What is the latest music you've downloaded where did you buy it and in what resolution?

[Alley_Cat]

Qobuz users, please see this:

Changes to Qobuz T&Cs

Having been long used to the old iTunes Store, 7 digital etc removing previous purchases for download/redownload it is probably time to ensure you’re Qobuz purchases are all downloaded and backed up. Can’t say I’m surprised that some items may get removed for redownloading or removed from the Qobuz catalogue for purchase or streaming, but if these new T&Cs herald a significant change there are only 5 days to make sure you have stuff downloaded and appropriately backed up. Maybe a formality to …

Download and backup your purchases, cover art etc.

[GraemeBC]

It’s a little annoying how this sometimes happens. I went to re-listen to Pallas : The Dreams Of Men to find out it wasn’t there anymore (I am sure I had listened on Qobuz and not Tidal). More annoyingly, I actually wanted to buy it.

Just to be sure, I have 3 copies of all Qobuz and Bandcamp downloads on SSDs.

[Peet]

This review is also quite good;

This is a top album. Delightfully slow and jazzy performed, with her strong, understated singing and masterful phrasing keeping the tension alive. The sound quality reaches audiophile levels. If you like Melody Gardot, Carmen deserves your attention, as her work has comparable international allure.’ Heaven Magazine

@Kefas

Great first review of Carmen Gomes Inc. ‘Stones In My Passway’ in JazzFlits.
Both album downloads are part of the sale at Sound Liaison.com in DXD,DSD and Flac.

“Engineer Frans de Rond has captured the entire setting in a way that allows you to experience the superb interplay of these seasoned musicians. This is so well recorded that turning up the volume knob significantly only seems make the music even more intense not louder”
"Stones In My Passway’ is part two of​ ‘’Discovering the music of Robert Johnson’’ series in
which Carmen Gomes Inc. breathes new life into the musical legacy of Robert Johnson….
…The short atmospheric pieces between the tracks, where you are taken to the scene of the events like in a radio play, are a real treasure. Thus, the album opens with a beautiful intro where a passing train, wind noise, and a single guitar chord transports you to the deep south of the United States.
…Carmen sings the blues straight from the heart, profoundly, with authenticity and heartfelt sincerity, eschewing any unnecessary embellishments.
…Her band has mastered this repertoire completely.
The slow tempos are beautifully exploited, with each musician contributing sparingly but with authority. In their renditions of Johnson’s pieces, you feel the clammy, sweaty air in the ominous dark shady clubs, where the blues was interspersed with drinking parties.and fights……
Engineer Frans de Rond has captured the entire setting in a way that allows you to experience the superb interplay of these seasoned musicians. This is so well recorded that turning up the volume knob significantly only seems to make the music even more intense not louder…
With this release, an impressively good album has been added to Carmen’s discography.
My suggestion is to buy both part one (Up Jumped The Devil) and part two (Stones in My Passway as they don’t fall short of each other and only become more precious with time.”
S.v. Aelst in ‘JazzFlits’

[Mike_S]

@GraemeBC

I went to re-listen to Pallas : The Dreams Of Men

Do you have their new album “The Messenger”? Highly recommended.

[Cat7]

Bruce Springsteen - Full Show Live At Wembley July 25th 2024 from Nugs FLAC 96 kHz 24 bit.

[GraemeBC]

Yes I have that one, its excellent

[Steve_S]

ARC | Radio Sputnik | bandcamp | FLAC | 16/44.1

Available as a free download or name your price.

ARC are the duo of Ian Boddy & Mark Shreeve and this their second album, and first on DiN, was released in the autumn of 2000.

Radio Sputnik is a recording of their 1998 concert at the 5th Alfa-Centauri festival in Huizen, the Netherlands. It includes live versions of 4 tracks from Octane (which is now out of print) as well as 4 new tracks including the sequencer track to end all sequencer tracks - Arc-Angel.

[Steve_S]

Solitaire | Trance Halcyon Connection | bandcamp | 16/44.1 | FLAC

SonicImmersion.org, Netherlands (excerpt):
When it comes to tribal, lucid and world music-infused electronic music with minimalist hooks, the German band Solitaire always had something special to offer… The 56-minute outcome with various minimalist passages creates a great, hypnotic vibe from the start while gradually building its own gentle evolving realms. Tibetan flavours and a sense of harmony and balance make up the core of “My Inner Tibet” while gracious, warm textures lift up both mind and soul on the quite sensual “Comes from the North”. The title piece ventures into hallucinogenic spheres, a fascinating realm where elements swirl effortlessly before evaporating. “Evening Mist at Loch Lomond” appears to me to be a bit older piece, spreading a nice touching sense of melancholy while its floats in the air. The albums rounds out with “Wide Sky”, a dreamy outing in the outdoors where gamelan-like percussion melts with fluid, gentle haunting soundscapes.

[GraemeBC]

Bandcamp Friday again, get on there and support your artists.

[GraemeBC]

Picked up a couple yesterday.

Visions of Atlantis : Pirates II Armada (44.1/24)

I’ve noticed a few posting this one. Despite the potentially cheesy Pirate subject matter, this really is a very fine slice of symphonic metal. Well crafted songs with melody, well played, nicely sung.

Second was this one
Sunburst : Manifesto (24/48)

A hard hitting Prog Metal album. Great musicianship and nice vocals that remind me a little of Roy Khan (Kamelot, Conception). If you like your modern prog with a bit of bite, give this one a try. The 8 tracks breeze in and out in under 50 minutes. Highly recommended

[Alley_Cat]

@GraemeBC

… More annoyingly, I actually wanted to buy it.

That’s the other annoyance - you don’t necessarily know in advance if things are simply being rearranged in the catalogue making them a ‘new item’ or if things are actually being removed completely.

I was considering buying some other downloads from a couple of artists, then thought, actually no they’ve probably had enough of my money over the years and if they or the labels are pulling items I’ll just have to suck it up.

If I’d really wanted that item more than ‘nice to have but not essential’ I’d probably have purchased it by then.

[GraemeBC]

I must admit, in the last couple of years I have been trying not to buy too much stuff from one single artist anymore and spread the money around. I am also trying to support newer artists so very limited spending on “legacy” artists. I have far too many albums by some artists and lots of them just sit there on the shelf (or on the SSD) and rarely get played.
There are exceptions here and there but I have actually tried to start a 2 or 3 albums limit per band going forward. It has actually lead me to find “similar” bands that I probably wouldn’t have come across otherwise.

[jegreenwood]

Currently downloading DSD masterings of Kubelik’s Dvorak cycle from ProStudioMasters. Again, this appears to be derived from the Emil Berliner masters for a Tower Japan SACD set.

The price in the U.S. is $18.74 for the entire set.