Linn News

Share your favourite Music Moments

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Everyone has moments in their life when music makes the difference. It captures the moment perfectly, intensifies our emotions or changes the way we feel.

In these moments, music and memory become linked forever, and it becomes impossible to think of one without the other.

We've created an interactive Music Moments wall to collect these special moments together for everyone to see, listen and add their own.

#MusicMoment

Check out the new Music Moments wall and explore the stories, photos and videos posted by music lovers everywhere.

Add your own favourite Music Moments and tell everyone how music has shaped your finest and most poignant moments. Post your story to the wall and help re-live those times when music makes the difference.

You can join in and share your moments with Facebook or Twitter - use the hashtag #MusicMoment to add your moments to the stream and see what music is making the world spin right now.

Share your Music Moment

It could be your greatest music memory or it could have happened this morning on the way to work. Happiness or heartbreak (and everything in-between), tell us about the music, the emotions it stirs and the memory it evokes.

Words by themselves are fine but you can bring your Music Moment to life by adding a picture or movie. If you’ve got an original photograph or film clip, perfect. Or just find something that illustrates the moment perfectly for you.

You can add as many moments as you like and share them with the friends that helped inspire them. Add a Music Moment today and share those times when music made the difference for you.

Camp Bestival-goers enjoy classic albums with Linn

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:55:31 +0000

Over 250 music fans attending Camp Bestival in Dorset last weekend joined us at the Classic Album Sundays Played on Linn listening sessions where musical masterpieces were played in their full glory from start to finish on a fully-loaded Sondek LP12 Klimax system.

Housed in the spectacular 17th Century Lulworth Castle, the event provided an oasis for festival-goers. Attendees were able to kick off their wellies, lie back and enjoy 2 hours of pure audio pleasure. One delighted visitor commented that the session had been ‘the icing on the cake of a very entertaining Camp Bestival’.

Classic Album Sundays

Classic Album Sundays founder and DJ, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy played a selection of related music in the lead-up to each feature album before introducing it with a ‘behind the scenes’ story of the band and their classic album.

Over the three days nine different albums were played spanning a range of music genres, including Fleetwood Mac - Rumours, Massive Attack - Blue Lines, KLF - Chill Out and Bob Marley - Exodus. An extra session for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was added to the line-up due to the high demand.

Bestival 2011

Join us at our next event at Bestival from 8th - 11th September, where the album line-up will feature classics from pop stars, rock stars and divas, including The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds, Grace Jones - Nightclubbing, PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, and back by popular demand: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon.

As a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse, who in her short lifetime left us the classic album ‘Back to Black’, why not join other music fans on Sunday 7th August for the Living to Music listening session at home.

Tangled Up In Blue with Barb Jungr

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:33:29 +0000

Over a hundred music fans were treated to a memorable night of live Linn music at a special invite-only event hosted by Chelsea-based Klimax Specialist 1st Stop Audio Visual and supported by our very own Gilad Tiefenbrun.

Held at Royal Festival Hall in London, guests enjoyed a champagne reception and an intimate performance from Barb Jungr, described as 'the foremost interpreter of Bob Dylan's back catalogue' (The Independent).

Barb plays Bob

With 'Man In The Long Black Coat' recently released to celebrate Dylan's 70th birthday, Barb delivered a mesmerising set from her current tour, with the Thames and Big Ben providing a spectacular backdrop as the sun set.

Barb opened the show with 'Tangled Up In Blue', accompanied throughout by Jenny Carr on piano, and delighted the audience with favourites such as 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' and her intelligent 5/4 arrangement of 'The Times They Are A-Changin'.

Live Q&A with Gilad

In a Q&A session with the audience, led by Linn MD Gilad Tiefenbrun, Barb shared her considerable insight into Dylan's work and her hopes that he has heard her interpretations (e-mails from Dylan's publisher suggest that he has...and that he approves!).

With stories and song introductions typically peppered with Barb's Northern wit, the light-hearted banter provided a stark contrast to the often uncompromisingly harsh lyrics of Dylan songs such as 'It Ain't Me Babe'.

