Libera Dreams

JimmyRiddle wrote: ↑<span title="Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:06 pm">7 years ago</span> Well with only two weeks to go, highly doubtful that the full production release will be available from whoever is distributing for them i.e. Warner Classics...and I can't fathom in what other capacity it would be offered too the concert attendees which would not breach their contractual agreement with the record label? It could show up on the selling desks in physical form even before appearing via online vendors. I'd be surprised if that is the case. I'm going for end of May, early June availability outside of Japan.

This is the unknown I spoke about earlier in this thread. We know that Libera has ended its contract with Warner and has gone independent; we can see this in their "Libera at Christmas" album. Aside from whatever exclusive deal they have in Japan with Wisteria/Libera-Records, which appears to include tour funding, they seem free to do whatever they want. So the unknown factor is: What are the terms of their deal in Japan? Are they allowed to release the same album outside Japan independently? Is the album exclusive to Japan? Are the release dates exclusive?

Obviously, we do not have answers to these questions but the way this album release goes down will indicate the likely scenario.

If I had to guess I would say that album will be released internationally not long after the Japan release as you said Jimmy but it remains to be seen.

..an update from official libera which appears to answers most of our questions;
https://libera.org.uk/news/new-cd-announced-hope/

We are pleased to announce the release of our latest album! “Hope” will be released internationally on 26th May. We will be performing eight songs from the album at our concert in Ely Cathedral on 29th April.

Ahead of the official release date we have arranged to make the album available a week early to Libera supporters. From 19th May the album will be available to purchase exclusively from our Web site.


Album Name: Hope
Catalogue No: IHCD75
Format: CD digipack.
Label: Libera Music / Invisible Hands Music
Number of tracks: 14

Still got another though... Will the DVD version be available internationally? Will be interesting to see if the opportunities to promote the album... radio interviews, tv appearances, classic fm still apply now that they are using an independant record label.

Excited for the concert now and that's a nice cover.

Well that answers everything, thank you Jimmy! If there is a restriction in release dates it is minimal or nonexistent. As for the DVD I am sure that this will be exclusive to Japan just like the Angel DVD was. We may eventually see everything on the DVD uploaded to YouTube, but I doubt it will be sold outside Japan; although I hope to be wrong.

The announce says the format will be 'CD digipack'.

I don't know you but that format name had no meaning for me.
At first I even feared it meant a digital version only available for download.

Thankfully, according a Google search a CD digipack is a physical media, a case made of cardboard instead of crystal plastic, with layers of printed paper on it, that has a least one fold, and with a plastic support pasted inside the case to hold the CD.

This known, then the Deluxe version of the 'Christmas Album' is a CD digipack, with 3 folds

Yes, I was wondering about the 'digipack' labelling, I thought it was some form of enhanced CD that might contain the video's or other online features. Libera CD's are the only physical media I buy now, everything else is digital. I'm might have bide my time until it lists on amazon(uk) because then they also add a digital copy in your cloud account as well as shipping the CD.


P.S. I'm also liking the cover design, quite abstract and a comment by 'George Halls' on libera's official page likened it to Thom Yorke's 2006 LP The Eraser



I've nothing against some of the Japanese covers, but I'm always a fan of the cover art showing images of the boys weather than be photographic or character drawn like this cover. There might be a series of albums following adopting a similar theme.

There is some information about the album on the Invisible Hands Music page:

https://shop-invisiblehands.co.uk/colle ... ibera-hope

The song missing from the international release is Jupiter

With the cover I can not help but feel Orinoco Flow should be on the album

I find the last cover a bit simple but I like it for some reasons (small boat, storm, lighthouse) also very much.
Great for an avatar

So if we want the DVD we have to order from Japan? Which vendor would be better for a customer in the US?

TullyBascombe wrote: ↑<span title="Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:21 am">7 years ago</span> So if we want the DVD we have to order from Japan? Which vendor would be better for a customer in the US?

Yes, the DVD is an exclusive Japanese item and Fan de Lok, the ever tireless finder of information, earlier in the thread linked to several Japanese vendors offering the item. I agree with him that the CD Japan site is by far the most user friendly to US customers, allowing you to make your purchase using Paypal and in English.

Mine is on order from this vendor and is highly anticipated.

A summary of the three versions known to date :
 
 

• The standard Japanese CD
  It will be released on May 10.
  
  
  It's the most complete, it has 15 songs.
  01. Salve Regina (solo: Rocco)
  02. San Damiano
  03. Smile (solos: Gabriel & Alessandro)
  04. Stabat Mater (solo: Isaac)
  05. Dreaming of Home (solo: Camden)
  06. Angel (solo: Isaac)
  07. From A Distance (solo: Alex M)
  08. Angele Dei (solo: Alex M)
  09. Benedictus Deus (solo: TDL)
  10. The Three Ravens (solo: Gregor with Alessandro & Alex M)
  11. Hymn to Mary (solo: Isaac)
  12. Venite Adoremus (solo: Merlin)
  13. Home (solo: Ciaran)
  14. Jupiter (solos : Isaac & Taichi)
  15. Wayfaring Stranger (solo: Alex G)
   
   
   
• The limited edition Japanese CD-DVD
  It will be released on May 10.
  
  Advantage : this version brings two videos, on songs 'Salve Regina' and 'Smile'.
  Disadvantage : this version has only 14 songs, it misses the 15th 'Wayfaring Stranger'
   
   
   
• The 'International' CD
  It will be released on May 19.
  Orders will be available soon from the official libera site (read here) or they are already available from the IHM label site (read here).
  
  Advantage: cheaper than the Japanese versions, £11 vs £22 (and not speaking about shipment costs...)
  Disadvantage: it will be released 9 days after the Japanese versions and it has only 14 songs, it misses the 14th 'Jupiter'.

 
 
 

If someone ordered a Japanese CD, and now wishes to have instead the 'International' CD, it's perfectly doable. On either the CDJapan.cp.jp and on Amazon.co.jp It's possible to cancel an order that is still not yet processed

Thank you fan_de_LoK for the comprehensive summary and comparison of the available versions.
I'd like to add, that the international version has a different song order compared to the Japanese one.

Here is the international version track list (according to the IHM web site):
1. Salve Regina
2. Dreaming of Home
3. Angele
4. Smile
5. Stabat Mater
6. Benedictus
7. From a Distance
8. Three Ravens
9. Angel
10. Wayfaring Stranger
11. Hymn to Mary
12. San Damiano
13. Venite Adoramus
14. Home

An official update of the staggered release dates and information for the album was posted. Apparently, the album will not be released as a physical CD in the United States until June 15 but will be available for digital download on the international release date May 26.

JimmyRiddle wrote: ↑<span title="Sat Apr 01, 2017 4:08 pm">7 years ago</span>

fan_de_LoK wrote: ↑<span title="Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:43 am">7 years ago</span>My last tiny hope is then than perhaps one of the three mysterious samples in Latin corresponds to the newly created middle part or to the Ending that Mark McKenzie refers to on his site.
if this should be the case, then the 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo' seems to fit better than the two others.

I think you could have a strong case for this FDL, just listening to the short version of Benedictus Deus this new snippet above could quite easily fit into the extended new version and make up one of the mystery songs.

You called it right FDL. I was pretty much in your camp as soon as you suggested it