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Welcome…

Even if you don’t listen to anything else this month

The Speed Of Sound

Meet the go-slow Abbey Road engineer who has cracked the art of half speed mastering

The Selecter

Long Live Vinyl’s essential picks for the month ahead

MOON DUO

STARS ARE THE LIGHT SACRED BONES 27 SEPTEMBER

Simon says

Our revered columnist is not solely about impeccably curated indie music. As a member of a Tottenham-supporting shoegazing supergroup Simon played his part in releasing a triumphal, David Seaman-baiting flexidisc

Does vinyl need to go green?

With the issue of plastics and energy usage on the environmental agenda, could this spell trouble for the future of vinyl records?

The Completist

A near-miss with the two Go-Betweens singles at the top of his vinyl wish list teaches our columnist that grief has no perspective…

The Vinyl Factory

New boxsets feature unheard material from the Manc label

Coming Soon…

Our pick of the new vinyl releases

LINERNOTES

A CBS rock compilation from 1972 piqued our columnist’s interest in the music, but it was the triple-gatefold sleeve that really fired his imagination

THE VINYLIST STEVE HAMPSHIRE

It started with Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline and it’s just kept going

Now Spinning

We’ve been trying to pretend it’s not absolutely bucketing it down oustide with cans of Kona Brewing Co’s Big Wave, a tropical golden ale, and these 12 essential tracks…

Big Thief’s Celestial Twin

New York band return with second album in six months

CHASTITY BELT

Washington friends unlock their purpose on dreamy fourth album

CRATE DIGGING WITH… NEW MODEL ARMY

On the eve of their 40th anniversary and fresh from the release of new album From Here, the band’s singer Justin Sullivan digs deep

#29 Smash Hits By Rodgers & Hart

RICHARD RODGERS & THE IMPERIAL ORCHESTRA

CHARLES HAZLEWOOD

The international conductor and musical revolutionary tells Gary Walker why Terry Riley’s A Rainbow In Curved Air was the catalyst for his career in music

1O Questions For… FIONN REGAN

Fionn Regan released his sixth solo album, Cala, last month. Gary Walker catches up with the Mercury nominated singer-songwriter to talk about vinyl, his lost album and why Rhys Ifans has a tattoo of his lyrics on his arm

HOLY METRONOMY

On the launch of their expansive new album, Felix Rowe catches up with Metronomy mastermind Joe Mount to discuss his love of analogue synths, going on a ‘date’ with Josh Homme and not getting invited to weddings

Some irreversible catastrophes have happened. I know we’re supposed to be positive, but I also need to make space to feel negative. If you don’t know there’s an emergency, you can’t react to it

Some irreversible catastrophes have happened. I know

How To Keep It Retal

MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger talks Carolina life, introspection and the romance of the road. Jonathan Wright listens in

Chris Kimsey

The renowned engineer has worked in the music industry for 45 years, forging a close relationship with The Rolling Stones. He shares his highlights with Teri Saccone

ABBEY ROAD AT 5O

With George Martin back in the studio and George Harrison emerging as a major songwriting force, the last album The Beatles recorded was a fitting final testament to the band’s stellar talent. Huw Baines revisits 1969

HOW TO BUY Abbey Road

The Beatles’ last great album is highly collectable, with Decca contract pressings sporting yellow and black Parlophone labels fetching as much as £5,000. John Pickford explains

REM. MONSTER

For 1994’s Monster, the band put away the considered beauty of their previous two albums and opted for the rough-hewn and loud, as Peter Buck’s distorted guitar traded blows with Michael Stipe’s laconic vocals. Huw Baines explores R.E.M.’s outlying ninth studio album

Nosferatu NOSFERATU ALBUM

This lesser-known krautrock LP is a far-out treasure. Find an original pressing and you’re in the money…

Southern Soul

With its roots in gospel and R&B, Southern soul is the gritty alternative to Motown. Gary Tipp goes deep

DECCA 90

Founded as an offshoot from the Decca Gramophone Company in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash, the British label went on to become one of the biggest record companies on the planet, signing some of the most illustrious names in music history, including The Rolling Stones (though famously not The Beatles). Gareth Murphy goes back to the start…

DIGGING FOR VICTORY

Punk picture sleeves still get Mark O’Shaughnessy’s heart pumping, but, a quick word of warning, make sure you store them correctly

Lion Vibes BRIXTON

Brixton Market used to be a vinyl mecca, especially if reggae was your cup of darjeeling, but the number of specialist stores in the South London hotspot has dwindled and now just one remains: Lion Vibes. Will Simpson investigates

Hive Mind Records

Thanks to the enthusiasm of its founder, the reissue catalogue of Brighton’s Hive Mind Records is growing steadily. Chris Parkin talks Gnawa trance, free jazz and punk bands from Darlington

The Beatles ABBEY ROAD (ANNIVERSARY EDITION) APPLE/EMI

The Beatles’ final masterpiece gets its inevitable 50th anniversary reissue with two discs of extras. John Earls reminds us that in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make

Pixies BENEATH THE EYRIE INFECTIOUS/BMG

Pixies 2.0 serve up a crowd-pleasing collection of alt.rock with more than a hint of the menace of yesteryear. Meanwhile, John Earls has his eye on the boxset option

Fyne Audio F1-12 SPEAKERS

The veteran Scottish audiophiles go big with their new speakers. Start saving…

AVID HIFI INGENIUM P&P TURNTABLE

High-end audiophilia at an extremely attractive price. What’s not to like? asks John Pickford

Gold Note VALORE 425 TURNTABLE

An Italian-designed mid-priced turntable, Paul Rigby inspects the sound and the quirks of this intriguing design

Mitchell & Johnson 8OO SERIES PRE/POWER AMPLIFIER

Designed, engineered and hand-built entirely in the UK, John Pickford assesses a tuneful and rhythmically engaging new amp series from Mitchell & Johnson