Miles Davis: Bitches Brew - 2x Ultradisc One-Step LP 180g 33rpm Vinyl, Remastered

Davis conceived “Bitches Brew” by arranging the musicians involved in a semicircle. There he gave them vague instructions on tempo, solos, and cues. The collective improvisation and interplay resulted in a galaxy of melodies and grooves, which were later edited together by producer Ted Macero. Behind this was Davis' desire to assemble the “best rock ‘n’ roll band you've ever heard” – musicians who could realize his revolutionary vision. At the heart of his concept are two (sometimes even three) drummers and two bassists – a tactical move that puts the rhythm at the center. Much like the futuristic album cover, the drum-driven suites transport listeners to distant universes and unknown realms. They are hypnotic and groovy at the same time, and their innovative rock, funk and R&B elements take listeners on an unconventional musical adventure.

“Bitches Brew” is an experiment without a safety net, featuring interchangeable double quintet lineups and electrified instruments – including Fender Rhodes piano, distorted trumpet, dissonant guitars and bass – as well as an emphasis on feeling over composition. Fascinating and soothing, disturbing and gentle, open and subtle: the music seems to cover the entire spectrum of emotions and sensations and, like no album before it, combines the groundbreaking creativity of the various disciplines that changed pop culture in the late 1960s and at the beginning of a new decade. Conceptually, Davis described “Bitches Brew” as “a novel without words” and “an incredible journey full of pain, joy, sadness, hatred, passion and love”. The vast psychedelic expanses of distorted echoes, flowing reverb and tape loops underscore these ambitious contrasts between light and darkness, fear and hope. However, the most distinctive feature of this groundbreaking work is that it defies clear interpretation and encourages free thinking – precisely the principles according to which Davis conceived “Bitches Brew”.

The numbered double LP box, strictly limited to 5,000 copies, marking the 55th anniversary of “Bitches Brew” was remastered from the original tapes especially for release at the MoFi Studio in California and pressed in the superior-sounding Ultra-Disc One-Step process on 180-gram SuperVinyl (33 RPM) at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, USA. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and visionary, faithful-to-the-original artwork graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. “Listen To This”, the original working title for “Bitches Brew”, remains an invitation to approach this outstanding album that broke conventions, changed music history, and is still far ahead of its time 55 years later. As a model for jazz fusion, “Bitches Brew” is rightly listed by virtually all major media outlets as one of the 100 best albums of all time. Released in 1970, this masterpiece shines in vivid colors thanks to MFSL's One-Step version, showcasing the album's fascinating voodoo textures and ethereal moods with the utmost detail, a holographic soundstage, clear instrument separation and an extremely wide dynamic range. If there ever was a jazz album that could take you to space and back, it's this reissue of “Bitches Brew”.