Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

I find this pressing silky and a bit veiled. Not the best listening experience. I owned 2 RTI pressings - translucent with smooth cover and non-translucent with textured cover - and they both sounded in the same way. Better to buy non-RTI pressing of Factus 1 without 9838/9839 in runouts - pressed on heavyweight vinyl, sounds warm, taut, more realistic and atmospheric. Bernard's guitar on New Dawn Fades sounds so funeral! Mind blowing awesome. Also cover is stunning - heavy-textured, RTI pressing comes with faint-textured cover

I find this pressing is very, very good. It is the most natural I have ever heard this album sound aside from some occasional compression on the drums and sibilance on Ian’s vocals. Some tracks, like New Dawn Fades and Wilderness, are mastered very similar to modern/digital remasters. But on certain tracks, it is almost an entirely different experience than what is streaming now. Tracks like Disorder, Insight, and She’s Lost Control sound quite different - much warmer and more natural sounding. It’s almost as if there is much less reverb applied to those tracks than what is on current versions. While the modern remasters have a certain atmospheric distance to them due to the heavy reverb (I’ve heard it described as like they are playing from the bottom of a well), certain tracks here eliminate that distance and it now sounds like the band is present with you. Ian’s voice in particular on these tracks no longer have the haunting distance and reverb I am used to but now sounds like you are in the recording booth with him. As a consequence, some sections lose part of the overwhelming cacophonous sound of the modern masters, such as the second half of She’s Lost Control. It’s a very different aesthetic presentation than what most are used to with this album. I personally really like it and think it sounds great overall, but I could see some feeling it detracts from the album’s atmosphere.

Just got a NM- copy that’s translucent brown when held to light. What an incredible pressing. I’m sure the UK Porky Prime Cut is even better, but there is absolutely nothing I can knock about this. Glorious! Sleeve even still has the shrink with the Factory hype sticker on the back like in the photos. I’m thrilled. This has been at the top of my want list for a long long time.

I see that Discogs mentions LKULKA in the matrix runouts. In my copy there's LKING mentioned. When I check the pictures of this version here on Discogs, it's clear that it's LKING that is etched in the wax. So, do both versions exist? Or are they one and the same?

The sombre dark introspective ominous sounds & lyrics of JD as they throb thru a doom-laden post-punk-goth droning landscape of isolation & frustration all enhanced by beautiful cover art. What’s not to like?
Incredibly it all works like a charm – sing-along as you trip thru the daisies.

Having listened to the original German, the 2007 reissue, and this LP; the original US pressing smokes the others. The German sounds very cold and, well, German... but has some issues with Ian's voice distorting. It also lacks proper low end compression, so the kick drum sounds very inconsistent, leaving the album feeling like it doesn't have enough punch. The reissue is tied up too tightly, with a bit too much compression across the frequency spectrum and a bit of a narrow soundstage. The US original has a lovely high-end, the perfect amount of low-end punch, and a clear midrange. Ian's voice feels very forward and clear without losing the atmosphere. Also, the textured sleeve is stunning! Recommended.

"Vinyl appears black but when held up to a light it may appear translucent purple, reddish/brown, brown, green or grey. Note that the light source can affect the color seen." It's BLACK, I own this copy there is no colour held to the light, it's BLACK!.