Upscaled from the original image, or from the album print itself, though? I think it's just as likely to assume that the original image was never in a huge DPI resolution, rather than them upscaling the album cover directly from the CD.

That's what I think. It's a composite, probably shot with the band in a photo studio and then superimposed over the background, and the artist may have only rendered it at the size they originally needed. It's not how i'd do it (always render for the largest size possible and then downsample) but it could happen.

Happy Bivouac might fare better because it doesn't feature the kind of digital matting that PML and LB have, the cover seems to be one photo done in-camera with the only post element being the logo, but we'll just have to wait and see.

All things considered it's a very solid release, the artwork is well coordinated between the cover, the gatefold, the picture sleeve (a nice bonus and not always common) and the label itself. Some real thought obviously went into it, so I don't believe that they would have used a blown up version of the artwork unless they [i]had to[/i] for some reason.

Ah word, I thought people were saying it was just like, a direct upscale of the CD cover itself, which seemed unlikely to me for sure. You can definitely see where they pasted the pillows onto the foreground, so it makes sense that the final product was a specific size. Guessing by the way that Sawao has made at least one of the recent single covers by doing a combination of physical and photography, they may have even been limited in the scale by having physically printed out the foreground and slapping it onto a physical background rather than doing it digitally? lol

Wonder about the Little Busters vinyl jacket. I had to pass on these in favor of purchasing musical gear and stuff, so I can't compare. :x

[quote="Marekenshin"]Ah word, I thought people were saying it was just like, a direct upscale of the CD cover itself, which seemed unlikely to me for sure.[/quote]
Yeah, me too.
But yeah, I think the most likely scenario is that the original image just didn’t look very good. The vinyl cover still looks pretty great though, in my opinion, and it’s pretty hard to distinguish any quality decay without a good eye (literally Mr. Magoo over here).

What I meant when I first brought it up was that it simply doesn't look that great on the vinyl release. The text in particular looks fuzz AF as if it was just a blown up image. I was honestly a bit disappointed when I got it.

Sounds good though.

Despite having ordered mine before release day, I've only just received [i]Lostman[/i] and [i]Busters[/i] (wanted to avoid paying for international shipping from the middleman service for as long as possible). Packaging looks modest but feels quite nice; I love that they went for sturdy cardboard with the gatefold instead of some thinner, flimsier paper. On the sound, it's hard for me to compare between the CD and vinyl cuz music just always sound different on vinyl played thru my turntable setup, no matter what (although it was really nice to turn the bass up on my speakers and really hear Kashima pounding thru). BUT I will say that that first play was the probably the cleanest of my whole life. I've bought plenty of new and used vinyl lately, and they've all usually got a little bit of crackle and pop, which I've gotten used to expecting. Both sides of [i]Lostman[/i], however, were literally immaculate; not a single crackle or pop; a real testament to the quality of the pressing. Haven't spun [i]Busters[/i] yet but there's a good chance it's the same. Really a shame that I probably won't ever get another completely clean spin of these records; almost wish I had the cash to buy another copy, just for that same satisfaction.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/zaNqblL.jpg[/img]

BRING ON [i]RUNNERS[/i] AND [i]BIVOUAC[/i]!!!

[quote="MyFoot"]The text in particular looks fuzz AF as if it was just a blown up image.[/quote]
I wouldn't say that they look severely blown up, but the covers clearly aren't as sharp-looking as your usual 12" jackets. However, I suspect that that may be because the original photos aren't of the greatest quality/resolution. That said, they probably could have edited in some new, less blurry text with ease.

[quote="dimsim3478"]Both sides of [i]Lostman[/i], however, were literally immaculate; not a single crackle or pop; a real testament to the quality of the pressing.[/quote]

If you're storing and cleaning them properly this should be normal, at least for a while.

[quote="Spike"]If you're storing and cleaning them properly this should be normal, at least for a while.[/quote]
I should really invest in one of those washer thingies as I never actually wash my records but I do store them properly. They sound great in the long term with pretty much no noticeable hiccups but after one or two plays they never spin as cleanly as the first time. I think, even after washing, that'll still be the case, though the difference between that first and third spin will be even more marginal than it is now.

