Capt. Nemo's microphone - Didrik de Geer copper C12 condenser studio microphone

A sought-after, hand-made microphone built in Sweden in only an handful of samplers… a new classic, expensive (15K USD) like a vintage AKG C-24 in pristine conditions, but available for loan in UK.

#10

The artisan behind this beauty also builds premium mic-preamps which I greatly appreciated in a Bis label disk by Jakob Lindberg and his chitarrone (large theorbo) playing Kapsberger's always superb compositions.

The sound is so liquid and light and airy… and right.

I'm investigating about "which" recordings used the mike, as well… for now, I found one and I'm enjoying immensely this great disk whose quality is apparent also through our shitty laptop speakers…

Enjoy the complimentary tracks on the above links.

… more to come…

آخرشه حتما ببینید !!!

That's music… rhythm and skill a go-go… and a LOT OF lolness:-)))

… what about the Arabic title translation? Must see, of course:-)

Horns around the world

R.I.P. Dept. - Harry Pearson passed away yesterday, Nov. 4th, 2014

A lesser, LESSER world it is, folks…

The Passing of a Legend

January 5, 1937 - November 4, 2014 It is with a heavy heart that we must share with you the sad news of the passing of a legendary man. Last night, the evening of November 4th, Harry Hall Pearson Jr. passed away peacefully in his home in Sea Cliff, NY, at the age of 77. Harry will be missed by those of us who loved him as a mentor, a friend, and as the standard-bearer for our mutual pursuits in the world of audio. His legend will live on and echo throughout the audio industry, for Harry’s was the “Gold Standard” of audio journalism. His deep love of music, and the goal of realistic reproduction in the home, became the adopted enthusiasm for hundreds of thousands of audiophiles around the globe. His lexicon of audio vocabulary became the very patois with which audiophiles communicated amongst each other, especially audiophile journalists. Harry’s contributions to the audio world are both measureless and timeless. Thank you, Maestro, for everything. Memorial services are being planned, and we will share that information with you once it becomes available.

He taught to me and thousands audiophiles around the world about recordings quality and his TAS' magazine changed the world of audio and music lovers.

I'm deeply, sincerely concerned and sad for Harry's passing away…

Really sad…

Thanks a lot, dear HP… you'll be always remembered.

The most horny record cover, ever?

Time Capsule Dept. - Tuxedomoon - Desire (Ralph 1981)

Where I was in 1981? What music was I into, then... why I never listened to Tuxedomoon?

Laziness... stupidity... both?!?

Why... possibly because I was loosing my collector's energies after The Absolute Sound's crappy audiophile super-discs, forgetting that also crappiest recording of great music is better than a superb recording of shitty music...

I was gifted of a copy of this disc on last Sunday... listen to it, I was told...

... and so I did...

The cover is rather unattractive... BUT the music, folks!!!

It's the best of the best... the very best of the very best...

Television's Marquee Moon... same sense of surprise, youthful energy, powerful minds steaming like a vessel...

Punk... rock... don't know... those saxes and bass guitars layers... gothic voices, drum machines, USA, UK... Venus... naked, boundaries-less, free-form, rebetika from Greece, violins and saxes...

A dream disc...

I'm into it like a fish in a clear mountain lake, enjoying music deeply and intensely...

Where I was, back in 1981?

Girls... ok, fine... now, that love is an ideal, a mind-game more than sex... well, I feel me a-plenty of joy, during and after listening to Desire...

... with the strong desire to play it again and again...

Thanks Massimo.

...

P.S. - the recording is also to die for... so, to loose T.A.S.' super disc list for never quoting this;-)))



 

ECM News - Jøkleba

New Release: "Outland" by Jøkleba

The Norwegian trio Jøkleba was formed in 1990, establishing itself as one of the most unpredictable groups on the Scandinavian scene. The present disc – the fifth Jøkleba album, but the first for ECM – finds old friends Per Jørgensen, Jon Balke and Audun Kleive working with pulse and colour and texture in collective music-making, emphasizing electronics, trumpet and voice, in freely created pieces which hint at relationships between inspiration and instability. Track titles make reference to writings by Sylvia Plath, Laura Restrepo González, Sadegh Hedayat, Guy de Maupassantand Ken Kesey, in particular to their descriptions of the disintegration of identity, “the human mind when it gets lost”, as Jon Balke puts it. All three musicians have recorded prolifically for ECM in a wide variety of contexts, but the particular chemistry of Jøkleba is unique unto itself.

Listen to a Track:
http://bit.ly/1wCc49i

For more info:

http://bit.ly/1txXNgc

Donald Fagen's Nightfly turntable and arm

A Stealth… aehm… a Para Flux A-16 arm...

Classy…

Frank Zappa's Timeless Wisdom

Forever Young!