24-bit Barb

'Forever Young' provided the audience with the opportunity to flex their own vocal muscles as Barb built the set towards a climax with a spine-tingling rendition of 'With God On Our Side', which brought the room to its feet for a well-deserved standing ovation.

With Linn's finest music system playing 24-bit Studio Masters before and after her set, Linn owners and newcomers alike were able to hear and compare Barb's breathtaking performance with the very next best thing, a Linn Klimax System playing Studio Masters from Linn Records.

More Info

For more info on Barb Jungr and a chance to preview some of the tracks featured (all samples provided are from Barb's albums), visit Linn Records.

For news and special invitations to future Linn musical events, register your e-mail address with Linn.

To listen to Linn's finest music system, contact your Linn Specialist or catch one of the few remaining New Linn Klimax events.

Classic Album Sundays Played on Linn

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Classic Album Sundays and Linn share both a passion for music and an appreciation of the difference that great music played at high quality can make to your life.

Chopped up, compressed and played back on portable devices which limit what you hear, music is often pushed into the background, a soundtrack to work or commuting rather than the social, life-changing experience it deserves to be.

Classic Album Sundays and Linn provide an antidote to this worrying trend.

Classic Album Sundays

You may already be familiar with Classic Album Sundays, a unique concept aimed at bringing back the art of listening. Music lovers get together once a month to listen to a classic recording from beginning to end, uninterrupted and undisturbed.

"Classic Album Sundays is proud to work with Linn for a variety of reasons. They are a unique, family-owned business that creates their own products from the outside to the inside - the chassis to the electronics. They are a very green company that only produce upon order and are committed to recycling. However, the main reason we are working together is a commitment to hearing the music the way the artist intended."
Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, founder of Classic Album Sundays

Founded by renowned DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, the event has built up a dedicated following over the past year and has been widely praised for encouraging people to engage with music on a lasting basis and make time to listen.

This shared passion for quality listening experiences has brought Linn and Classic Album Sundays together.

Camp Bestival and Bestival

Join us at Camp Bestival and Bestival this summer, where together we’ll be giving festival-goers the chance to enjoy the most iconic albums ever made, with a level of clarity they’ve never heard before.

"What we love about Classic Album Sundays is that it really connects the listener with the people behind the music. Colleen brings the music to life with stories of the artist, their journey and how the music came about. Music shouldn't be treated as a throwaway commodity that is consumed and discarded. Classic Album Sundays encourages people to engage with music on a lasting basis and make the time to just listen.”
Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn Managing Director

Classic albums already selected for the event (you can still vote online to help decide the remaining Listener's Choices) include Prince & The Revolution’s Purple Rain, Bob Marley’s Exodus, KLF’s Chill Out and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours - all played through without interruption on Linn’s iconic Sondek LP12 turntable.

Launched almost 40 years ago and voted the most influential product in the history of hi-fi, you’ve not truly heard an album until you’ve heard it on an LP12.

Visit campbestival.net or bestival.net for more festival details and ticket info.

LP12 Forum Members enjoy live music at special Linn event

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:00:32 +0000

Following our Linn DS Forum Day, it was the turn of our LP12 Forum Members to experience the famous Linn hospitality and enjoy an exclusive concert with Linn artist Fiona Mackenzie.

The anticipation began building as soon as Linn Managing Director Gilad Tiefenbrun posted in our Sondek LP12 Forum, inviting turntable owners and vinyl aficionados to the famous Linn Factory in Scotland for a day (and night) of discussion, music and revelry.

Guests began the day with an in-depth tour of all areas of the Richard Rogers-designed Linn Factory, with particular attention on the design and manufacture of the longest-lived hi-fi product still in production anywhere in the world.

Everyone got a chance to see how their favourite Linn products were built and tested, and in some cases meet the names behind their very own cherished components (every Linn product bears the name of the individual person responsible for building, testing and signing it off).

After a short detour to the Linn Canteen for some refreshments, LP12 engineers joined Linn founder Ivor Tiefenbrun and his son Gilad for a live Q&A session which was streamed live on Linn Radio and featured some fascinating insights into the history and development of the LP12 turntable from inception to present day.

