So now that I’ve exercised my evangelical style rant, it’s important for me to point out that this one album is just a drop in the bucket of one of the greatest catalogs of music ever released. His work with the legendary Mothers Of Invention, his collaborations with other incredible artists including Captain Beefheart, Don Van Vliet (who can be heard on Hot Rats), runs a staggering gamut of styles and genres, so much that there are times when you will experience disbelief that all of this music came from the same artist.  Do yourself a favor, go out and buy a copy of Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats, play it on an a record console that will do it justice, and make today the first day of the rest of your life.

The post Classic Vinyl Album – Frank Zappa – Hot Rats | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

Luxury design brand LUNO has teamed up with the Frank Zappa Estate on the creation of the SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition. This uniquely designed record console–only 10 of which will be available for purchase–is highlighted by a solid brass soundwave from Frank Zappa’s “Sofa No. 1” musical composition that is meticulously inlaid by hand and made flush with the walnut door.

The SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition also features a selection of vinyl recordings from Frank Zappa’s extensive recorded catalog, a minibar with Zappa whiskey glasses and space for four liquor bottles, storage for 150 records, a Groovewasher Kit, and a certificate of authenticity (signed, numbered, and dated). The console comes fully equipped with a Pro-Ject Esprit SB turntable, 2.1 speaker system, 100w subwoofer, 2 aux inputs and AirPlay so you can stream from any Apple device. The console design is the newest addition to LUNO’s luxury hifi console range. Featuring top of the line craftsmanship, the unit truly is a work of art.

Each SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition console is handcrafted and hand-wired in Los Angeles by experienced craftsmen and engineers. They are available by request only via LUNO’s website.

“We are big Zappa fans and when our paths crossed, we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate! We immediately went to the drawing board to present some ideas. After months of back and forth concepts, the idea of clipping a soundwave file from a song and applying it to the unit was born. We then spent another several months figuring out how to make that vision come to life. And while it looks effortless, complicated techniques were involved in making it happen. At LUNO, we pride ourselves on innovative designs and we’re extremely proud of the final result and are honored to have created this unit with the wonderful folks over at Zappa.” said Jennifer Farmer, co-Founder of LUNO.

“When I first came across LUNO’s record consoles, I immediately started drooling and knew I had to get my hands on one,” Ahmet Zappa says. “I telephonically stalked LUNO headquarters and was invited over for a visit to hear one of their consoles in all its glory. I was blown away.  Thus began the dream of collaborating. Our goal was simple, let’s make something unique for Zappa fans and all true audiophiles everywhere. Jennifer and Dan were up for the challenge and amazing to work with. We love the end results and I’m very proud of our Zappa LUNO Console. At Zappa Records, we take the manufacturing of our vinyl very seriously and it’s equally important to have an exceptional record player on which to play it. We conduct extensive testing for quality audio control during production and this console–capable of making sweet, sweet audio love to your ears–is being used for just this purpose. From the wood finish, to the original speaker fabric (authentic Marshall Salt & Pepper Grill Cloth, the same one used on vintage Marshall amps), to the brass inlaid soundwave file from Frank’s ‘Sofa #1,’ it’s just what The Grand Wazoo would want for you.”

The post Frank Zappa Estate / LUNO HiFi Record Console Collab (Limited Edition) appeared first on Luno.

One Size Fits All is a groundbreaking work that defies expectations, defines new boundaries and just as quickly obliterates them and builds something entirely new. The album contains some of the most beautiful, inventive, intense, playful and liberating music I can think of. Many have attempted to try to reduce what Zappa does here to a formula and replicate it, but none have ever been nearly as successful in achieving the sense of pure freedom unselfconscious exploration of ideas that transcend description. This album should almost be likened to space exploration, but yet for all of its experimentation this record is so immediate and accessible that it again defies almost all other records that you could compare it to that came before it or followed in its influence.

This is rock unlike you’ve ever heard, jazz unlike you’ve ever heard and something else that really has no name, and probably for very good reason can’t be named. Tracks like “Po-jama people” that capture a proto-funk vibe with some of the most incredible and tasteful, face-meting riffs that I have ever heard captured on record. Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were so tapped in and synched up in their playing on One Size Fits All that its almost unreal, the musical ideas explored here are nothing short of a breathtaking work of masters of their craft.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure you check out not only our new SSKL Zappa record console but also the incredible Soundwave Listening Chairs that we debuted yesterday. We’re so excited to have  had the opportunity to collaborate with the Frank Zappa Estate on this incredible project.

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