Dead Can Dance Into the Labyrinth MFSL Silver LP is Terrific!

Played mine last night, and I have to say this LP should be a must have.

My copy says something like "...from the original master tapes on a Gain 2 analogue system"

I think my 2nd disc is a fraction of a mm off center, how is everyone elses copy? I have number 833.

 

Do you know this for a fact or are you just speculating? From their own press the Silver Series is lower cost because of the more unusual titles + lighter vinyl/cheaper packaging.

If you haven't compared them (I haven't) than it is just pure speculation on your part again - period.

 

At the moment on Elusive disc this 'Silver' disc is $35 while the OMR Sinatra is $30 so the silver disc is more expensive not less???

Anyway all original UK vinyl DCDs sound fantastic? I'd love to know whether this is an improvement or not.

 

ITL is a DOUBLE.

All the other single disc silver issues are cheaper.

 

I have heard the Mofi... I like the SACD better.

 

Really? I thought the vinyl would have the edge.

 

One of my biggest disappointments with the DCD UK vinyl catalog: The Serpent's Egg. At least two copies I've heard sound as if the spindle hole is dreadfully off-center - especially during the first track, side one. And it doesn't look like the hole is off-center - strange. The UK Nimbus cd is much better in this regard, of course. The SACD just sounds odd and hollow to me. I can't figure why.

 

This is a fact, not speculation. quote from mofi when I asked them. I think they thought I was an idiot even asking as it is logic and common sense as I stated before, I'll pass that batten over to you as I was asking on your behalf.
I asked specifically about the two DCD albums and the INXS.

" Thank you for your email. You have answer your own question perfectly when it comes to the Silver Series, they are remastered from the best source available and in some cases it will be the original tapes. We have changed this to the Silver Series as opposed to the OMR series so customers will not be confused with the difference between the two. Also the Silver Series is not mastered at half speed and is not on 180 gram vinyl. "

More unusual titles - WTF??

Silver series - INXS Kick - one of the biggest selling rock albums of all time . yes, a very unsual title indded


cheers

 

Dead Can Dance as well as Brendan Perry recorded most of their catalogue in a converted church in Ireland, and has been based there for the last 25 years.
He even has an Irish accent now.

 

Didn't mean to upset you, it's just what I read on the MFSL website:
"...the MoFi Silver Label Vinyl Series will feature an eclectic mix of recordings. Future releases will continue to stretch stylistic boundaries, as the MoFi Silver Label continues to explore music from many different genres."

 

Just picked up Spiritchaser today and am quite impressed! The sound is phenomenal, I've heard this album countless times on CD since it was first released and this is in a different league. The vinyl is quiet, which for me is essential for music like this, and is pretty much flat and centered although not 100%. Beautiful heavy gatefold jacket too, my only complaint is the MFSL inner sleeves that have the most static cling of any sleeve I've used and begs some flash (which there was quite a bit of) to scratch the record inside. I can't recommend this record highly enough and am going back tomorrow to pick up Into The Labyrinth.

 

OK, so I just received this, Spiritchaser. It seems genuine, but the reverse of the sleeve has no edition number stamped on it - the little box bottom left is just blank. It was not sealed, and the 2 discs had been separated from the gatefold sleeve, all packed separately. Is this normal? It was a UK seller.

 

Sorry to bump, but as above, is it normal to have a limited edition not numbered/stamped from MFSL?
Thanks

 

Doesn't seem normal. You may have purchased a promo version. I once got a few promo from MOFI and they had no numbers stamped on them. Regardless the pressing is the same.

 

Agreed. I wasn't even a fan of their music and my local dealer said I'd like it. Bought it, and it's solid.

 

Maybe I shouldn't be complaining on an audio message board, but...

Has anyone taken a close look at the album art on these two releases? Notice anything? It looks like they just blew up the CD art. The text is not crisp, but pixelated. Are other MoFi releases like this? Is this part of the cost cutting measures of the Silver Label?

 

I just received both MOFI titles on vinyl, looking forward to giving these a spin.

 

I noticed that as well when I was looking at these two releases at a local store. I think they were priced at $45 each and for that price I would think they could have done a better job with the artwork. None of the MFSL LPs that I own have pixelated covers.

I bet these do sound great and I'll probably still buy them sometime but I think using low resolution artwork looks poor on MFSL's part.

 

Here's some pictures I took of the original UK pressing (left) and the MFSL (right):





Although the original does not have a gatefold jacket like the MFSL, it is printed on a nicer matte card stock. I also agree with andrewc regarding the printing of the MFSL, it looks like a medium resolution scan compared to the sharp, nuanced printing of the original.

 

You can't tell from looking at those photos that the type is jagged and pixelated in the MoFi edition (you can tell that the new added elements, like the edition No. and the Mofi logo are all sharp, but the track listing text isn't sharp), but you can easily tell in those photos above that there are also color correciton issues.... Glad to hear that this is not a common problemk with other MoFi releases, and glad others noticed it. As a freelance graphic designer, I guess stuff like this is a pet peeve of mine, and I think a $35 LP which is presented as high quality, silver label should do better.

 

I recently bought both Into The Labyrinth and Spiritchaser and had the chance to really play them last night and all I can say is that both of these sound stupidly good! I'd put them in the same league as Classic's Neil Young Live at Massey Hall for being demonstration quality LPs.

All four of my discs are flat, centred, clean and shiny and best of all have absolutely dead quiet surfaces and jet black backgrounds.

The music sounds so spacious and three-dimensional on these reissues. I really hope MFSL will do Towards The Within next-my favorite Dead Can Dance album.

 

+1

 

And I hope they re-do Spleen & Ideal, Within the Realm of a Dying Sun, and Serpent's Egg for vinyl. For Spleen & Ideal the SACD was taken from a digital F1 tape. Where are the analog masters?

The SACD's were a big disappointment for me, anyway, compared to the orig UK Nimbus 4AD cd pressings.

Although on vinyl, Within the Realm is, (verified by Ivo himself) noticeably rolled off and less dynamic. And my copy of Serpents Egg is so off-center I can't listen to it. It may sound better on a direct drive (on which off-center records sound much better) or that Nakamichi Dragon. Haven't listened on the TD124 yet.

 

Was it just Spleen & Ideal that was taken from a digital tape? Anyway, the album was probably mixed to digital (as all the subsequent ones according to an interview of a former group member I have read), there would be no analog masters or MoFi would have most certainly used them.

Actually I'm glad they mixed it to F1 tape rather than DAT or another format because the converters in those machines were much better than the competition and even better than the DAT ones made 10 years after. Nicer top end. And the machine, tapes and error correction were very dependable, there is probably not even one digital sample missing on the album. And you can easily fit the machines with top of the line DACs for playback... Just sayin'...

Why were you disappointed with the SACDs? I think they all sound fantastic, especially the run from Serpent's Egg to Towards The Within.

My favorite albums are Within The Realm and Aion, I hope they continue the series and reissue them on vinyl...

 

I'm not disappointed with all of the SACD's. Recently did a shoot-out with the S/T SACD vs UK Nimbus cd. The Nimbus (as all of the DCD album cd's) has an easier presentation, but the SACD is better overall.

Concerning Spleen, Within the Realm and Serpents, have you compared the orig UK cd's to the SACDs? I've listened to those original cd's more times than I can count, on more systems than I can remember, and the SACD's sound so different, and not in an entirely good way, that I almost sold my copies. The offending SACD's are smooth, but sound hollow.