Many of you have asked me about these unique records. In this review, I take a closer look at SUPERSENSE Archival Tape Edition No. 4 Getz/Gilberto (USA Edition), a hand-cut 12″ Mastercut record cut directly from a completely unedited 1:1 copy of the original tape provided by Universal Music.
Mastercut Editions
This exclusive collaboration with Universal Music Austria, SUPERSENSE was envisioned as seldom opportunity to put music lovers in the engineer’s chair.
In conventional record production, the term “mastercut” refers to a template disc from which the pressing stamper is derived and which is destroyed during production. But with the SUPERSENSE editions, every single record is the original mastercut, cut directly into a lacquer disc.
There are two different series of MASTERCUT EDITIONS: The Archival Tape Editions and the Live Recording Editions. In this review, I take a closer look at the Archival Tape Edition NO. 4 Getz/Gilberto.
Archival Tape Editions
For this project, Universal Music Group, the world leader in music-based entertainment, has granted access to its archives of the finest recordings from over a century of music history. SUPERSENSE Mastercut Records are cut directly from completely unedited 1:1 copies of carefully selected original tapes of carefully selected sound recordings.
Supersense founder Florian “Doc” Kaps says:
“The Archival Tape Edition is a deep dive into Universal Music Group’s vaults, into some of the most celebrated recordings on this planet. We selected quintessential tapes for super limited, all analog one-to-one copies of the world’s most beloved sound recordings, revealing and celebrating their true, unaltered soul for the most authentic listening experience.”
Getz/Gilberto
The Getz/Gilberto USA Edition album was developed in close collaboration with Impulse and differs from the Premiere Cut in several design elements including a blue-tinted tones screen print on the inner sleeve and a blue Getz/Gilberto cyanotype.
Recorded in March 1963 at A&R Studios, New York, NY, USA. The multi-Grammy-winning album “Getz/Gilberto” by Stanz Getz, João Gilberto, and Astrud Gilberto was one of the best-selling albums of all time and marked a high point in the bossa nova wave.
Cut directly from a completely unedited 1:1 copy of the original tape provided by Universal Music, one has never been so close to the artist, the original sound waves, and music history.
Highlights
- Hand-cut 12″ mastercut record
- Hand-Printed Letterpress Cover Artwork
- Limited* and numbered
In addition to the high-quality record, this edition includes valuable accompanying documents, some of which are historical:
3 carefully selected design elements distinguish this USA Mastercut Edition:
- A special spine imprint in blue-tone ink
- A blue-toned screen print
- A special booklet band with the Impulse logo stamp
In addition to the high-quality sound carrier, this edition contains valuable accompanying documents, some of which are historical:
- Side A / Side B notes “from the original tape as stated”, a Minolta EP 410z copy
- Cyanotype by Stan Getz and João Gilberto from an original photograph by Earl Steinbicker and James Houghton.
- A Minolta EP 410z copy from an original SUPERSENSE living room studio photograph. Photographer: Ákos Burg, 2021.
- Polaroid of the microscopic view of the real groove. Side B Track #2 “So Danco Samba”
- How to stroke, by Florian “Doc” Kaps. An information sheet about SUPERSENSE Master Records and how to care for them.
- Project MASTERCUT, by Florian “Doc” Kaps. An introduction to the editions.
- Cutting engineer notes, SUPERSENSE, Vienna.
Each edition is handmade in the SUPERSENSE factory in Vienna by a small team of experts in the fields of record cutting, traditional printing methods, and packaging design.
The music
This SUPERSENSE release is very special and one of my and my wife’s absolute favorite records. It was a real treat to experience Getz/Gilberto in such a special, pure, and unedited form.
I own several versions of this album, including the 33 RPM Verve and the Analog Productions 45 RPM version of the double album mastered by George Marino of Sterling Sound, but SUPERSENSE offers a very different kind of aural encounter
Featuring of the album:
- Stan Getz, tenor saxophone
- Joao Gilberto, guitar, vocals
- Astrud Gilberto, vocals
- Antonio Carlos Jobim, guitar, piano
- Milton Banana, drums
- Tommy Williams, bass
And the timeless selection of the most famous songs
- The Girl from Ipanema
- Doralice
- P’ra Muchucar
- Desafinado
- Corcovado
- So Dance Samba
- O Grande Amor
- Vivio Sonhando
This kind of record deserves first-class analog front-end catering, and as soon as the needle hit the groove via the Kronos Audio PRO turntable, the RS Kronoscopic tonearm and the Gold Note Tuscany Gold MC cartridge, an unexpectedly crystal-clear vista presented itself.
