Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs believes that mastering systems should be neutral and transparent. The essential idea is to unveil all the detailed musical information on the original master recording without adding deterioration, coloration or other sonic artefacts.
With proprietary innovations such as GAIN 2™, general music enthusiasts and audiophiles alike have reaped the benefit of a higher consumer audio standard without investing in costly new hardware.
A1: Dominion/Mother Russia
A2: Flood I
A3: Lucretia My Reflection
A4: 1959
B1: This Corrosion
B2: Flood II
B3: Driven Like The Snow
B4: Never Land (A Fragment)
The Sisters of Mercy emerged from a brief hiatus and lineup overhaul in spectacularly grand fashion on Floodland, an epic album that stands as the group's commercial breakthrough as well as one of the period's monumental productions. Having witnessed his bandmates leave, singer Andrew Eldritch recruited bassist Patricia Morrison, utilised a groundbreaking drum machine, and hooked up with Meat Loaf collaborator Jim Steinman to attain a glorious, bombastic, and irrepressible marriage of gothic rock and sumptuous balladry.
Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's world-renowned mastering system and pressed at RTI, this Silver Label LP improves the record's splendid dynamic contrasts, low-end thrust, expansive dimensionality, and moody atmospherics. Steinman's unforgettable sonic contributions finally receive proper due in the form of towering choruses and operatic heft. The group's signature epic "The Corrosion," described by Eldritch as a narrative about "power in the face of misery," sounds downright staggering, with an awe-inspiring performance by the New York Chorale Society and blooming classicism.
Throughout, the Sisters of Mercy traverse myriad styles in breaking down goth-rock conventions. As on the band's noisier debut First and Last and Always, brooding emotions, nocturnal episodes, and dim sentiments gloss over the songwriting. Yet there's a colossal amplification of evocative spirituality, delicate accents and anthemic riffs that combine with funky drum-machine beats and visceral tension to yield music that dares listeners not to dance and/or lift their hands skyward.
Rhythms play as large a role as the leader's trademark stentorian vocals, with thundering grooves and crashing percussion illuminating incisive lyrics and industrial-tinted scenery. Whether felt via the dramatic waves of "Lucretia My Reflection," balladic sweep of "1959," or charging protest of "Dominion/Mother Russia," Floodland is a touchstone, topped off by iconic cover art that fits in with today's vampire-obsessed society as well as it did upon release in 1987.
GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ is a proprietary cutting system built and designed by legendary design genius Tim De Paravicini, with consultation from one of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's founding fathers - Stan Ricker, an audio engineer responsible for many of MFSL's most heralded past releases.
The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system is comprised of a Studer™ tape machine with customised reproduction electronics* and handcrafted cutting amps that drive an Ortofon cutting head on a restored Neumann VMS-70 lathe. (*It is worth noting that independent studies have confirmed that the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system can unveil sonic information all the way up to 122kHz!)
First and foremost, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs only utilise first generation original master recordings as source material for their releases. MFSL then play back master tapes at half speed enabling the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system to fully extract the master's sonic information. The lacquers are then plated in a specialised process that protects transients in the musical signal. (Due to this process, there may be occasional pops or ticks inherent in initial play back, but as the disc is played more, a high quality stylus will actually polish the grooves and improve the sound). MFSL further ensure optimum sound quality by strictly limiting the number of pressings printed for each release. These limited editions, in addition to being collectors' items, ensure that the quality of the last pressing matches the quality of the first.
Producered by Jim Steinman
Mastered by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on the GAIN 2 ULTRA ANALOG SYSTEM.
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, MOFI 1-021
Series: Silver Label Vinyl Series
Format: Vinyl LP, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 11 Nov 2013
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Mobile Fidelity records are typically supplied in a thin plastic wrap with a perforated edge. Unfortunately, during normal handling, it's very easy for this perforated edge to pop open. Rather than ship your record exposed to the elements, if this outer wrap pops open, we carefully replace it with a proper sealable outer record sleeve in order to keep your record safe. Trust us, it's for the better! Have no doubt that your record is brand new and ready to add to your collection!
Model Number | LMFS021 |
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RRP | 65.00 |