffs ✅

Bought a book…

 

… better late than never 😎

Peter Brötzmann passed 😢

 

A true lion, a music terrorist passed…

Peter Brötzmann, could and knew how to inspire fear. Or be decidedly abrupt and determined in his human relationships.

In any case, when you were with him you had the sensation of being in the presence of a great little legend of free jazz and improvised music. 

A veteran and a precious first-hand witness. One of those who had created the autonomous way to a radical European jazz, from nothing, gradually freeing themselves from the Afro-American main road, taking the sound message and the scream of Ayler, Shepp, Trane, Dolphy, Taylor to extremes.

Or else Peter could also be, on the contrary, an amiable drinking and conversation companion, always very sincere and clear-cut in his opinions and generous in his storytelling. One of the last times we met him, having a bite to eat in the middle of the night after one of his solo concerts, he wanted to give us the story of when, in the sad and poor provincial Germany of the devastated post-war period, he fell in love with that new music that came from America and that emanated a pleasant and irresistible aroma of FREEDOM. 

The first concerts as a spectator, intercepting the great soloists passing through German clubs, from Dexter to Don Byas, from Ben Webster to Sidney Bechet, sometimes heard from outside the club because he didn't have the money for the ticket. Then the slap of free jazz, which comes to change the cards on the table and is the turning point and the viaticum to find a new independent road for European jazz, ahead of the times and making school with albums like Machine Gun, For Adolphe Sax or Nipples , which Brotzmann recorded at the end of the sixties.

When he came to tell how, as a young art student, poor and penniless, he had come to sell his bicycle and have to walk in order to be able to buy his first saxophone, I must tell the truth: I was moved.

(Thanks to Enrico Romero)

… his music was so unique and no-compromising 🥇

Neumann Holy Grail

 

Far East style: a Neumann lathe as a “turntable”, Neumann 12” arm and Neumann DST62 cartridge 🥇

… or with Analogtechnik’s DST & DMT 🥇

🥇

Caps

 

Pentangle on TV

 

An STC/Coles 4038 mike on glockenspiel 🥇

A DeArmond pick-up on Bert Jansch’s Bailey acoustic guitar 

Trout Mask Replica is 54 🥂

 

It was issued on June 16th, 1969… but it will be forever young, like it will be out tomorrow 🥇

🥂

Sonja Kristina

 

From Curved Air’s Airconditioning cover 

Bert Jansch (not Jansh) ✅

 

Bert’s Nicola master-tape with wrong surname spelling 😱

I love this underrated record and the masterdub sounds marvelous 🥇

Was Egon Schiele an ET?

 

“Nanu nanu!”

Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Queens

 

Collectibles 😎

Analogtechnik DST17 IA🥇

 

Finally the first sampler arrived!!!

The bespoke, ultra limited edition DST17 IA, with its meteorite-iron pole-pieces and fossil mammoth ivory cantilever and an alien-like building care and quality, was delivered by its maker, Maestro Daniel Kim.

Cherry-picked, indeed 😏

As I already appreciated when first meeting Daniel in person a few weeks ago in Munchen, he proved to be a rare-breed artisan whose knowledge for his craft and care for details is seldom found anywhere.

We met at Marco’s place in Bologna and the Fluksus and ALE system were in great shape and superbly finely-tuned and in full-bloom: the Technics SP-10R in Fluksus skeletal-plinth and Shindo RF-773 Meursault 13” arm played some truly nice music with Analogtechnik’s DST15 La Scala with authority and extreme class and beauty… but… BUT!!!

When we mounted the brand-new DST17 serial # 000/010 😱😱😱😱😱😱🥇🥇🥇🥇

OMG!

The colliding of stars, an Higgins’ Boson, a Black Hole happened in front of the exclusive panel: music sounded like it was played by a group of Saints, an orchestra whose members were Angels and Seraphims, directed by God in person 😏😵‍💫😀😊😇😎!

We listened to the Music of Spheres 🤩

Daniel Kim, myself and the landlord were jaws-dropped and not blinking-eyes-mode for long, loooong moments.

It was such a one-of-a-kind listening experience which left us empty and full of emotions at the same time.

I felt honored as I witnessed the birth of a star (DST17), a new benchmark, no hypes needed, and so different from the poor, poor presentation of Analogtechnik’s cartridges at last Munchen’s HiEnd, seriously affected by an inexplicable (or unfortunately predictable) lack of empathetic support to the young craftsman from (so-called) self-crowned, selfish audio geniuses, relegated to a few minutes of listening at the end of the day when all the visitors had already left, on a record player and an arm unsuitable for expressing the HUGE merits of these extraordinary cartridges.

I could continue in singing praises about yesterday… but I won’t do!

No need, at all… as it speaks by itself ✅

The highlight of 2023, to-date… silky, natural, effortless, beefy and organic sound was the gift after a lot of time and efforts from all parties involved in creating this limited-edition masterpiece worth the VERY BEST ancillaries and most exclusive audio installations.

Everything in the name of Music… and empathy among good-hearted people.

The just opened jewel-box 

No jealousy or power-games, only positive vibes, Italian-style, in South-Korean sauce.

🥂

Class in spades 🥇

~

Ottimodimondo 🥇

I’m so proud to have been involved in this unique experience and creation of this bespoke cartridge and I truly wish to Daniel to get the success he deserves, still keeping his humbleness and no-compromises approach.

Daniel and Marco: tired but happy 👍

… and of course, as I’m nor jealous neither snob, try to get a DST17 for an ultimate, definitive analog experience: reportedly (from the patron who financed the project) most of the very limited edition batch is already reserved, but some could be still available, as I’m writing at the moment.

🎶🎶🎶