But seriously, that first spin of [i]Lostman[/i] was [i]absurdly[/i] clean. I'm sayin', like, as clean as a CD. I usually get a tiny little fizzle or somethin' but I actually listened for one and detected nothin'.

[quote="Spike"]^ Hopefully they arn't 180gram.[/quote]
Do you dislike 180g records, Spike? Why?
I'm just curious since I'm still pretty new to vinyl and recently got a few 180g records. It seems like more of a marketing gimmick that I don't see advertised much in Japan and doesn't seem to differ much besides being a bit more hefty.

[quote="Mafu"]I'm just curious since I'm still pretty new to vinyl and recently got a few 180g records. It seems like more of a marketing gimmick that I don't see advertised much in Japan and doesn't seem to differ much besides being a bit more hefty.[/quote]

I don't dislike the concept of 180g records, I even have a couple of 200g records. The problem with them is a quality control issue, most of the record manufacturing plants in use today aren't equipped with the right equipment to properly press records of that thickness. There's a certain finesse to producing a record, and a lot of the old guys who were trained for that sort of work are no longer in the business, combined with the fact that many plants are operating 50-60 year old equipment that may be out of spec. The most common type of defect on these records is called a "non-fill" which happens when the vinyl doesn't fill all of the grooves properly, or if the record begins to harden prematurely. It makes a sound that's a bit like a piece of paper being torn.

"180g" is kind of a buzzword, or a marketing gimmick like you say, these releases are often labled with other phrases like "audiophile quality." How to put it... you might get one that's fine, but they have a higher defect rate. Many of them are probably "fine" but the label will slap stickers on it like 180g and "audiophile" and charge a premium price when the quality control isn't up to par. There are some really great 180g records out there too of course, I own a few, but the problem is trying to figure that out before you buy it.

As you point out, you won't find many (or any at all) 180g releases coming out of Japan, they are virtually all standard weight and I have never gotten a single bad release.

I don't want to get too long winded here but one of the worst experiences i've had was with Capitol's 180g re-release of Radiohead's back catalogue. OK Computer and Hail to the Thief both had non-fill defects, I got a replacement for HTTF and that one was warped. I ended up buying the original Parlophone release of OK Computer, which is not 180g and has zero problems.

[quote="Spike"]The most common type of defect on these records is called a "non-fill" which happens when the vinyl doesn't fill all of the grooves properly, or if the record begins to harden prematurely. It makes a sound that's a bit like a piece of paper being torn.[/quote]
Yeah, I get these fairly frequently with 180g records. Worst of all was when I got five Oasis reissues; all of 'em had it. For the most part, it was only really audible in the silent grooves, but there's a few bits of actual music with the sound of paper tearing right through 'em.

[quote="Spike"]"180g" is kind of a buzzword, or a marketing gimmick like you say, these releases are often labled with other phrases like "audiophile quality."[/quote]
From what I've read on the subject, heavier pressings don't really improve sound quality. If anything, they possess non-fill defects that you almost definitely won't find on the standard weight pressing. So, insofar as they are marketed as superior in sound quality, 180g is a total scam. But the reason I dig 180g vinyl is that it [i]feels[/i] more durable. Not that 180g vinyl actually is substantially more durable, because your standard weight vinyl won't incur any noticeable damage for a long while if you handle it properly, but the [i]feeling[/i] of durability is pretty satisfying (though it might sound stupid to non-vinyl collectors). I suppose you can think of it like hardcover vs. softcover books: there's something about hardcovers that's just beaut, even though the contents of the hardcover and softcover would probably be the same. Also, because 180g vinyl is heavier, it's more likely that you'll get a wonderful thick, heavy gatefold sleeve to support that weight, whereas 140g doesn't need more than your normal flimsy paper sleeve (though the Pillows reissues beg to differ).

It's also worth mentioning that I don't mind some crackle in my vinyl, so 180g sound defects are no biggie to me, as long as they're not [i]super[/i] prominent. If sound quality is paramount for you, though, it's probably best to steer clear of 180g if a standard weight option is available.

