Playlist Week of 2014-08-30

* 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.