Deutsche Grammophon Launches Avantgarde Vinyl Series Vol. 1 Featuring Ferrari, Takemitsu and Kagel

Sources close to the production underline that the Emil Berliner Studios chain was configured to preserve the original tape characteristics rather than “modernize” them. This suggests minimal equalization moves and conservative limiting, allowing tape saturation, room tone, and even slight asymmetries in channel balance to remain intact. For listeners accustomed to hyper-polished contemporary pressings, this may initially read as restraint, but it aligns with a growing audiophile preference for authenticity over revisionism. Pressing at Pallas further reinforces this intent, as their consistency in vinyl compound formulation and temperature control tends to yield quieter lead-ins and stable high-frequency tracking—critical for works that often hover just above silence.

There is also an interesting divergence in how different commentators frame the project: some emphasize its historical lineage, others its relevance to modern listening rooms equipped with revealing systems. Both perspectives converge on one point—the series treats avant-garde recordings not as academic artifacts but as demanding reference material. On a resolving analog front end, these LPs are likely to expose cartridge alignment, arm damping, and even platter resonance more ruthlessly than mainstream repertoire. In that sense, Avantgarde functions as both cultural statement and technical stress test, rewarding setups capable of rendering silence, texture, and space with equal conviction.