2024 Stock. 180 gram vinyl + extensive booklet. Reissue of this rare 1980 LP which features two avant-garde masterworks from Swedish composer/artist, Ake Hodell. "Spirit of Ecstasy (Racing Car Opera)," composed in 1977, is a bizarre experiment in "non-music," and an amazingly weird opera that tells the story of the first half of the 20th Century through that powerful symbol, the automobile. It features a compelling story despite consisting mostly of the repetitive chanting of car names, and it displays a witty sense of humor. "The Way to Nepal (Landscape Music)" from 1971 is as unique and interesting, but more sombre, and noticeably darker in it's conception. It is as amazing as the first side, although probably the lesser known of the two. This package is beautiful and the reissue sounds crystal clear. A must-own album for avant-garde collectors, and a valuable work of experimental art.
This 2015 album re-edition is mastered from the original tapes (a different mix from the CD-compilation of works by Hodell on Fylkingen Records), pressed on 180 gram vinyl, including a booklet with new liner notes and the libretto to Spirit of Ecstasy.