Sigil 04_: Welcome oblivion

[talkingnothing]

I don't want vinyl but I want the extra tracks. Why force me to steal them? Just offer a decent physical product that comes with a download of the whole thing. Putting the vinyl version on this exclusive white-label CD is a terrible idea because you could just as easily make it available separately as a download and skip the middleman. As it stands, vinyl fans are going to have to rip one of the two physical media or steal it if they want to listen to their complete purchase on a non-physical media player.

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

I understand vinyl versions being slightly different because of segues between songs and whatnot, but if you make an album to conform with vinyl limitations like side lengths and whatnot, then why isn't the cd version or digital version just a replica of that? and if you make an album that fits cd limitations (74 minutes or whatever) you may have to truncate segues or songs to fit onto vinyl, but you didn't set out to make a thing for that format so no big deal. i guess i don't quite get the idea of 2 versions. but I'm not going to let it bug me too much.

I do quite like the new track. every time I listen to it I end up playing it 2 or 3 more times.

I may be imagining this, but are there a lot of folks out there who like HTDA but don't like year zero? seems like I see that come up once in a while, but I don't quite get it. maybe I'm making that up. I also used to think that lots of people really disliked YZ, but in the "rank the albums" thread it seems to show up in the top half of a lot of lists. I really like YZ and so I find it easy to really like HTDA as well. I'm crazy about TR&AR's beats. love em.

[Merriweather]

I'm assuming that buying the album, whether CD or Vinyl, from the HTDA store will offer people a MP3 download on release date as they've done with other releases. If people are buying the vinyl version, will they get the regular album in MP3 form or the White Label?

[jessamineny]

I'm assuming that buying the album, whether CD or Vinyl, from the HTDA store will offer people a MP3 download on release date as they've done with other releases. If people are buying the vinyl version, will they get the regular album in MP3 form or the White Label?

The regular. The bonus tracks will not be included in the downloads that are bundled with purchase from the HTDA store, whether you're buying just the CD or the vinyl.

[eversonpoe]

I may be imagining this, but are there a lot of folks out there who like HTDA but don't like year zero? seems like I see that come up once in a while, but I don't quite get it. maybe I'm making that up. I also used to think that lots of people really disliked YZ, but in the "rank the albums" thread it seems to show up in the top half of a lot of lists. I really like YZ and so I find it easy to really like HTDA as well. I'm crazy about TR&AR's beats. love em.

i really dislike year zero, for the most part. the music ranges from decent to pretty good, and i hate almost all of the vocals (but i love the concept).
however, i love every HTDA song i've heard, so far, except "on the wing" (which is funny because most people seem to love it).

The regular. The bonus tracks will not be included in the downloads that are bundled with purchase from the HTDA store, whether you're buying just the CD or the vinyl.

has that been confirmed?

[jessamineny]

has that been confirmed?

Yes, I asked Rob.

[gorast]

That's the one thing I don't really like about this release. I mean, it's probably done with the assumption that people buying the vinyl are buying it to listen to it/the CD included, instead of just keeping it sealed and admiring the artwork from the outside, but it still doesn't sit well with me. Shouldn't the multi-format digital download match the physical product you're buying?

Oh well.

[botley]

Yes, it should. I mean, I don't know, maybe there's some artistic reason to not include those two tracks. Maybe they're just filler — in which case, why release them at all?

I'll probably download the standard album from iTunes and steal the bonus tracks. Whatever. It just seems as though people like me who've collected everything TR's ever put out in a digital format are in an awkward spot here.

I certainly appreciate what @Leviathant 's saying about accessibility. But after the heady days of 2007–2010, this feels like it's going back to business as usual, particularly with Sony/Columbia's involvement.

[jessamineny]

Alternative view: Maybe, as I've been hoping for a while, this really is a concept album. And maybe the CD version is the preferred narrative, so they'd rather most people have that one. (And for the minority who buy the vinyl, maybe the download version doesn't have the bonus tracks because they'd like to make the preferred narrative available to them as well.)

Or maybe not.

[Canuckle]

The only curious decision is the white label CD in my eyes. As I feel it may have been more cost effective for the band to simply produce extra CD's of the CD release and include them (i.e., it doesn't bother me). Maybe it's their way of releasing the tracks in a digital medium so they can be shared? And frankly, if your biggest gripe is that you have to 'steal' two tracks that didn't make the final cut... then, well, deal with it.

The extra tracks idea in general isn't new in the world of vinyl so I see no reason for complaints there. Unless you have been complaining for over a decade.