Swapping left and right channels, as with Analog Production, is the opposite of Verve’s original and what most people are used to listen. SUPERSENSE Mastercut reflects what and how it was captured on the original master tape.
I was thrilled with the newfound three-dimensional sound fairness and horizontal and vertical extension of SUPERSENSE Getz/Gilberto.
The absence of an equalizer in the signal chain and the lack of artifice created gallant energy in the mids that further propelled the compulsory metallic grit of Getz’s sax even further into the believable realms and projected the ghastly real voices of Joao Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto with an extraordinarily natural sense of presence in a lifelike holographic space.
This sonic evenness is also reflected in the absence of exaggerated bass, which is something of a leitmotif on all versions. In the SUPERSENSE edition, the bass is vested in a much more tangible way, without draining most of the music’s energy and demanding constant attention in the sonic sphere attention.
There is also something special about the density of the acoustic cues and nodes that also allow the guitar, bass, and cymbals to sound more real, more focused, and fixed with a sparkling but natural feathery lightness.
The fact there was no fiddling with the mixing board allows one to tune into the essence of timbre, tone and color, and the gist of time, like no other medium, save for some master tapes (and copies) that I either own or have had the pleasure of listening to.
The Conclusion
The initial tactile hands-on experience with the SUPERSENSE analog gem begins with the excellent feel of the packaging. From the very first encounter, you know that something extraordinary is hidden beneath all that high-quality paper box and inclusive paraphernalia just sweetens the adventure.
SUPERSENSE Getz/Gilberto Mastercut unwind a remarkable encounter that takes you on a trip down memory lane, way back to 1963, a time capsule so to speak.
SUPERSENSE Getz/Gilberto also evokes a different kind of goosebumps (and not too few) with an almost eerie (in a good sense) aural experience.
Gilberto, but especially Jobim Joao’s voices, exudes intimacy, directness, and tangible presence, and affixes believable human performers, not sculptures.
Despite the extreme transparency of the Getz/Gilberto mastercut, which most closely reflects some of the playback qualities of the master tape, there is no lack of emotional connection, that might be expected.
There are no hiss, crackles, or pops of any kind. Because of its nature and inherent flatness, I did not need to use the AFI flat.2 Record Flattener/Relaxer that almost all records (in the ultimate sense) require to reach sonic equilibrium.
SUPERSENSE Getz/Gilberto delivers a different kind of pure recording, without the mastering sweetness of EQs that creates a larger-than-life projection
If the analog front end and the system allow it, Getz/Gilberto Mastercut takes you into a hypnotic realm where history was made.
SUPERSENSE Getz/Gilberto gives you an intimate acquaintance with the past.
SUPERSENSE Mastercut population of black grooves results in far above ordinary peek-in, where there are no means of blurring, smearing lens phenomena, or vibrant saturation to please the senses. It’s reality reexamined.
SUPERSENSE Getz/Gilberto Mastercut delivers diametrical experiences galore, catapulting the music above seemingly familiar territory.
Yes, SUPERSENSE Mastercut is by no means cheap, but compared to the prices of some first pressings it’s not exuberant, and the premium price comes with the appropriate paraphernalia, but most importantly with the more than notable impact.
SUPERSENSE Mastercut is not just another way of recycling the analog or a passing fashion, but a quiet, magnificent triumphal celebration of the music.
The best way to describe SUPERSENSE Mastercut is hidden within the lyrics to “The Girl from Ipanema”…
But in a slightly different form. With every run-through of SUPERSENSE, an “Ah” is heard… •
Matej Isak
Price
- €444
Technical
Getz/Gilberto: USA Edition: 01-500
The total circulation of this Mastercut release is strictly limited to a maximum total of 999 records. Currently, the following different editions are available, varying in design and booklet content.
Due to the fact that our MASTERCUTS are no stock items but cut piece by piece in real time by a small team here in Vienna, we kindly ask for your understanding that based on the overwhelming global demand for our editions production, assembly and delivery of your very personal MASTERCUT treasures can currently take up to 4 weeks. All orders are processed in the order received without any exceptions. Thank you so much for your patience.
Contact
Supersense GmbH
Praterstraße 70/6
1020 Vienna
Austria
web: www.supersense.com