New albums celebrate value of vinyl
In the groove: Three analogue recordings were released last week in HCM City, making waves in a music industry dominated by digital CDs and DVDs.
HCM CITY (VNS)— Three albums using vinyl records (analogue recordings) were released last week in HCM City, making waves in a music industry dominated by digital CDs and DVDs.
The special albums were produced by Tre (Youth) Film Studios, a prestigious music producer, in co-operation with the entertainment agency Giao Huong Xanh (Green Symphony).
The albums Vinh Quang Viet Nam (Glorious Viet Nam) and Ha Noi Mua Vang Nhung Con Mua (Ha Noi in the Season without Rain) feature pop music composed by Tran Manh Hung and Phu Quang.
The work Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai (The Fall Will Not Return) is a collection of romantic songs written by veteran musicians.
Vinh Quang Viet Nam features soprano Hong Vy of the Ha Noi Music Conservatory, with the support of the symphony orchestra.
Ha Noi Mua Vang Nhung Con Mua highlights songs in praise of Ha Noi recorded by singers like My Linh and Hong Nhung.
Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai will please older fans. It was first recorded in 1997 by People’s Artist Le Dung, who died after falling ill in 2001. She was one of the country’s most talented operatic singers.
“We decided to use analogue technology to make our new productions original and have perfect sound,” said Nguyen Thanh Thuy, director of the producer Giao Huong Xanh, who has had more than 20 years in recording.
According to Thuy, a vinyl record has a groove carved into it that mirrors the original sound’s waveform. This means that no information is lost. The output of a record player is analogue and can be fed directly to your amplifier with no conversion.
“You cannot feel Dung’s voice deeply with a digital CD. The waveforms from a vinyl recording can be much more accurate, and that can be heard in the richness of the sound,” painter Nguyen Phuong Dong, who owns Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai, said.
In the 1960s when vinyl was the only source of high quality recorded music, fans like Dong found it hard to produce because of its high cost. That remains so today.
Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai sells for more than VND1 million (nearly US$50), 10 times higher than a digital CD or DVD.
Analogue turntables are offered by professional suppliers and cost up to VND100 million ($10,000) depending on quality.
In June, more than 900 copies of the analogue album Nguyen Anh 9 – Lang Le Tieng Duong Cam (Nguyen Anh 9 – Silent Piano Sounds) were sold out in the first month of its release in HCM City.
The album’s producers, Music Faces and Gia Dinh Audio, produced only 1,000 copies.
Thuy and her staff are confident about their business. More than 500 copies of the three albums, including Mua Thu Khong Tro Lai, have been produced.
They have also invested in four new albums that will be released later this year.
“We will make a profit,” she predicted. — VNS