Scottish singer-songwriter Fiona Mackenzie then took to the stage with her band and wowed everyone present (and listening online) with songs from her debut solo album Elevate (available in 24-bit Studio Master and 180 gram vinyl), reminding us all why we were gathered together under the one roof - a shared love of music.

The night continued long into the early hours at a city-centre bar and ended for many (no doubt) with a nightime lullaby or two at home on their cherished turntable (a whole day talking about the LP12 certainly gets you thinking about that first track you want to listen to on your return home).

Sign up for Linn News updates or join the 10,000 plus Linn Forum members to stay up-to-date and find out about future events and concerts.

Visit our Facebook gallery for more pictures from the day - and feel free to post your own snaps.

Linn and Linn Prestige present Claire Martin in St. Petersburg

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Following our recent Label of the Year success, Linn combined with our Russian partner Linn Prestige to debut Claire Martin in Russia for an intimate, two-day event held in the exquisite surroundings of St Petersburg.

Attended by an invitation-only audience, Claire Martin and her band performed a warm, witty and often soulful set at the Hotel St Petersburg, which included an onstage interview, with Claire giving a behind-the-scenes insight into the artistic decisions and people that have influenced her music and career.

The following day, Claire appeared at the Linn Prestige boutique on St Petersburg's famous Nevsky Prospekt, where press and customers had an opportunity to discuss and compare her Studio Master recordings via a Linn Klimax DS System to what we'd heard the evening before.

Claire Martin said of the event: "I was amazed at the improvement over my CD recordings of the Studio Master recordings on the Linn DS System, how much closer to the original they sound." She continued: "I was immediately transported back to the performance, and able to visualise with complete clarity who had played on any given recording."

For more information on future Linn musical events, register your details and we'll contact you when there's an event near you.

(For a behind-the-scenes report on the event in St. Petersburg, read Gilad's blog...)

Linn is named ‘Label of the Year’

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:21:53 +0000

The champagne was flowing at London’s Dorchester Hotel today as Head of Linn Records, Caroline Dooley, accepted a prestigious music industry award for the label.

Leading classical music magazine Gramophone named Linn ‘Record Label of the Year’, an award previously won by giants of the industry such as Virgin Records and Deutsche Grammophon.

Linn’s exceptional catalogue of Studio Master downloads is just one of the reasons the label was given this award. Gramophone magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, James Jolly, in particular highlighted its “very impressive digital store” which is now home to over 80 Studio Master albums on its own label and to over 150 Studio Master albums from labels who offer music in genres from rock/pop, electronica, alternative and blues to jazz, gypsy swing and classical.

This recognition by Gramophone represents a turning point as the music industry praises this important format.

To celebrate this momentous win Linn is offering 3 albums for the price of 2 across its entire range of own-label Studio Master downloads, SACDs and 180g Vinyl until 31st October 2010*. Enter the promotion code 3FOR2 when placing your order. Click here for more details.

This is a great opportunity not only to add Linn’s award-winning recordings to your collection, but also to discover new music, to find those hidden gems that have collectively contributed towards Linn being named ‘Label of the Year’.

Don’t know where to start? Well, our list of award-winning recordings is a good place or you could you try our specially selected range of Linn highlights.

Our experience in making award-winning recordings and music systems gives us a unique understanding of the musical journey from the performer to the listener. For the finest possible listening experience in your home, play Studio Master downloads through a Linn DS system. This unbeatable combination of the highest quality music recording and reproduction lets you enjoy your favourite artists just as they intended. Audition Studio Master downloads on a Linn DS system at a Linn Specialist near you.

*3for2 promotion does not include albums from partner labels.

Linn welcomes Linn DS Forum members to Waterfoot

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:59:21 +0000

After visiting the factory… it becomes immediately obvious just why Linn's products are so far ahead of their competitors; Briain, Linn DS Forum member

As a reward to our most dedicated Linn Forum members, whose daily insights on the Forum are an invaluable support to Linn owners worldwide, we revealed the innermost workings of our factory in Scotland, for one special day in August. This inaugural event brought some of the 6,500 registered members of our online community, all Linn DS owners, together face-to-face for the first time.

The day began with an in-depth factory tour that presented the opportunity to discover first hand the care and attention to detail that goes into every hand-built product.

