AYREON and Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group will reissue Ayreon’s ”Universal Migrator Pt 1 & 2 (2022 Remixed and Remastered)” on 18th November.
‘Universal Migrator Pt 1: The Dream Sequencer’ and ‘Universal Migrator Pt 2: Flight of the Migrator’ were originally released simultaneously in 2000, following the majestically sprawling hit album Into the Electric Castle two years previously. The Dream Sequencer continues the plot from The Final Experiment (1995), starting in the year 2084 when the final world war wiped out all life on Earth.
Flight of the Migrator continues the story of the last living human being, the colonist on Mars and his decision to use the Dream Sequencer machine to travel back to before the universe was formed.
The two albums feature an extravaganza of stunning musicians and vocalists such as Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Edward Reekers (Kayak), Damian Wilson (Headspace/Threshold), Neal Morse (Flying Colors), Russell Allen (Symphony X), Andi Deris (Helloween), Michael Romeo (Symphony X) and many more.
The new mixes sound awesome…
Ayreon mastermind and Dutch multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen remembers, “Into the Electric Castle was such a huge worldwide success that when I picked up the guitar to start working on the next Ayreon, I was terrified! I realized it would simply be impossible to recreate the magic of that album. So, instead of trying to make an ‘Electric Castle part two,’ I looked for new and challenging ways to create my next Ayreon album.”
He continues, “First, I decided to have each vocalist perform one individual song instead of using multiple singers interacting within the same song as I had on previous Ayreon albums. Second, I decided to separate my two extreme styles and make two contrasting albums instead. ‘The Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer is a melodic and atmospheric journey through time, and Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator is a heavy progressive adventure through space.”
“Ayreon fans come in all shapes and sizes, but I believed that overall, there were two distinct groups: the prog fans and the metal fans,” he explains. “By releasing these two albums separately, I wanted to give each group a chance to buy the album of the style they loved and, if they wanted, ignore the other. To my (pleasant) surprise, most fans loved both albums!”
Talking about “Into the Black Hole,” Lucassen says, “Into the Black Hole is one of my personal favourite songs on the Flight of the Migrator album. Particularly because of the amazing vocal performance of the mighty Bruce Dickinson. It was a true honour and pleasure for me to record one of my favourite singers of all time in my studio. I love that his singing in this track is so different from the (often faster) Iron Maiden material. If you listen well, you can hear that in this remixed version, I used some vocal lines that I didn’t use in the original version. Have fun exploring!”
When approaching the considerable task of remixing and remastering the albums, Arjen had to dig through his attic and unearth his ADAT recorder and all the old 8-track ADAT tapes. He then had to import the audio of all 70 tapes (40 minutes each) into the computer. Not a job for the faint of heart!” he says. “But once I was remixing, I enjoyed revisiting the recordings and all the memories that came up as I worked.”
Arjen Lucassen continues his crusade of remixing and remastering his finest work to absolute perfection and Universal Migrator, Pt. I & 2 (2022 Remixed & Remastered) is a stunning addition to his spectacular canon. Thanks to advancements in technology, fans can now get the chance to hear the albums through the ears of Lucassen as he intended them.
Tracklist:
CD1
01. The Dream Sequencer (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (05:08)
02. My House On Mars (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:49)
03. 2084 (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:40)
04. One Small Step (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (08:43)
05. The Shooting Company Of Captain Frans B. Cocq (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:59)
06. Dragon On The Sea (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:08)
07. Temple Of The Cat (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (04:10)
08. Carried By The Wind (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (03:58)
09. And The Druids Turn To Stone (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (06:36)
10. The First Man On Earth (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:16)
11. The Dream Sequencer Reprise (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (03:41)
CD2
01. Chaos (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (05:10)
02. Dawn Of A Million Souls (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:45)
03. Journey On The Waves Of Time (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (05:47)
04. To The Quasar (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (08:42)
05. Into The Black Hole (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (10:25)
06. Through The Wormhole (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (06:05)
07. Out Of The White Hole (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (07:10)
08. To The Solar System (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (06:12)
09. The New Migrator (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (08:19)
Ayreon – Universal Migrator, Pt. I & II (2022 Remixed & Remastered) (2022)
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