Star Wars fans are in for yet another treat… ever fancied hearing the master tapes of the original film soundtracks? Now you can, thanks to a recent deal struck between Sony Music Entertainment and master tape copying experts Horch House.
Austria-based Horch House was created for the sole purpose of bringing the magic of original analogue master tapes to music lovers in a variety of formats – from reel-to-reel tape to various high-resolution digital formats, all fully licensed and approved. And the latest releases include some highly collectable classics…
Star Wars Original Soundtracks, Episodes 4, 5 & 6
A New Hope / The Empire Strikes Back / Return Of The Jedi
The most acclaimed and enduring film music in Hollywood history, composed by legendary five-times Oscar-winning composer John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. These unique collector sets are being released to coincide with the latest chapter in the saga, The Force Awakens. This is the first time the Star Wars original soundtracks have been available on reel-to-reel analogue master tapes, and with no digital remastering.
Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
Recorded in 1974, this traditional arrangement performed by the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir delivers the distinctive ‘Orff sound’ in its full, uncompressed glory. Conductor Herbert Kegel is considered one of the best in contemporary music; Orff himself was an ardent admirer of his work.
The Planets by Gustav Holst
Performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and conducted by William Steinberg, this is one of the most highly regarded performances of The Planets, often considered the definitive version.
The Reiner Sound: Ravel/Rachmaninoff
A giant of the classic RCA Living Stereo series featuring the unparalleled pairing of conductor Fritz Reiner with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
One Second by Yello
A timeless album showcasing Yello’s spacious, beautiful pop sounds with their sensuous Latin feel – from the shaking and grooving ‘La Habanera’ and the hauntingly beautiful ‘The Rhythm Divine’, to the noisy, growling ‘Si Senor The Hairy Grill’.
Capturing the magic of master tape
To translate original analogue master tapes into faithful copies, Horch House’s sound engineers use a painstaking process that has been meticulously researched and developed in collaboration with some of the world’s leading experts; think of specialists whose client lists include Sir Paul McCartney and Abbey Road Studios and you get a sense of the level of know-how involved….
Dave Denyer: The Reel-to-Reel Rambler 