Pink Floyd Pink Floyd/The Piper at the Gates of Dawn 2019 Stereo Mix

“THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN”, also known as “The Piper at Dawn”. This original album, the only one released while Syd was still in the band, was very different from the direction that Pink Floyd would later take, but the fact that this album, which sprouted during the so-called “Swinging Sixties”, is considered Floyd’s masterpiece by a large number of enthusiastic fans, is also what makes this band unique. As you know, this first album, recorded by Norman Smith, who is well known for his work on Beatles albums, was released in two versions, stereo and mono, but the sound images are very different. The mono version was attractive for its linear spread that stretched toward the back even though it did not spread to the left and right, and the tough and clear overlapping of sounds, but the stereo version was characterized by its approach using panning (the allocation of sounds to the left and right channels), and the floating feeling that sometimes had no clear landing point was also its unique charm. Although it is a matter of auditory preference and cannot be generalized, it seems that the mono sound was more popular among fans, but the late 60s was a time when stereo sound possibilities were still being explored in the midst of developing technology, so it would be nonsense to judge it easily. However, there must be quite a few people who frown upon the old-fashioned stereo effect when listening to it with a 21st century audio sense, and even with disc 2 of “The Piper at Dawn / 40th Anniversary Edition” digitally remastered in 2007, I don’t think that opinion has changed much. However, did you know that a fan who noticed this has used modern sound technology to scalpel the stereo sense of the time, and a stereo remix with a dynamic finish that is in no way inferior to the mono version is now a hot topic on the Internet? It is a well-known story that when Floyd produced this first album, he produced it with a mono sound image in mind, and left the stereo version to the recording engineer (= Norman Smith), adopting the same style as the Beatles at that time. In other words, the aim of the stereo version was to bring out the potential hidden in the mono version sound and to awaken sensations that not only the listener but even the producers had not noticed. But if that is the case, then modern fans who have become accustomed to listening to this album in both mono and stereo as technology has changed are the ones who have the richest sound vision of fusing the best parts of both recordings at a higher level. And if that person were to take on the remix task with outstanding taste and skill, it would be an unofficial stereo sound that would resonate with many fans. This work is the embodiment of that, and it is the result that only someone who has listened deeply to both the mono and stereo versions can produce, that is, the musical charm that Syd unleashed on Floyd is brought about with an exquisite sound balance. It is not only a review of the 60s approach that slightly overemphasized the characteristics of stereo, but also a modern stereo sense that is fully demonstrated through a moderate and innovative remix, but also a questioning of the musical leap of Floyd at the time of the Swinging Sixties from the perspective of a stereo record. For example, in “Astronomy Domine,” the opening ensemble that rises from Peter Jenner’s voice repeating the names of celestial bodies is three-dimensional and has the sound massiness of a mono record, and the echoed guitar and organ tone that appear later also exude a dense and sweet stereo feeling. If you listen carefully to the sound coming from the center of “Matilda Mother,” you should notice that the distribution of L and R is more natural than the original, and the familiar organ melody from “Turkish Delight Riff” reaches your ears more vividly on the right side and with a dense sound that approaches that of a mono record. Furthermore, “Pow R. Toc H.”, which had noticeable differences from the stereo version in the latter half of the mono version, has been rebuilt into a modern, natural stereo expression, and the floating of each sound around the tom hit in the center of the sound image appears with a fresh and fresh image. “Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk” also revives the vocals of Syd and Roger sharing with a more three-dimensional sound, and the excellent sound distribution between the left and right channels makes the drive and dynamism of the song even more prominent and reach the ears. And the big listening point is, of course, “Interstellar Overdrive”. The difference between the original mono and stereo version was most noticeable at the end of the song, but here, the appeal is that it has been remastered in a very tasteful and moderately appropriate stereo style that makes you feel like “Norman would probably have done it like this if he had been involved in the work again with high-end equipment in the 21st century.” Moreover, the overdubbed sounds that were missing in the stereo mix were patched in from a mono source to make it closer to a mono mix, a clever editing technique that will make any avid long-time fan smile, and the way it is edited also makes it more satisfying to listen to and more appealing. In “The Gnome,” the sound of the celesta and Syd’s singing voice are matched with a deep stereo sound, and you can hear that the unity of the sound has been improved even more. In “Bike,” the sound collage that unfolds from the middle to the end of the song, that is, the footsteps coming towards you, the sound of the door opening, the sound of a spring being wound, the ticking of a clock, the chirping of birds, etc., are the prototype of the three-dimensional sound image that Floyd later developed during live performances, and are released with the expressive sound breath of the latest 2019 version of 2-channel stereo. The sound remixed with modern sensibilities and technology brings new knowledge to the listener in “The Piper at Dawn: Stereo Remix 2019”. The second track, “Lucifer Sam”, also has a wide stereo feel from the beginning, but as you know, the lyrics of this song include the line “You’re the left side, He’s the right side”. The meaning of this part, which is probably written as a metaphor, is probably referring to the right and left brain, which are responsible for creativity, but this work also has a new sound distribution full of ingenuity in the right and left channels, which awakens unknown excitement in the listener. In other words, this is proof that we have come one step closer to the dazzlingness of the crazy diamond that is Syd Barrett. ★This is a stereo remix version of “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” by a fan. The 1967 stereo mix, which was too far to the left or right of the original and now sounds a bit cheap, has been completely renewed, and in “Interstellar Overdrive” the missing overdubbed sounds in the stereo mix have been patched in from a mono source to bring it closer to a mono mix. Although it is an unofficial remix, the concept is similar to the 50th anniversary remix of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, making it a fan-made remix of the 2019 version. (41:58) 1. Astronomy Domine 2. Lucifer Sam 3. Matilda Mother 4. Flaming 5. Pow R. Toc H. 6. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk 7. Interstellar Overdrive 8. The Gnome 9. Chapter 24 10. The Scarecrow 11. Bike