Lastly, I urge everyone who is worried / complaining to wait until HTDA updates their store with all the pre-order info.

[jessamineny]

The vinyl does come with a digital download. But that download just doesn't include the bonus tracks. Rob confirmed on Twitter.

[gorast]

From Rob:

"@BStecke It's not the "whole" album, it's bonus tracks that fit better in the vinyl format. Just like The Fragile."

[BenAkenobi]

Maybe those two are simply renamed Sleep of reason and Speaking in tongues, not sure how much sense in that, and i'm trying not to believe so

[sheepdean]

Wouldn't be the first time a modified track's gotten a new name

[Frozen Beach]

So when he means "just like the fragile", does he also mean that some of the tracks may have longer/alternative crossfades?

[sheepdean]

Vinyl normally is slightly different in those terms anyway

[Deadpool]

Anyone else think the title track will be a mostly instrumental interlude? I don't care what it is, it's simply a hunch. I actually like the idea of it being being a weird, lyric-less thing since I've come to really enjoy 'The sleep of reason...' Speaking of which, I'm a little surprised I just realized the possibility of 'The wake-up' being a modified version of 'sleep of reason' - y'know, since Mariqueen whispers that creepy "wake up!" at the end of the song (which I love). Hmmm.

[simonn]

Anyone else considering the possibility that there's a video for every song on the album? 4 before they've even released the thing is quite a lot, though obviously three related to the EP. I recall Trent did mention lots of videos (I'm paraphrasing) when he gave a big update two or three months ago.

[r_z]

From Rob:

"It's not the "whole" album, it's bonus tracks that fit better in the vinyl format. Just like The Fragile."

evil vinyl format. glad to see someone finally has the guts to face its despotic reign by bombing it with bonus songs. the choir will support your endeavors, smartass music people! the choir will shut the fuck up. the choir will gladly buy any halo or sigil or whateveryounamethosethingsyouretryingtomakeintocol lectorsitems.

[gorast]

evil vinyl format. glad to see someone finally has the guts to face its despotic reign by bombing it with bonus songs. the choir will support your endeavors, smartass music people! the choir will shut the fuck up. the choir will gladly buy any halo or sigil or whateveryounamethosethingsyouretryingtomakeintocol lectorsitems.

Alright then.

[botley]

From Rob:

"@BStecke It's not the "whole" album, it's bonus tracks that fit better in the vinyl format. Just like The Fragile."

I don't want to make this into a big deal; the last time I engaged Rob on twitter about HTDA, it was over something as trivial as the wording of a tweet about their Instagram account, and I got a bunch of blowback. It's their band, they can do what they like, I'm just some irascible Canadian who doesn't know the first thing about how to promote music. But I know what I like to see when I decide to buy from an artist, in terms of how they approach salesmanship.

If the bonus tracks are ONLY on vinyl because they 'fit better' in that format, and only that format, why are they duplicating it only on ANOTHER PHYSICAL FORMAT instead of offering that version as a download? Just seems like a silly gimmick. Give us a FLAC download version of the vinyl tracklist that we can buy and I'll buy it. Instead I'm going to find those tracks somewhere else.

...this is coming from someone who bought the WITT single.

[Deepvoid]

I'm sure they are aware of that. I never bought vinyls, never will. If there are bonus tracks that are only available through purchase of the vinyl edition, I'll find them elsewhere.

[sheepdean]

The ETS community isn't exactly known for not sharing music

[MrSlfDstruct]

I'm personally back and forth on buying the vinyl. I consider myself a collector, but not to the point of being a completist. I try to have a physical version of all of the songs available for any official release if it's available, but I personally just have no use for the vinyl, despite it being really, really good looking. I guess I'm content with Rob's response in that the album isn't incomplete without the extra tracks, but then that collector kicks in . . .

[ZeroisGreg]

How do I remove the vocals from 'How long"?

[BRoswell]

Take a knife and cut along the bottom of the song. The vocals should just fall out on their own.

[sheepdean]

How do I remove the vocals from 'How long"?

Wait for HTDA to release the multitracks, at their current track record you should have them by 2026

[ZeroisGreg]

Come on guys, I'm serious. I've applied Channel conversion using a vocal cut preset and inverted one channel but it seems the vocals are too interwoven for removal.

[BRoswell]

There's not much you can do unless they release the multitracks.

[ZeroisGreg]

There's not much you can do unless they release the multitracks.

Is multi-track releasing allowed by their label?

[sheepdean]

Can't you just enjoy the song? And labels love multitracks, though they often want to charge for them