After a lunch attended by Linn's founder, Ivor Tiefenbrun, guests were then invited to participate in an open discussion session with the Linn R&D team, with the opportunity to share ideas and insights into the development of Linn's product range - no topics were off limits! Facilitated by Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn Managing Director, questions were also taken from Linn Forum members who were listening in live on Linn Radio.

Our guests were then thrilled by an intimate live performance from 22-year-old singer-songwriter Maeve O'Boyle who is signed to our award winning record label; Maeve delighted the audience not only with her music but also personal insights into her recording experiences and relationship with Linn.

The entertainment continued well into the evening at a local microbrewery with a relaxed evening of food and drink, and much lively chat.

Please join our online community and participate in future Linn Forum events.

Book a factory tour and meet the people behind the products.

You can follow further comments from Linn Forum members about the event here.

Feel free to view the photo gallery for the day on Linn's Facebook page.

William Orbit podcast debuts on Linn Records

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:35:02 +0000

Linn recently hosted an intimate evening in conversation with renowned music producer William Orbit. The event was so well received that we’ve created a special podcast which will debut on Linn Radio on:

Thursday 17th June at 7pm (BST) / 8pm (CET) / 2pm (EST).

Enjoy William and Gilad’s discussion about the different music formats available today and how their varying quality can dramatically change the way we listen to, and enjoy, music.

With a variety of music - including Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Madonna’s Ray of Light and tracks from William’s latest album, My Oracle Lives Uptown - and a number of anecdotes from throughout William’s illustrious career, this is one podcast not to be missed.

Tune in to Linn Radio or through Radio DS to hear William’s fascinating insight into the world of high-resolution music and the detail you can achieve from the highest quality Studio Master downloads and vinyl when experienced at Linn levels of music reproduction.

For more information about the music featured on the podcast, or if you miss the first airing on Linn Radio, visit Linn Records Podcasts.

A musical evening with William Orbit

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:40:45 +0000

Linn hosted an intimate evening with acclaimed music producer William Orbit in London this week. The event offered 70 guests a fascinating introduction to the world of Studio Master, the highest quality music download available, and gave an insight into the career of the illustrious genius.

In a discussion led by Linn Managing Director Gilad Tiefenbrun, William Orbit demonstrated exactly how the mp3 format can be very tiring to listen to as lines of music blend together but when listening to the Studio Master, bass lines become clear, rhythms stand out and individual notes have a shape to them. William advocated that whilst mp3 is convenient, higher quality files more closely resemble a live performance making listening a much more joyous experience.

Guests were also treated to another side of William Orbit - the composer. Understandably awkward listening to his own compositions, he likened choosing his favourite tracks to a parent choosing their favourite child. William spoke about the 12 years he spent crafting, building, mixing and re-mixing each piece on his latest album, My Oracle Lives Uptown, over and over, until it was perfect.

Tracks from My Oracle Lives Uptown were played on Linn’s LP12 turntable and Klimax DS player, with William identifying the secret vocalist on the third track, Optical Illusions, as Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow. William revealed what it is like to work with other great artists including U2, Madonna and Pink, and also spoke about his most recent work producing Katie Melua’s new album. He also expressed a desire to work with Lady GaGa on a future collaboration!

The event was a resounding success with the audience all able to meet William and get a copy of his album signed.

A podcast of the event will be available online soon, check back for further details.

Find out what William has to say about it on Facebook.

Last few days of 3 for 2 at Linn Records

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:42:55 +0000

Purchase two records and get a third absolutely free when you order new music from Linn Records before midnight (GMT) on Monday 14th December.

This special offer applies to all downloads, SACDs, CDs, LPs and even boxed sets, so you can treat family and friends to an extra gift, or add to your own record collection this Christmas.

There's also free worldwide shipping on all orders during this period.

This year's highlights include the latest albums from Claire Martin and Mark Moraghan, epic classical recordings of Wagner and Beethoven, and great new music from Maeve O'Boyle and Dawn Langstroth.

Simply add the promo code 3FOR2 to your shopping cart before checking out and the cheapest item will be absolutely free.

A few recommendations:

When you order from Linn you can rest assured that you are getting only the best artists and the highest sound quality. Your order will be efficiently dispatched and our friendly staff are always happy to help by phone or e-mail.

