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With its upcoming roster boasting titles from Kate Bush, Ben Folds Five, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Laura Nyro and Julie Andrews, the new audiophile label Analog Spark is pulling out all the stops for its debut this spring.

Yesterday, Razor & Tie announced the launch of Analog Spark, a new imprint which will focus on reissued releases on both 180-gram vinyl and SACD. Razor & Tie co-owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam commented, “We’re very excited about the launch of Analog Spark and the reissue of this important historical music. These albums are deserving of the highest quality and we are confident our releases will become the go-to versions for both casual listeners and audiophiles alike.” The imprint will be guided by curator Mark Piro. He added, “Our intention is to bring the listener as close as possible to the original recording by using the best sources, mastering engineers and pressing plants. We hope to build a lasting relationship and dialogue with our audience — so that each time they purchase an Analog Spark release, they will have musical curation and quality that they can trust.”

Razor & Tie promises that Analog Spark’s repertoire “will stretch across eras and musical genres and hopefully bring light to artists and albums that have been overlooked thus far.” Piro observed, “As more and more new listeners discover and value well-mastered vinyl and SACDs, there is an increasing demand for titles that are either out of print or unreleased on these formats. We hope to provide our listeners with the best sounding releases of these titles and also remain faithful to the artist’s intent.”

That diverse, eclectic repertoire is epitomized by the imprint’s initial release slate. Analog Spark kicks off in March with the previously-announced campaign in celebration of The Sound of Music’s golden anniversary. A March release has been confirmed for 180-gram vinyl editions of both the new expanded soundtrack (to be issued on March 10 on CD by Legacy Recordings) and the original RCA Victor soundtrack album, plus an SACD of that original release. The SACD marks the beloved musical film’s premiere in high resolution audio.

In April, Analog Spark has 180-gram vinyl editions of Kate Bush’s 1993 album The Red Shoes and The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s 1954 Jazz Goes to College. Bush’s seventh studio album, The Red Shoes is her highest U.S. charting album to date (No. 28) and features the No. 12 U.K. hit single “Rubberband Girl” which also made No. 7 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. The LP, a No. 2 U.K. triumph, boasts guest appearances from Jeff Beck, Procol Harum’s Gary Brooker, Eric Clapton and Prince. Jazz Goes to College chronicles the 1954 North American college tour of The Dave Brubeck Quartet and features Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, Bob Bates on double bass and Joe Dodge on drums. Following the album’s original release, Dave Brubeck landed on the cover of Time and was declared “the most exciting new jazz artist at work today.” His successes at Columbia Records, with a reconfigured Quartet also featuring Desmond, were just around the corner. Both of these vinyl reissues have been cut from the original analog tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed at RTI.

Future, as-yet-unscheduled releases include 180-gram vinyl reissues of Laura Nyro’s 1969 masterwork New York Tendaberry and Ben Folds Five’s ambitious 1999 album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. Pre-order links are not yet available for any of Analog’s titles, but watch this space (and our Release Calendar!) for further updates. Analog Spark can be found on Twitter: @AnalogSpark !

ANALOG SPARK 2015 RELEASE SCHEDULE

MARCH:

The Sound Of Music: 50th Anniversary Edition180-GRAM 2LP

The Sound Of Music: Original Soundtrack 180-GRAM LP

The Sound Of Music: Original Soundtrack SACD

APRIL

KATE BUSH: The Red Shoes 180-GRAM LP

THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET: Jazz Goes to College 180-GRAM LP

FUTURE RELEASES INCLUDE:

BEN FOLDS FIVE: The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner 180-GRAM LP

LAURA NYRO: New York Tendaberry 180-GRAM LP