New Sylvian release this year

[svendutchmountains]

From what I have seen on FB the tin is a different size, there is no inlay and the CD has a different colour... but as I mentioned I have not yet received the second edition myself yet! Still waiting for that *ç%& postman!

[Simonp]

In what world does this label think they live, no snippets, no digital download. I find this offensive and condescending really.
And now it's sold out. so we'll never hear it?.

I'm shocked in the extreme. This is a one man operation. The label owner more or less does everything himself in the way he wants to. If you're not happy with his business model open your own label and run it the way you want to. I think you'll probably find it much harder work than you obviously think. The very fact Confront do not release music digitally is in my opinion a great and courageous approach to how music is released in this day and age. It's nice to see a small label producing limited pressings of physical products.

Can I ask how you find it offensive and condescending?

[Simonp]

I also would love to hear PTS, but I'm not going to buy a format which I cannot listen to.

Unless you live at the South Pole I'm sure you could find someone to make a copy from the CD in the digital format of your choice...no?

Yes, the label can present their artists in whatever form they like... its part of their ethos. If you don't like it then its tough luck I'm afraid.

Foales, the voice of reason...

[svendutchmountains]

From what I have seen on FB the tin is a different size, there is no inlay and the CD has a different colour... but as I mentioned I have not yet received the second edition myself yet! Still waiting for that *ç%& postman!

So the mailman arrived today !

The second edition differs in a couple of ways from the first edition:
- The tin is exactly the same size, but the lips on the opening are bigger and further apart.
- The black title sticker is set slightly differently and has been placed so the tin appears to be lying (landscape) rather than standing (portrait).
- The CD itself is transparent instead of the back vinyl look.
- There is no card or inlay of any kind. Instead there is a large black sticker on the back of the tin with the relevant information.

The music itself appears to be exactly the same on the first listening...

[ronc]

Glad that you got your second edition, Sven. I still don't have mine yet...

[Kev in P.B.]

People who "expect" digital samples/ downloads have become a bit spoiled by their ability to obtain anything and everything at any given moment. If nothing else, buying a Sylvian-related release (w/the exception of DBOAC) is a matter of faith: it WILL be of high quality and, as time goes on, each release will be a little more inaccessible than the last. A sound sample isn't necessary;I know that I may not "get it" at first, but I also know that whatever form the music might take, it will make me think and feel differently about my world when I (eventually ) understand it, and a 30 second sample isn't going to affect my decision to buy or not buy his work.

I have not received my 2nd edition cd yet (12/29/15). I was a bit concerned when I heard it was already in other people's music collection so I contacted the label. I was asked for my Paypal receipt, and once confirmed I received an email stating that it is on the way. It made me feel better to know that it is a one person operation. That, and the fact that it is the Holidays and the weather (in my area) is a bit out-a-whack. If you have not received your copy yet you might send him (M.W.) just to confirm everything is well, then sit back and ....wait. I have a feeling it will be well worth it.
-JKC

[ronc]

Here's the email I received from Mark on the 21st of December:

Hello,
Official release date was 16th December 2015.
All pre-ordered copies have been shipped.
You should receive your copy soon.

Regards Mark
CONFRONT RECORDINGS

FWIW.

[inkinthewell]

I would like to take this moment to wish everyone here (all five of you ) all the very best for the season... lets hope the forthcoming year yields some news from David; maybe a new work of some sort too.

Thank you. Was away at Christmas but I'm still in time to wish you and everybody here a wonderful 2016.

Had some catching up to do, and I was quite surprised by SomeAre's post. I suppose that, if he can't play a CD at home, it means that he only listens to music on his smartphone or tablet. I don't use my tablet to listen to music and I don't have a smartphone, but I wonder if, in terms of sound fidelity, these things are reliable? Can something like Playing The Schoolhouse be listened to decently on a phone?

[Foales Arishes]

I would like to take this moment to wish everyone here (all five of you ) all the very best for the season... lets hope the forthcoming year yields some news from David; maybe a new work of some sort too.

Thank you. Was away at Christmas but I'm still in time to wish you and everybody here a wonderful 2016.

Had some catching up to do, and I was quite surprised by SomeAre's post. I suppose that, if he can't play a CD at home, it means that he only listens to music on his smartphone or tablet. I don't use my tablet to listen to music and I don't have a smartphone, but I wonder if, in terms of sound fidelity, these things are reliable? Can something like Playing The Schoolhouse be listened to decently on a phone?

Happy New Year one and all ... I hope the hangovers are not too bad

I find the sound quality on my iPhone and my MP3 player to be pretty good, or as good as 320kbs audio can be... I listen to music mostly on my old CD based HiFi, but enjoy the ability to listen to music on the move etc; though I would not want it to be my only way of playing music. I'm not an MP3 hater, but I would be very sad if physical copies vanished... and its labels like Confront that keep physical media alive, with some producing beautiful packages.

As far as samples go I find them pretty useless, unless they are very long... and as Kev in P.B (welcome by the way Kev and good post! ) commented for PTS it would not give a reasonable way to decide to buy or not.

I'm sure any DS fan could stretch to the paltry £8GBP for PTS and rip it to MP3 somehow... or just take a sample-less punt and sell it on if they hated it... probably for a profit

[Autonomy77]

In what world does this label think they live, no snippets, no digital download. I find this offensive and condescending really.