Visit www.linnrecords.com to begin choosing your new music.

Hear the difference with free 24-bit downloads from Linn Records

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:58:43 +0000

Linn Records is beginning a downloads series (via Twitter) allowing you to test the difference between 24-bit Studio Master, 16-bit CD quality and humble streamed MP3 audio files.

These aren't some engineered test-tones or short audio clips, but full free tracks from the latest Linn Records releases.

First up is some incredible jazz from drummer Alyn Cosker. Download and have a listen to CD Quality vs. Studio Master. You can hear the 128K MP3 version by previewing (rather than downloading) either of these tracks.

Follow Linn Records on Twitter to keep up with the series and hear more. More will be added in the next few weeks, including some 24-bit/192kHz classical tracks and a taster from the soon-to-be-released new album from jazz great Claire Martin.

Take the 24-bit Tune-dem and let us know what you think - we'd love to hear your opinion and any particular requests or suggestions you may have.

Explore Linn music for less in July

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:25:55 +0000

Throughout July we’re offering 50% off three new CD collections - an ideal opportunity to explore new artists and music for an unbeatable price, whatever your taste in music.

Choose from the Classical, Jazz or Complete collection, which features a mix of classical, folk and jazz titles, and experience the thrill of Linn performance from our award-winning, world-renowned artists, including Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Claire Martin, Ian Shaw, Carol Kidd and George-Emmanuel Lazaridis.

All three collections are recorded on Super Audio CD (SACD) hybrid discs. This will give you access to the highest quality disc format if you have a SACD player (e.g. Unidisk, Akurate CD), but also ensures cd quality on all other disc players.

Start your Linn music collection today or broaden your existing collection with this amazing offer.

For more info, including a complete list of artists and titles, click here.

Maeve O'Boyle's 'All My Sins' debuts in 24-bit

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:03:46 +0000

Rising Linn Records star Maeve O'Boyle's debut album 'All My Sins' is now available as a 24-bit Studio Master download from www.linnrecords.com.

Produced by Calum Malcolm (The Blue Nile), 'All My Sins' is a master class in melodic, folk-tinged pop featuring tracks co-written with, among others, Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue) and Francis Macdonald (Teenage Fanclub).

Featuring singles 'Swimming Upstream' and 'Carnival Attraction', 'All My Sins' is available in all good record stores from 22nd June 2009.

Get there first with 24-bit (Studio Master) and 16-bit (CD Quality) downloads direct from Linn Records' award-winning site - http://www.linnrecords.com/artist-maeve-o-boyle.aspx.

Praise for Maeve O'Boyle:

'Taxi could have been penned by Damien Rice...When she sang you could have heard a pin drop.' Daily Record
'[A] quite lovely collection of folk rock...Maeve's exceptional voice is evident' Daily Express

Classical BRIT Critics' Award for Linn

Fri, 15 May 2009 14:50:13 +0000

Following our recent nomination, Linn are delighted to announce that we have won the Critics' Award at the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards for 'Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41', recorded by Sir Charles Mackerras with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The Critics' Award, which was decided by a panel of distinguished media figures, was presented to Sir Charles by Classic FM's David Mellor. ‘Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41' beat competition from Paul Lewis' ‘Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol.4' and Gerald Finley and Julius Drake's ‘Schumann: Dichterliebe & Other Heine Settings'. Sir Charles Mackerras, pictured below, was also nominated in the Male Artist of the Year category.

This award will be added to an already-crowded mantelpiece, which features: Disc of the Year 2009 and Orchestral Award 2009 from BBC Music Awards 2009, Album of the Year 2008 from Le Monde de la Musique Choc de l'annee Awards, Orchestral Disc of the Month from BBC Music Magazine, G Star - Recommended from Gramophone and Album of the Year (Symphonic Works) from Midem Classical Awards 2009.

Listen to samples of the award-winning tracks for free, or purchase and download the full Studio Master album, from http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-mozart-symphonies.aspx.

Sir Charles Mackerras pictured with Linn Records' Caroline Dooley and Philip Hobbs, and with Linn Products' Ivor Tiefenbrun.