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Analog Gear News
Exposure 360 Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 21, 2024

Since an LP regularly spins a full 360 degrees, it only seems logical that someone would capitalize on the concept for a model number — and that’s what noted British electronics manufacturer Exposure has done with their new 360 turntable. Read on to see more about the specs and features for Exposure’s very first turntable in 50 years of making gear. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Add It Up: Craft Recordings Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Violent Femmes’ Seminal Self-Titled 1983 Debut With Limited-Edition Box Set Featuring 180g AAA Version of Original LP, Two LPs of Demos and Of-Era Live Material, and a 45 to Boot
Mark Smotroff  |  Feb 16, 2024

Craft Recordings’ new four-disc 40th anniversary deluxe edition box set celebrating the timeless, self-titled April 1983 debut LP from Violent Femmes, Milwaukee’s pioneering folk-punk trio, has as its centerpiece an AAA version of the original LP along with one additional LP full of demos and another LP with choice of-era live material, plus a bonus 7-inch single. Read Mark Smotroff’s review of this near-undefinable, infectious slab of post-new-wave, post-punk classic combined with a sizable collection of bonus material all adds up to a worthwhile analog spinning-and-listening investment. . .

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Interviews
Steve Hackett on Creating “Inclusive Music” for His New 180g 1LP The Circus and the Nightwhale, Plus He Shines a Light on How Genesis Compromised Neither Sound Nor Song Length on 1972’s Classic Foxtrot LP
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 15, 2024

Whenever the calendar turns, almost inevitably, new Steve Hackett music is on the horizon — and thus we have before us the British guitar maestro’s 30th solo album, The Circus and the Nightwhale, which is being released tomorrow, February 16, 2024, as a 180g 1LP set via InsideOut Music. In a recent Zoom interview across the Pond with AP editor Mike Mettler, Hackett discussed the genesis (pun intended) of Nightwhale music, the importance of deploying volume dynamics whenever possible, and why Genesis was in no way going to compromise the depth and the integrity of the song arrangements they came up with for the initial vinyl release of their groundbreaking 1972 LP, Foxtrot. . .

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Analog Gear News
Origin Live Strata Multilayer Platter Mat
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 13, 2024

Origin Live knows turntables, so it’s no surprise that the British company has just announced the launch of their new Strata multilayer platter mat, a universal upgrade for all turntables. Read on to see the design philosophies behind the Strata and why it might be worth taking its rightful place on top of your own table. . .

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Analog Gear News
Kestrel Audio KT-100 Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 12, 2024

We’re always on the hunt for young companies looking to make their mark in our analog-centric world, and today we put the spotlight on Kestrel Audio. A budding young British manufacturer, Kestrel Audio is now entering its second year of operation by offering up the KT-100 turntable, an upgrade on their entry-level KT-50. Read on to see what the feature set for the KT-100 entails. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Does Rhino High Fidelity’s New AAA 180g 1LP Edition of Television’s Groundbreaking 1977 Debut Album Marquee Moon Finally Deliver the Sonic Punch We’ve All Been Waiting to Hear on Vinyl?
Mark Smotroff  |  Feb 09, 2024

In February 1977, Elektra released Marquee Moon, the debut LP by New York’s groundbreaking art rock group Television — but finding a good-sounding vinyl copy of such an acclaimed album has historically been a bit of a challenge. But now, the new AAA 180g 1LP Rhino High Fidelity (RHF) edition of Marquee Moon may have just changed that distinction forever. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if this RHF edition finally helps Marquee Moon achieve the untethered, uncompromised, and uncompressed all-analog glory it so richly deserves. . .

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News
The Tragically Hip Are Named Official Canadian Ambassadors for Record Store Day Canada 2024, and Their Galvanizing January 1993 Performance Live at CBGB’s Will Make Its First Appearance on Vinyl on RSD, April 20
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 08, 2024

Record Store Day just got a whole lot hipper — and that’s because The Tragically Hip, Canada’s favorite musical sons from Kingston, Ontario, a) have just been announced as the official Canadian Ambassadors for Record Store Day Canada 2024, b) will be releasing an exclusive standalone live album, Live at CBGB’s, on said Record Store Day on April 20, and c) it will be available in both the U.S. and Canada. Read on to find out what nine tracks are on the LP and how it all came together so fully, completely. . .

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Features
Table Toppers, Take 3: A Super Spyder Turntable and Its Wide Web of Intricate and Intriguing Gear Move Sonic Mountains in Santa Cruz
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 07, 2024

Table Toppers returns anew here in 2024! Recently, we asked the AP faithful to “show us your turntables!” for an all-new feature section titled Table Toppers — and now it’s time for the first series installment of the new year. Here in Take 3, we introduce you to the system of Vince, who lives in the Santa Cruz mountains in Northern California. Read on to see all the cool gear that constitutes Vince’s setup, what his favorite stereo shop to frequent is and why, how he resolved a noise issue with his table, and what his current favorite LPs to spin on it are. . .

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Analog Gear News
Goldring Ethos SE MC Cartridge
Mike Mettler  |  Feb 05, 2024

British hi-fi stalwarts Goldring have just introduced a special edition of their vaunted Ethos moving coil (MC) cartridge, which is appropriately named the Goldring Ethos SE. Read on to find out all the upgrades, features, and specs that make the Ethos SE cart as special as its name says it is. . .

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Album Reviews
Is Steely Dan’s Gaucho Finally Worth Playing on Vinyl Again? The New 180g 1LP Geffen/UMe Edition Makes a Strong Case for It
Mark Smotroff  |  Feb 02, 2024

When Steely Dan’s Gaucho came out in November 1980 on MCA, it was at a time when that label was notoriously cutting corners, and quality control suffered. Fast-forward four-plus decades to the here and now, wherein we have a new 180 1LP edition of Gaucho to consider, one that’s been remastered by Bernie Grundman from a 1980 analog tape copy originally EQ’d by Bob Ludwig. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if this new vinyl edition of Gaucho is worth putting on your turntable. . .

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