Smoke & Mirrors Percussion Ensemble 180g 45rpm LP (Vinyl)

TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Informal

180g 45rpm Vinyl LP!
Mastering by Bernie Grundman!

“Yarlung Records newly recorded and released Smoke & Mirrors walked away with this year's top prize! …This recording's huge dynamic range (this is not a piece for the weak willed amplifier), instrumental colors and especially cornucopia of percussion instruments including bass drum and tam-tam will give even a thoroughbred audio system everything it can handle and even a bit more.” --Myles Astor

"Here's a relatively new label dedicated to recording young and established concert artists with minimalist recording techniques using vacuum tube microphones recorded directly to two tracks. [Smoke & Mirrors Percussion Ensemble] presents a wide tapestry of rhythms and harmonics skillfully arrayed across a broad and deep soundstage. There's an immediacy, clarity, and transparency to this modern classical percussion recording that seemingly brings the performers to your living room." - Jim Hannon, The Absolute Sound

Smoke & Mirrors takes us on many journeys in this album. These are refreshingly fully developed works, each very different from the others, each with its own story. As a whole, these pieces illustrate the breadth of contemporary classical music written for percussionists, as well as the flexibility and virtuosity of Smoke & Mirrors. We recorded each piece live to tape with no editing, to create the most lifelike performance possible. Take heart in Smoke & Mirrors, who actually play this way (and this well) in real life.

The sonics here are spectacular, and presented at 45rpm because the 33 1/3 test pressing proved too difficult for most tone arms and cartridges to track. At 45rpm you should have no difficulty. These performances were recorded live to tape with no editing by the seven members of Smoke & Mirrors. The power of their playing will immediately become evident upon the first drum 'thwack' behind the hypnotic bell-toned overlay of the opener 'Udacrep Akubrad'... This recording has all of the attributes of the great recordings of the 'golden age' of recording: spaciousness, image three-dimensionality, timbral and textural accuracy and wide dynamics. Crank it up and enjoy!

Features:
• 180g Vinyl
• 45rpm
• Made in Germany
• Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman & Bob Attiyeh
• Vinyl Mastering: Bernie Grundman

Musicians:
Smoke & Mirrors Percussion Ensemble
Joe Beribak
Jessica Cameron
Edward Hong
Katalin La Farve
Kevin Schlossman
Derek Tywoniuk
Wai Wah Wan

Selections:
Avner Dorman (b. 1975)
1. Udacrep Akubrad
Diego Schissi (b. 1969)
2. Juego de Relojes (Game of Clocks)
Derek Tywoniuk
3. Watch me vanish, watch me?
4. Happenstance Mov IV On the Road
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
5. Sonatine Mov III Animé

Recorded in Zipper Hall, Los Angeles, June 7-10, 2011 and June 3-5, 2012