Lifeforms vinyl repress - October

[Ross]

?

I wanted it earlier - that's all

So it never made October 2017. Foolish I had forgotten about this, so kind of pleased its delayed until Jan

[Ross]

This is definitely happening, anyway. Amazon UK pre-order

[mcbpete]

Now available from Norman Records - https://www.normanrecords.com/records/110818
Surprised it fits on just 2 LPs, for some reason I was thinking it needed to be at least a 3 el-pee-er....

[Ross]

It's from 1994, before audiophilia took over vinyl. The idea that putting more than about 30 minutes on one LP is a no-no is a very recent one.

Looks cool, but I think having to get up 3 times to flip it over or swap LP would detract from the experience of an album like this. It's something I like to just lay back and drift away to

Ross - the audiophilia is old - it just wasn't trendy back then

The 11 minutes per side on a 33rpm 12" - if you want no compression whatsoever - I saw this for the first time on an early '70s documentary about recording sounds. On the other hand, a little compression never hurt anyone

[mcbpete]

Looks cool, but I think having to get up 3 times to flip it over or swap LP would detract from the experience of an album like this. It's something I like to just lay back and drift away to

It's actually one of the main reasons I don't have any FSOL (aside from vinyl exclusive things like Semtex) on vinyl - To me the albums are one long beast (or two beasts in Lifeform's case, but split perfectly) and the breaks just seem non-FSOL-y

[Ross]

Ross - the audiophilia is old - it just wasn't trendy back then

I suppose that's what I mean by 'took over'. When some of the most popular albums of all time - Tubular Bells, Abbey Road, a bunch of Miles Davis etc. - can run over 45 minutes on one LP and not be hounded down then I think there's nothing to worry about. Nowadays people are terrified of putting more than half an hour on one album. When Herd released Arteater the other year, the label were boasting about getting a full 18 minutes a side and I laughed.

A couple of particularly daft recent examples are Aphex's Syro (triple album for an hour long record, meaning one side runs to about seven minutes. Totally impossible to just sit down and enjoy it as a single album experience) and Huerco S.'s last album, which was a 50 minute lo-fi ambient album pressed on two records. It's often mentioned that quieter music with less reliance on bass suffers less on long albums, so there's absolutely no reason that album couldn't survive on one LP with no real difference.

Anyway, Environments 2 is nearly an hour and sounds fine on a single record, and frankly I'm happy to trust FSOL in terms of sound.

[mcbpete]

Going on a tangent somewhat, one of the daftest vinyl releases is probably William Basinski's Disintegration Loops where some of the tracks (as in an individual track) ran over three separate sides. And for a drone piece that's pretty darn bonkers

That and it being priced almost $250 at launch !

True, Brevity isn't something he's known for.

[Ross]

Going on a tangent somewhat, one of the daftest vinyl releases is probably William Basinski's Disintegration Loops where some of the tracks (as in an individual track) ran over three separate sides. And for a drone piece that's pretty darn bonkers

That and it being priced almost $250 at launch !

Although I do have preferences, I'm a firm believer that certain music is suited to certain formats. There's lots of scuzzy, lo-fi experimental stuff that works really well on cassette, but I find it baffling when really detailed, digital music gets put out on it. Anything that's intended to create a seamless sound world being on tape or vinyl is utterly daft to me (Dead Cities over four sides isn't a great experience). I have Max Richter's Sleep box set which I have listened to over eight CDs, but once I get a Blu-Ray player, the BR disc will be the only way I ever put it on.

Disintegration Loops on vinyl is absurd. Each is a single evolving piece of music that, by its very nature, needs to be heard in one go.
I just checked out Eno's Thursday Afternoon, a piece he specifically wrote for CD, on Discogs, and people are talking about wanting a vinyl version. It boggles the mind.

I note it comes with a download code so you can get the remastered version in digital format.

For me with vinyl the involvement with putting the record on, putting the stylus down, and later turning over all adds to the immersion of the music as you're more committed to the experience throughout, more bounded with the music if you will. The physical exercise in getting up and turning the vinyl over three times is an added bonus!

I get what you guys are saying about the seamless music to some extent, but it was on 2 CDs originally anyway. Anyway: ordered. Hoorah, I can't wait for this!!

[mcbpete]

Although I do have preferences, I'm a firm believer that certain music is suited to certain formats.

Yeah absolutely spot on !

I actually 'caved in' in picking up Lifeforms again in this vinyl form last night - I clicked on the previews on Bleep (as if I didn't know what it sounds like already ) and just .... god this album is just so good, I needed to buy it again just as a thankyou. Will be worth it just for the big artwork ! (Talking of which I wonder if they'll have the old discography pics listed on the inlay including the [at the time] mysterious Environments album)