Magyar
Description
First album of the band renewed in 2001, Update won the eMeRTon Award right after its premiere in May – the professional jurors awarded the World Music Band of the Year to Djabe. This great success did not peak in only the award, as this is the album that brought the first foreign invitations for the band. Since then, Djabe performed in nearly 50 countries, for the joy of the audience.
After the 2001 reformation the band got a new soloist: Ferenc Kovács (trumpet, violin). Next to András Sipos (percussion) arrived the young and talented Szilárd Banai (drums) and made an excellent percussive duo. A position never existed before was filled by Zoltán Kovács (keyboard). Besides András Sipos two more remained from the old line-up: Tamás Barabás (bass guitar) and Attila Égerházi (guitar). Ferenc Muck (saxophone) left Djabe at the end of 2000. Between 1997-2000 Djabe’s sounding was vastly determined by saxophone, and so it had to be filled – and none other did but the Englishman Ben Castle, who expanded the band’s portfolio of instruments by his flute and bass clarinet. At Update’s recordings the Moroccan vocalist-percussionist Saïd Tichiti also appears, with his characteristically Moroccan folk music of gembri and vocal added an exotic flavor to the composition First Step.
The music gained complexity compared to the world music-dominated Djabe of 1996-2000 and made a turn towards jazz, largely because of Tamás Barabás’ compositions, most of them co-composed with Attila Égerházi.
Besides the eMeRTon Award, the CD was also nominated for the Hungarian Music Award, showing the band was still largely popular in its home country. Originally, the album released on casette and CD. In 2011 a new surround mix was made and released in single and double DVD-Audio versions (the second DVD contained the 2001 gig in Szolnok, Hungary in 5.1 mixing, and numerous documentaries and TV appearances). The 2011 Deluxe Edition was the same stereo mix of 2001, because the band was so satisfied with Tamás Barabás’ audio engineer job and did not want to touch it.
In 2018, Djabe decided to release the album on vinyl for the first time, in the best possible audio quality. For this project new analogue master tapes of the 2001 mix were made by Attila Égerházi. These tapes were the base for the works at Abbey Road Studios, London, where one of the best mastering and editing audio engineer worked on them, in the no. 30 editing room to make half-speed lacquer master discs. The half-speed cutting technique guarantees better audio quality compared to normal manufacturing, as the stylus cuts grooves much more precisely, with more audio data. The improved quality becomes even more significant at 45RPM (compared to the normal 33RPM) discs. This combined technique guarantees the best possible master disc for manufacturing. Djabe ordered the vinyl records from Europe’s best pressing plant, the Recording Industry, Netherlands. For the perfect audiophile experience both discs weight 180 grams. This technological prowess exceeded all expectations – Update never sounded better. It became a real yardstick of hi-fi test discs.
Even at 45RPM, there is no need for frequent side turns as all four sides have a 15 min or longer play time.
Featured musicians
Tamás Barabás – bass guitar, synthesizer, percussion
Attila Égerházi – guitar, guitar synthesizer
András Sipos – vocal, percussion
Ferenc Kovács – trumpet, flugelhorn, violin, vocal
Zoltán Kovács – piano, keyboard
Szilárd Banai – drums
Ben Castle – soprano and tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
Saïd Tichiti – vocal, gembri
Quality Vinyl Projects release
This album is only released on vinyl among physical media. Release and manufacturing coordinated by the Quality Vinyl Projects service of Gramy-H, ltd. The mission of QVP is to only use the highest quality masters to release albums. In order to get the best possible master discs we work with the most excellent cutting studios of Europe (Abbey Road Studios, Record Industry etc.), and manufacture the final products only by Record Industry, Netherlands, the best pressing plant of the continent. Records are available in the same high-quality, high-durability transparent plastic outer sleeve like Music On Vinyl series, distinguished by the embossed QVP logo. Quality Vinyl Projects is hallmarked by the internationally acclaimed grade of Djabe releases, but starting this year, available for 3rd parties. Services include studio and live recording, mixing, analogue master tape production, cutting and all phases of manufacturing.
