September 1, 2014

Playlist Week of 2014-08-30

COSMOLOGIES LTD LP

* Buxtehude: Sonatas, Op.1 (Holloway/ter Linden/Mortensen) (Naxos CD)
* Telemann: Complete Tafelmusik (Freiburger Barockorchester) (d.1-2) (Hamonia Mundi 4CD)
* Francis Lai: A Man And A Woman OST (United Artists LP)
* Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Abraça Jobim (Pablo 2LP)
* Charles Mingus with Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964 (Blue Note 2CD)
* John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse! SACD)
* Dave Holland: Prism (Dare2 CD)
* Dino Saluzzi: Cité de la Musique (ECM CD)
* Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Cosmologies (NuVoid Jazz LP)
* Portara Quartet: Live/Remix (selections) (Realworld 2CD)
* Hot Chip: In Our Heads (Domino CD)
* Jerry Garcia Band: The Long Island Sound (d.5) (ATO 6HDCD)
* Van Morrison: Wavelength (Warner Bros. LP)
* The Band: The Band (Capitol LP)
* Gentle Giant: Free Hand (Capitol LP)
* Gentle Giant: Live: Playing The Fool (Capitol 2LP)
* Camel: Mirage (Janus LP)
* Camel: Moonmadness (Janus LP)
* Pete Bardens: Seen One Earth (Capitol/Cinema LP)
* Pete Bardens: Speed Of Light (Capitol/Cinema LP)
* Thompson Twins: Side Kicks (Arista LP)
* Thompson Twins: Here’s To Future Days (Arista LP)
* Boredoms: Vision Creation Newsun (Birdman CD)
* Boredoms: Super AE (Birdman CD)
* OOIOO: Feather Float (Birdman CD)
* Meshuggah: Contradictions Collapse/None (Nuclear Blast CD)
* Opeth: Pale Communion (Roadrunner CD/BD/7” Box)
* White Hills: Glitter Glamor Atrocity (Thrill Jockey LP)
* Wolves In The Throne Room: BBC Session 2011 Anno Domini (Southern Lord EP)
* Liturgy: Renihilation (Thrill Jockey LP)
* Liturgy: Aesthetica (Thrill Jockey 2LP)
* Red Fang: Murder The Mountains (Relapse LP)
* Red Fang: Whales And Leeches (Relapse LP+12”)
* Mortals: Cursed To See The Future (Relapse LP)
* Krakatau: Water Near A Bridge (Trouble In Mind LP)(†)

=iPod/iTunes
=car

Commentary:

My latest album with Sam Byrd  and my first ever on vinyl — is now out in the world. And the consensus is that the limited edition Cosmologies LP is a spectacularly well-pressed piece of wax. In fact, Sam and I agree that it sounds even better than the test pressing, which is really saying something! 

As you all know, I went into this project with much trepidation. Let's face it: vinyl is a pain-in-the-ass. Warps, off-center pressings, clicks, pops and skips are all too common. The music on Cosmologies has an extremely wide dynamic range, which I went to great lengths to preserve by having it mastered by the legendary Richard Dodd and hiring Cameron Henry at Welcome to 1979 to cut (and re-cut) the lacquers. All of this hard work would have been obliterated by a poor (or even run-of-the-mill) pressing job.

Despite the flawed first attempt, United Record Pressing really came through for me with Cosmologies. This is as good as vinyl gets and rivals any high-dollar "audiophile" LP I've heard, at least in terms of its fit-and-finish and dead-quiet surfaces. Needless to say, it far exceeds my initial expectations. Add in the letterpress covers, hand-printed by Griffin Norman at Isle of Printing, and you have more than just a record — you have a true work of art. 

Limited to only 200 numbered copies, Cosmologies won't be around forever. Get yours exclusively at Bandcamp.

3 comments:

Sam said...

The LP sounds excellent, Rodger! I am so proud of it, and proud to have been a part of it. Whoo-hoo!

Here are my lists from last week:

Playlist 2014-09-01:

*360 Degree Music Experience: In: Sanity (side 3)
*Muhal Richard Abrams/George Lewis/Roscoe Mitchell: 2009-08-29 S. Anna Arresi, Italy (CDR)
*Muhal Richard Abrams Experimental Band: 2012-08-25 Saalfelden, Austria (CDR)
*AMM: AMMMusic 1966
*AMM: 2001-04-15 Chicago (CDR)
*AMM with John Butcher: Trinity
*Ian Carr: Belladonna
*Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Cosmologies (LP)
*Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza: The Feed-Back
*Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza: Eroina
*Freddie Hubbard: The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard (selections)
*Charles Mingus: The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 (disc 4)
*Roscoe Mitchell Quartet: 2009-06-28 Tivoli (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell's Cards For Orchestra Project: 2009-08-30 Sant'Anna Arresi, Italy (CDR)
*Roscoe Mitchell: 2011-02-17 Roulette, NYC (CDR)
*Jelly Roll Morton: Volume Two (JSP)
*Reggie Workman Quartet: 1988-11-13 Willow Jazz Club, Somerville, MA (cassette)
*Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.: Electric Heavyland
*Jeff Beck: Truth
*George Duke: Feel
*High Llamas: Snowbug
*Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II (2014 remaster) (disc 2)
*Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III (2014 remaster) (disc 2)
*Lorde: Pure Heroine
*OOIOO: Gamel
*Wig Drop: Wig Drop

Reading List 2014-09-01:

*King, Stephen. Insomnia (reread/started)
*Trent, Chris. Another Shade of Blue: Sun Ra on Record (reread/started)
*Shannon, Samantha. The Bone Season (finished)
*Sun Ra Research. Issue 34 (July 2001) (finished)
*Gioia, Ted. History of Jazz (2nd ed.) (in progress)
*Mikics, David. Slow Reading in a Hurried Age (in progress)

Roddus said...

Mine arrived last week, No 46/200, been on high rotation on the new turntable for several days now and I am really enjoying it. It certainly is clean and the music sound quality is excellent. I am most impressed with the music, well done. Also got out my copy of Upstanding Young Americans and had a better listen to that as well, also most enjoyable. Well done again.

Rodger Coleman said...

Thank you so much Roddus! I am glad it made it safely round the world!