There are a number of reasons I love vinyl and strongly advocate vinyl usage: it actually -does- sound better for louder recordings with the whole signal-to-noise ratio thing; it comes with pretty big pictures if you're lucky; DJs (and those who think they are) can match beats, scrach and mix; and idiot roommates/junkie friends/random thieves rarely steal it as it's too big and heavy and used stores hate to sell used vinyl. However, let me go on record as saying that for quieter, more meditative recordings, I would prefer the usage of vinyl be very limited (if not eliminated). Every time a record is pulled out of its protective sleeve, thousands of microscopic particles collect—this is inevitable. With the more quiet recordings, the buildup of particles in the grooves is audibly evident. Mirror recordings are all lengthy soundscapes, gently combining musical and non-musical sound sources over long periods of time, with startlingly hypnotic effects. The difference in hearing a vinyl recording of the very first Mirror album released on record and the CD which was issued last week is absolutely amazing.
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