Talk Talk

Talk Talk’s seminal 1988 masterpiece, Spirit of Eden, has recently been released as a Half-Speed Master vinyl edition in early 2026. This reissue follows the 40th-anniversary half-speed treatment of It’s My Life and aims to provide the definitive audiophile experience of an album famous for its intricate use of space and dynamics.

The record was cut at half-speed at Metropolis Studios by renowned engineer Matt Colton. Half-speed mastering involves cutting the lacquer while both the source tape and the cutting lathe run at half their normal speed, allowing the cutting head more time to capture high-frequency detail.

The project was overseen by original Talk Talk drummer Lee Harris and Charlie Hollis, the son of the late Mark Hollis, ensuring the band's vision for this complex work was preserved.

Spirit of Eden is widely considered the pioneer of the post-rock genre. Moving away from their synth-pop roots, the band spent a year in near-total darkness at Wessex Studios, improvising with elements of jazz, classical, and ambient music. This meticulous approach created a "spiritual" soundscape that has influenced artists like Radiohead and Sigur Rós.