Porcupine Tree – In Absentia

Same mastering and sound as the 2018 copy. Identical runouts. Only difference between my two copies is the inner sleeves which are printed o the 2018

I actually think this 2018 official Kscope is slightly better than the more recent Transmission reissue. It has printed lyric inners for starters and the newer issue just has poly sleeves. Once cleaned they are about the same for sound and mastering but the 2018 discs are thicker and flatter and i perceive just a slightly richer element in the sound which i prefer somehow. Without two identical rigs and a switch to flip tween each one im relying on flipping the discs here so i could be mistaken. I suppose the question is how much difference its worth paying for the printed lyric sleeves and not feeling short changed.

Top notch pressing and remaster, although I'm not entirely sold on it. On it's own it's really good, clear and punchy, with a satisfying low end, with my only complaint being too much compression going on in the higher frequencies, for example the hi-hat and cymbals sound slightly harsh and artificial sometimes.

After listening to this I compared it to my 2010 Tonefloat pressing (https://www.discogs.sitioby.com/release/2356294-Porcupine-Tree-In-Absentia ) and oh boy... I was shocked how huge the difference is! It's like all the life has been sucked out of this remaster, the Tonefloat pressing carries so much more depth and emotion and especially in the low frequencies it wipes the floor with this remaster, so much more organic and deep. It also doesn't have those unpleasant high frequencies for me.

Don't get me wrong here, this remaster is still a very good sounding pressing you can get without worries, which by the way also applies to all pressings after that as they all share the same vinyl cut. It's just that there is a much better pressing for me and I assume it would be the same (or even more so?) with the first pressing from 2003, although sadly I never heard that.

Porcupine Tree's Tonefloat pressings tended to be hit and miss back then, for example the first pressing of Fear of a Blank Planet is really bad sounding in my opinion and should be avoided when looking for a good sounding pressing of that album. This In Absentia pressing is a major hit though!

As a comparison I first played a later, remastered pressing (https://www.discogs.sitioby.com/release/11632553-Porcupine-Tree-In-Absentia ), which sounds clear and punchy, with a satisfying low end. Really good, except a bit too much compression in the higher frequencies for my taste and slightly sterile sounding.

Then I played this pressing and... wow! Suddenly this album opened up so much, carrying so much more depth and emotion. I heard some details here I never noticed before, the drums are super crisp and natural sounding and the high frequencies are sharp and sparkling, without anything unpleasant like with the remaster. And oh boy, that low end here, warm, punchy and organic, with a rich, deep bass guitar and one of the most satisfying sounding bass drums I've heard in a while (especially in heavy bits like Gravity Eyelids or Wedding Nails)! At first I thought that the remaster had a great low end, but in comparison this Tonefloat pressing wipes the floor with the remaster!

The pressing quality itself here is also really good. It's mostly super quiet, which is quite surprising for a colorway like this in my experience. The only little flaws on my copy are a faint sibilance in a few spots, but really almost not worth mentioning, and a moderate inner groove distortion.

The presentation here is fantastic, a high quality matte gatefold sleeve with a glossy texturing and the colorway of the discs is a real beauty, matching the artwork perfectly. Last but not least this is one of very few vinyl pressings where you get Chloroform, the other ones being all other early pressings of In Absentia up until 2010 and the recent Record Store Day 2023 exclusive IA/DW/XT EP.

Speaking of early In Absentia pressings, I badly need the first pressing now to see if that even tops this terrific pressing. But for now I have my perfect pressing for one of my favourite albums of the last 25 years!

Oh my God. This is the best I've ever heard this album sound. Love the white vinyl. In Absentia indeed, because this copy is dead quiet.

The original CD is way too loud, is clipping and almost brickwalled, the original Deadwing CD is even worst, brickwalled as hell.
If you like that, fine. Even Steven Wilson itted it was no good, hence this one.
If you got a good hi-fi system, listen with headphones, then the difference is very good to hear.
Mutch mutch better.

I’ve gotta disagree with the comments that the sound of this is not good. Found a copy used for $27 today, decided to give it a try and it sounds great! Very full and rich sound with no surface noise.

I grew up listening to this band and had the privilege to watch them live as well. It’s fair to say I know the band’s sound well.

Listening to this record is an amazing sonic experience. The drums don’t sound tiny like many modern rock records, the bass is well rounded (so happy to see how Colin Edwin’s groovy basslines are finally getting the right treatment) and the guitar stands out really well. The synth/keys sit in the mix well. The vocals are upfront and centred well. Every instrument and vocal have their own space and you can hear/feel the air between them.

The soundstage of the vinyl is audiophile grade in my humble opinion. You can hear light compression during the loud ages but that is not at all bothersome.

Ordered 3 times. All records had a slight warp, thankfully the one I settled on didn’t seem to affect the playback. Pretty happy with the sound, although I prefer the digital () remaster over the LP.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time so the disappointment was immense the first time I gave this a spin. It is utterly flat with almost no sound-stage; everything is just muddled together in the mids. No brightness to speak of. Muddy when things get heavy. A few spins later and my opinion hasn't changed.