[moogoob]

Is anyone else familiar with this unique album? Word has it that the engineers were unhappy with the way the minimal soundscapes sounded in 33 1/3, so they mastered it to be played back at 45 RMP. It certainly sounds... spacy and ethereal. Really neat find for me at a used records store.

 

[RushNerd]

12" 45rpm? that is odd. Is it vinyl?

 

[TheAttorney]

It's well known in some audiphile circles that 45rpm vinyl will sound better than 33rpm - with more dynamic range available. That said, for such a quiet, etheral sound of Victorialand, imo the original recording quality would be more important than the speed of the vinyl cut. I did have that album in my vinyl days and it's SQ was much better than Coctuea Twins' Treasure album, but the latter's SQ was a pretty low starting point.

Obviously, the 45rpm option is only viable for shorter length albums, unless you start using 2 slabs of vinyl for a single album (which some audiophile labels have done).

On the music front, if you liked Victorialand, you may want to check out:

Cocteau Twins - Heavan or Las Vegas. More "uplifting" than "ethereal". It's more poppy and commercial, but that doesn't stop it from, arguably, being CT's finest hour.

This Mortal Coil - It'll End in Tears. Elizabeth Frazer joins a sort of indie super group to produce a unique ethereal sound - darker, more gothic than Victorialand.

 

[40Hz]

Thanks for the tip on This Mortal Coil - have just picked up a copy of the album on vinyl, by chance, and it's all the incentive I need to get the TT set up properly... (Have been enjoying the Cocteau Twins for years).

 

[moogoob]

Thanks for the tips, TheAttorney.

It's funny the things I come upon in used record shops/yard sales here in Toronto.