[quote="Spike"]As you point out, you won't find many (or any at all) 180g releases coming out of Japan, they are virtually all standard weight and I have never gotten a single bad release.[/quote]
I've actually got quite a few from Japan. The Cro-Magnons' annual album release always includes a 180g vinyl edition (in fact, they were 200g for a couple of years). Just got the third Happy End album in the mail today, and that one's on 180g. Bloodthirsty Butchers, The Stalin, Akina Nakamori and Chisato Moritaka; the list goes on. They're certainly less common than in the West, but I wouldn't say there's [i]very[/i] few. Being that vinyl is starting to roll back into fashion in Japan, I think the 180g pressings will only become more common with time.

[quote="dimsim3478"]I've actually got quite a few from Japan. The Cro-Magnons' annual album release always includes a 180g vinyl edition (in fact, they were 200g for a couple of years). Just got the third Happy End album in the mail today, and that one's on 180g. Bloodthirsty Butchers, The Stalin, Akina Nakamori and Chisato Moritaka; the list goes on. They're certainly less common than in the West, but I wouldn't say there's [i]very[/i] few. Being that vinyl is starting to roll back into fashion in Japan, I think the 180g pressings will only become more common with time.[/quote]

Good to know, I think you've probably bought more than I have so you've got a bigger sample size.

To add a bit to my last reply I don't want it to sound like i'm hating on them too much, it's just that my failure rate with 180g records is unfortunately pretty high and it's turned into an "is it worth it" situation. Espically so when dealing with records shipped overseas where returning it would be expensive and time consuming, or if it was a [i]super limited[/i] release it might not be possible at all. I'm really looking forward to getting Happy Bivouac and it's just nice to know I don't need to worry about it.

There's a flip-side (heh) to everything though, and when you get a good one they tend to be [i]really[/i] good. I have a 200g copy of [i]In The Court Of The Crimson King[/i] and it's one of the best sounding records I own. I also have a 180g first pressing of Tycho's [i]Dive[/i] which is totally flawless and has a super thick cardboard jacket.

[quote="Spike"]I have a 200g copy of [i]In The Court Of The Crimson King[/i] and it's one of the best sounding records I own. I also have a 180g first pressing of Tycho's [i]Dive[/i] which is totally flawless and has a super thick cardboard jacket.[/quote]
Super impressive pickups. I'll probably look into dat 200g KC record at some point; can't pass up a chance for super heavyweight vinyl that actually sounds good (and [i]In the Court[/i] is an essential album anyways). Thanks for talkin' it up!

Can't recall the quality of my entire 180g collection off the top of my head, but I'll do a survey next week when I'm back at my turntable. iirc [i]Kocorono[/i] by Bloodthirsty Butchers, all the Stalin 2016 remasters, and the Cro-Magnons records that I bought unused played real cleanly. Could be that plants in Japan actually know how to press 180g.

btw been looking through Discogs sales history for [i]Lostman[/i] and [i]Busters[/i] vinyl and people have been paying 6,900 yen (NOT including international shipping) on copies when they could easily just use a proxy to buy from the King E-Shop. The seller 81Vinyl_Store isn't as bad of a gouger as Kupiku but more than double the normal retail price is still pretty bad.

[quote="dimsim3478"]Kupiku[/quote]

Little sidebar here, but damn that name is so familiar... Was this a former user, or someone on thr soulseek? Moletown? No?

Also thanks for that write up, Spike! Real interesting stuff.

Yeah, thanks Spike. Since getting into the hobby, I have been digging learning more and more about record stuff. I haven’t gotten any bad pressings yet, but I’ll keep that in mind about 180+g records.
[quote="dimsim3478"]btw been looking through Discogs sales history for [i]Lostman[/i] and [i]Busters[/i] vinyl and people have been paying 6,900 yen (NOT including international shipping) on copies when they could easily just use a proxy to buy from the King E-Shop. The seller 81Vinyl_Store isn't as bad of a gouger as Kupiku but more than double the normal retail price is still pretty bad.[/quote]
Discogs doesn’t seem very good for Japanese music. I registered just a few months ago and there weren’t even pages for several of the pillows’ albums and most of the singles, let alone like 80% of any other Japanese releases that I search for. Very few Japanese seem to use Discogs, so I think that’s why you see a lot of stuff priced at ridiculous import prices.