Out on Oct. 31st…

RTI Mastering facility

How many nice discs they cutter… all Windham Hills' and more…

The old RTI AcousTech Mastering Studio. The start of the vinyl making process "cutting the master lacquer." The soft acetate is used to make a mastered version of the album master tape, one side at a time. After that, the acetate is turned into a metal master/metal mother/metal stamper for record pressing. Photo caption reads: "Steve Hoffman points out a detail in the lacquer being cut on the Neumann lathe to Peter Bizlewicz. Bizlewicz was impressed to learn that the entire lathe is set onto a concrete slab which is also cut out as an island in the floor- in other words, it's both mechanically grounded and isolated."

Eric Clapton's Celebration in Far East

Eric Clapton is one of the most revered and influential guitarists of all time. From his early days with the Yardbirds, through John Mayall s Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek And The Dominos and on to his solo career he has had consistent critical and commercial success. Planes, Trains And Eric follows Eric Clapton and his band on the Far and Middle Eastern leg of his 2014 World Tour. The film features 13 full length performances from the tour intercut with interviews with Eric Clapton and the band members, rehearsal and soundcheck footage, travel by trains and planes, presentations and fly on the wall filming of all the many aspects of being on the road with Eric Clapton. TRACKLISTING: 1) Tell The Truth 2) Pretending 3) Crossroads 4) Driftin 5) I Shot The Sherriff 6) Little Queen Of Spades 7) Layla 8) Wonderful Tonight 9) Key To The Highway 10) Before You Accuse Me 11) Tears In Heaven 12) Cocaine 13) Hoochie Coochie Man 14) High Time (Credits Audio Only). BONUS FEATURES: Additional interviews / Live performances: (1) Nobody Knows You (When You re Down And Out) (2) Alabama Woman.

Mr Clapton… still among the best…

ECM News - Lumen Drones

Like a Bill Frisell from the North… Lumen Drones… Hardanger Electric Fiddle 2die4...

Nils Økland: fiddles
Per Steinar Lie: guitars
Ørjan Haaland: drums

Lumen Drones is a fascinating and powerful collaboration between Hardanger fiddle master Nils Økland and Per Stainar Lie and Ørjan Haaland, respectively guitarist and drummer with Norwegian ‘post-rock’ group The Low Frequency In Stereo. The participants describe their project as a psychedelic drone band, but its stylistic reach is broad and evocative and will trigger many musical associations. Specific influences include the Doors, Sonic Youth, Durutti Column and “the jazz of the Dave Pike set”, but the Lumen Drones also rove through modal, ambient, multi-folk, minimal and noise zones, making exciting music all the way…

Nice.

Martin Scorsese honoring The Grateful Dead's 50th Anniversary

Martin Scorsese will co-executive produce an authorized feature documentary on the Grateful Dead in honor of the band’s 50th anniversary. Deadline Hollywood is reporting that the film will be directed by Amir Bar-Lev, who is known for his films The Tillman Story and Happy Valley. Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux will serve as the film’s music supervisor.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the currently unnamed project will include never-before-seen footage of concerts and backstage antics, along with new interviews from surviving members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and others from the Grateful Dead circle.

A statement from Lesh, Weir, Hart and Kreutzmann reads, “Millions of stories have been told about the Grateful Dead over the years. With our 50th Anniversary coming up, we thought it might just be time to tell one ourselves and Amir is the perfect guy to help us do it. Needless to say, we are humbled to be collaborating with Martin Scorsese. From The Last Waltz to George Harrison: Living In The Material World, from Bob Dylan to the Rolling Stones, he has made some of the greatest music documentaries ever with some of our favorite artists and we are honored to have him involved. The 50th will be another monumental milestone to celebrate with our fans and we cannot wait to share this film with them.”

Musing?

… no comment…

Bill Frisell's latest - Guitar in the Space Age! (Okeh 2014)

WOW… after Big Sur, Bill shows an even shinier, less dark, musical vein… and it's great music!

Here is the disc...

GUITAR IN THE SPACE AGE!

Bill Frisell - electric guitar
Greg Leisz - pedal steel, electric guitar
Tony Scherr - bass, acoustic guitar on Rebel Rouser
Kenny Wollesen - drums, percussion, vibes

Produced by Lee Townsend

Recording Engineer: Tucker Martine
Mixing Engineer: Adam Muñoz
Mastering Engineer: Greg Calbi
Assistant Engineer at Flora: Michael Finn
Production Assistance: Adam Blomberg
Recorded at Flora Recording & Playback, Portland, OR
Mixed at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York

Art direction, design and photography: Paul Moore (StudioMoore.com)

Let's enjoy!

Horns around the world - Milan, yesterday

An installation in Milan, Italy, where people can speak at several meters... or simply enjoying the thing.

Ancient shapes and timeless elegance...

Nice.

The Gotoest, ever?

A Goto-based system from Vietnam...

... nice ancillaries, as well...

Musings - Escher!

How vinyl records are made

Worth showing this, again... our beloved discs are an industrial process, of course.