Robert Rich & B. Lustmord* – Stalker

"Originally manufactured in September 1995 by Cinram Richmond, IN (B50919).
Later Cinram pressings can be identified by the glass mastering date in the matrix.
Known Cinram, Richmond, IN pressings were done in 1998 (J80906), 2002 (E20315), 2004 (F41203).
Other US pressings were done in 2011 (here) and 2015 (here). "

Aside from the above data being (very) slightly interesting trivia, is there >ANY< relevance to the fact that A) there are different pressings, or B) that one or more pressings were done at Cinram, Richmod, IN? Is this information really vital for a master release note? Wouldn't it suffice to only have the mastering information listed under each release, unless there >were< something special/peculiar/particular about one or more pressings? And if that >is< the case, shouldn't that information also be contained in the master release notes???

pressed in vinyl for the 1st time available here: https://www.valley-entertainment.com/products/b-lustmord-robert-rich-stalker

I fail to comprehend people's dithyrambic reviews on this release. It is ofcourse very good, but definetely not THE dark ambient release. Listen to it directly after e.g. Raison d' etre's 'The empty hollow unfolds' and you will see how weak and superficial it sounds in comparison.

One of the greatest dark ambient albums ever. Beautiful soundscapes, amazing atmospheres.

A must listen to every ambient fanatic!

Praised for being an absolute masterpiece in the realm of dark ambient the album somehow transcends and eludes this somewhat narrow characteristic as actually it's a towering achevement in electronic music in general.

It's all too apparent that Rich and Lustmord have spent a great deal of thought and labour and in turn crafted a sonic vehicle that is truly flawless in every single aspect. From the most seemingly insignificant details, through subtly constructed vast landscapes that stir emotions and conjure frightful and eerie images all the way to impecable infusion of short snippets from the film and the layout of the whole album, where each track tells a different tale yet fits seamelessly with the others to form a coherent...nightmare.

Essential listen for anyone interested in true art.

On another note, I would strongly recommend tracking down the original motion picture from 1978, directed by A. Tarkovsky, one of the greatest Russian filmmakers, responsible for such masterpieces as "Andrei Rublev", "The Mirror" and "Solaris", as well as the original novel "Roadside Picnic", written by Strugatsky brothers, brilliant Russian Si-Fi writters.

One of the most essential (and influential) dark-ambient albums of 20th century. It captures the mood of Tarkovsky's film perfectly and contains several sound snippets from it (most clearly heard on Track 3), cleverly blended into the murky soundworlds of Stalker. The album reveals more details with each respective listen. Must-have for every ambient fan.

Dark-ambient albums are a peculiar beast; favourites in the genre frequently achieve the mood and tone without difficulty, but struggle with active direction from that point onward.

Stalker is one of the few exceptions. From the very first track, Elemental Trigger, it's clear that a great deal of time and thought has been put into these compositions. I listen to this album frequently whilst falling asleep, and it manages to trigger some fantastic mental images.*

The album is based liberally on Andre Tarkovsky's 1979 film of the same name, and the mood of the film is captured admirably by Rich and Lustmord. But any resemblance to the arc of the film seems almost inconsequential, as the compositions stand well alone from any existing pretext.

Fans of ambient music, dark or otherwise will be duly rewarded for seeking this album out.

* I could go on for some length about these images, but that would ruin the experience. Just close your eyes and let your mind wander..

The dark ambient geniuses Robert Rich & Brian Lustmord join forces here to introduce us to the film Stalker, a 1979 sci-fi film. This is not the soundtrack or the replacement of the soundtrack, this album is just made in the spirit of that movie. I haven't seen it, so I can't say much about it, but the music in this album lives its own life not minding the movie. Deep, dark, eerie are just a couple of words that first come to mind, when descriping the music, but this is much more. This mysterious album holds in so much potential, it's like a voyage you want to take every day.