The Bremen-based distributor of audiophile recordings is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and we congratulate it with a review of some newly released vinyl gems.
What would the German market for audiophile recordings be if it wasn’t for one or two distributors who put a lot of heart and soul and entrepreneurial commitment into it? It’s therefore about time for the Vinyl Corner to focus primarily on one, if not the, distributor for audiophile recordings: It’s Sieveking Sound we’re talking about, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In 2004, Jan Sieveking started his then still small distribution company in order to finally have easy access to MFSL records on the German market; and so the name Sieveking Sound is still firmly associated with the name MFSL today. However, anyone who has ever met Jan Sieveking and his team in person knows that the people in Bremen are far too curious and active to be satisfied with just a single horse in the race. The distribution catalog now includes well over 40 labels, and the company does not limit itself to reissues, but also distributes new productions. In general, the distribution program is characterized by a high degree of diversity: The genres on offer range from classical to jazz, rock, pop and world music; big players such as MFSL or Analogue Productions stand alongside lovingly managed small companies such as Sam Records or Jazz On Vinyl, which have already found their place here in the Vinyl Corner.
Let’s take a look at three new releases that have just been released in the summer of the company’s anniversary and start with the jazz classic Monk’s Music, which has been reissued by Analogue Productions.
It is interesting to compare it to the Tone Poet reissues from Blue Note, which are excellent in terms of sound and pressing quality. Compared to this release, they sound almost tame, a little like they were produced with the handbrake on. The Monk reissue leaves nothing to be desired, especially when it comes to sharp brass attacks and drum fills. Not only does Art Blakey’s drumming sound with terrific transparency, the dynamic power is also unparalleled in current productions. The musical modernity, the then quite disturbing avant-garde momentum of Monk’s compositions is emphasized here in the clearest possible way. Even though one may be critical of the flood of reissues in the jazz sector, and at times even has to be, this release has more than earned its right to exist. It is therefore all the more pleasing to hear that Sieveking has included all the Monk reissues in this series in its distribution program. Now it’s time to rediscover one or two of Monk’s unheard-of twists and turns.
If we are honest, we have to admit that a large number of current jazz productions released on an explicitly audiophile label often do not belong in the area of musical innovation. After all, the production costs and sales prices have to be made back, and since the majority of high-end recordings are not necessarily to be found in the musical avant-garde, compromises are inevitably made. A distinction still has to be made here between recordings of proven conservative solidity on the one hand and those of cool nonchalance on the other. The latter category undoubtedly includes the second release from the American label Cohearent, which is owned by mastering guru Kevin Gray. On Hackensack West, guitarist Anthony Wilson, together with John and Gerald Clayton at his side, shows that it is perfectly possible to refer to classic jazz conventions without getting bogged down in a mire of musical boredom.
On the contrary: you can tell in every phrase of the music how much fun the musicians had producing it. Here, experts and professionals do not rely on their long-proven skills, but sparkle with inventiveness and playful finesse. A nonchalance that is continued in the sound of the recording. The reference on the cover to the fact that the recording was made exclusively with tube equipment initially gives rise to fears of the worst. Productions from Europe and Germany in particular often “shine” with artificial euphony, a thickened upper bass and reduced transparency, which is then often sold as “wholeness”. But it’s not for nothing that Kevin Gray is behind the controls here, and so the tube technology at best results in an extremely relaxed sound and thus the counterpart to the musical nonchalance of the four players. The more you listen to the recording, the more you get the feeling that a recording should sound like this one. We can only hope that Cohearent will make further recordings and that Jan Sieveking will stay on the ball and continue to distribute them for the German market.
Particularly worth mentioning are Jan Sieveking’s contacts in Japan, where there is still a very lively market for classical SACDs. Above all, Esoteric, TEAC’s high-end forge, never tires of not only producing outstanding SACD players, but is itself also involved in the production process of new reissues. After a handful of digital recordings, Esoteric is now presenting its first high-quality vinyl with the legendary recording of Brahms’ Violin Concerto with David Oistrakh and George Szell.
The analog editing process was carried out in the Mixer’s Lab in Tokyo using the legendary Neumann VMS80, of which only two are still in existence in Japan. The other electronics required for the mastering process were supplied by Esoteric itself, so that one can definitely speak of a very special “house sound” here. This goes so far that the first test copies of the vinyl cut are checked on the Grandioso T1 presented two years ago at the Munich HIGH END. Thanks to the new and patented “Esoteric MagneDrive System”, the platter of the Esoteric turntable is set in rotation without contact. What could be more suitable than this vinyl machine for testing in-house productions? The result is a violin sound of unheard-of lightness, but which is detached from the orchestral sound with wonderful directness. The only conclusion to be drawn from this truly convincing reworking of Oistrakh’s virtuoso art by Esoteric is the well-known alliteration: legends live longer.
And so we congratulate Sieveking Sound on its 20th anniversary and hope that the one or other audiophile niche label will also find a home here in the future.
Anthony Wilson – Hackensack West
Label: Cohearent Records
Format: Vinyl 180 g
Thelonious Monk Septet – Monk’s Music
Label: Analogue Productions
Format: Vinyl 180 g
Johannes Brahms – Violin Concerto op. 77
David Oistrach, Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Label: Esoteric
Format: Vinyl 180 g