Having purchased several Confront recordings over the years, the most recent being the new Sylvian, I've always been delighted with the quality of Confront products. Wastell has found a niche, and consistently delivers the goods, so I fail to see how this can be regarded as "offensive", in any shape or form.

Having communicated with Mark Wastell on a one-to-one level several times also, to see him and his work described as "condescending" is also very wide of the mark, IMHO - as anyone who has spoken with him will confirm, he is completely unpretentious, and wants to provide an interesting alternative to the "download everything" culture. And that's the point - it *IS* intended to be an alternative. It's up to the buyer whether they wish to participate.

Anyone doubting Wastell's motives should do the math - he clearly isn't in this for the money!

[Tin Bird]

I don't own an iPhone and am not interested in listening to music on one. I like to listen on a decent hi-fi if possible. Mine is extremely entry level, but at least better than listening to it on a phone. I am an MP3 hater and typically just skip them if that's the format available. iPhone's are the leading culprit in the Loudness Wars (look it up) and have almost singlehandedly ruined the way music is produced today. Loud, overly compressed...etc. etc. but as we know, music, like all commodities tends to cater to the lowest common denominator..in this case, teenagers (who buy the most music) and iPhones. Things like subtlety, depth, texture, dynamics, fluidity, sibilance, natural sound, warmth...etc. are pretty much lost on this generation. In fact, the term "album" is pretty much a lost art...kids these days think in terms of "songs"... anyway...I'll get off my soap box now.

Of course, a piece like Sylvian's latest is completely outside the rails of this issue, but I think the comments about downloads and iPhones suggest that they are not as far out as one would have hoped...

[Simonp]

I'm not precious what format I listen to music on, vinyl, CD, mp3...I just happen to love good sleeve design and enjoy the process of putting a piece of vinyl on turntable to listen to. I'll never forsake that for digital but both have a place in the way I listen to music. When travelling how can you not appreciate the convenience of MP3

[Tin Bird]

I appreciate your comment Simon...frankly I don't really travel that much. Certainly not flying...in the car on a road trip, I've got the Cd player so that does fine...and of course I do own a PC and listen to tracks on YouTube...etc. so I'm not immune, I just try to give the music it's due respect by listening to it in a reasonable way that allows it to shine the way it was intended to...at least as much and as often as possible. The rest of my family use their iPhones religiously... so I'm aware of their charms (and addictive possibilities)

[Foales Arishes]

At the end of the day its the content of the music rather than the end format that is most important, crap will be crap regardless of whether its played back at 128kbs or 192khz. There is a lot of snobbery surrounding end formats, despite the fact few know how the original material was recorded and mixed {with mastering another matter altogether}... for instance, TALTE was mostly put together on a laptop and the sound quality is actually bloody awful, with many of the components used to build the music being of very poor quality and having a very high noise floor [basically a crap load of hiss] ... The playback medium of the album, be it MP3 of CD would make no difference in its case. PTS is slightly better, but its likely a lot of the component parts were recorded using fairly basic field recording kit, and again the final sample rate makes very little difference to the end experience.

Some boutique classical labels record at crazy high sampling rates, using exotic microphones and signal chain, with sympathetic mixing and mastering for a final release on CD/SACD and high resolution digital formats... With these releases - and using very high quality hi-fi components - you might be able to discern the difference from an MP3 rip, though the fact is most people would not notice at all, and the art is still intact.

The reason I choose, and support, physical media is I prefer to have an item I can hold, look at and read, esp. if there are generous liner notes and artwork, rather than some collection of files on the PC, which I find soulless... for the music itself there is less importance and a poor original recording would bother me more than the playback media being at lower resolution.

To qualify a little... I do record music on a semi-pro basis, so have a reasonable working knowledge of producing sound from inception, to recording/mixing/mastering, to release... Also, to use an analogy I love art (painting and photography) and enjoy visiting galleries to see exhibitions, but my favourite format to soak in the work is a book or catalogue... These reproductions will never match the quality work on the wall (not the mention the size) but this 'end format' does not detract from the original artwork in any way, as the idea, and image in this case, remains intact.

Anyway, sorry for a load of poncy waffle

[Tin Bird]

No, it's all good...no problem. I actually find the topic interesting and respect your thoughts. I suppose I like to consider myself a but of a burgeoning entry-level audiophile, so I'm sure that I'm the pretentious one here. Like you I have been a musician (drummer) and music artist (Birds of Tin..ambient music..) for many years and I am aware of what goes into making a recordings sound great vs. average. I tend to prefer well recorded, well-produced music but I can certainly throw on a early Beatles record and rock out! I agree that I also like to have an art object of some kind to go along with my music. Kind've like a visual representation of the music. I can certainly tell the difference between MP3's and a well pressed record or a well mastered CD, so I would choose either of them over a digital file. Supposedly FLAC files are higher quality than either, but I still haven't taken to them. I guess in a way it seems so impersonal to me..like the artist spent his/her time making it and all I could muster was to click a mouse....also, again, I think the prominence of small, digital sound players like iPhones has led to the music industry mastering the songs louder, compressing them to within an inch of their life, and general ruining the sound of the albums. Most remastered albums from the early 2000s up to today sound pretty horrid to me..of course I can think of a few exceptions...The Beatles remasters were great and some others mainly done in Japan...Devo comes to mind....anyway as always when it comes to music and art...too each his own!