Stockfisch Records

CLOSER TO THE MUSIC

Stockfisch Records is one of Germany’s most respected independent audiophile record labels, internationally recognised for exceptionally natural, spacious and highly detailed recordings.

Founded by recording engineer Günter Pauler in Northeim, Germany, Stockfisch has developed a distinctive catalogue centred around singer-songwriters, acoustic music, folk, blues, jazz and guitar-oriented recordings.

Its philosophy is expressed perfectly by the famous Stockfisch motto:

“Closer to the Music.”

Rather than pursuing spectacular sound for its own sake, the Stockfisch approach places the musical performance first. Voices are reproduced with remarkable presence, acoustic instruments retain their natural timbre, bass is deep yet controlled, and the recording space is allowed to breathe.

The result is a characteristic Stockfisch sound: intimate, transparent, dimensional and exceptionally revealing on a high-quality Hi-Fi system.

THE STOCKFISCH RECORDING PHILOSOPHY

Stockfisch has earned its audiophile reputation through meticulous recording, mastering and manufacturing rather than reliance on a single technology.

Depending on the production, its engineering chain has incorporated carefully selected microphones, high-resolution digital recording systems, analogue equipment and purpose-built studio techniques.

Particular attention is given to preserving:

• natural vocal character
• acoustic instrument texture
• transient response
• low-level musical information
• realistic bass extension
• spatial depth and ambience
• precise stereo imaging
• wide dynamic range

This makes many Stockfisch recordings particularly effective as reference material for evaluating loudspeakers, amplifiers, digital sources, turntables and complete high-end systems.

DIRECT METAL MASTERING

Stockfisch has maintained an important commitment to analogue vinyl production.

For selected LP releases, the company cuts Direct Metal Masters — DMM — using its own Neumann VMS82 cutting system. Instead of cutting the groove into a conventional lacquer master, the DMM process engraves the programme directly into a copper-coated master disc.

Stockfisch uses this technology to achieve extremely precise groove definition and excellent retrieval of fine musical information.

Its vinyl catalogue includes standard audiophile LPs as well as special 45 RPM editions produced for listeners seeking the greatest possible analogue resolution.

DMM-DUBPLATES

Among Stockfisch’s most unusual analogue products are its DMM-Dubplates.

These highly specialised discs take the Direct Metal Master concept considerably further: rather than using the copper master merely as an intermediate stage for conventional vinyl pressing, a specially prepared DMM disc can itself become the playback medium.

The concept eliminates several manufacturing stages between the cutting system and the listener and represents one of Stockfisch’s most uncompromising experiments in analogue reproduction.

HYBRID SACD

Stockfisch has also been an enthusiastic supporter of Hybrid Super Audio CD.

Many releases combine:

DSD high-resolution SACD Stereo

with

a conventional 16-bit CD layer

allowing the same disc to be played in an ordinary CD player while providing the higher-resolution SACD programme when used with compatible equipment.

Some Stockfisch productions have additionally appeared with multichannel SACD mixes, XRCD editions, high-resolution formats and premium vinyl counterparts.

ESSENTIAL STOCKFISCH SAMPLERS

CLOSER TO THE MUSIC - VOL. 1

The ideal introduction to the Stockfisch sound.

The first Closer to the Music sampler contains 17 tracks selected from different Stockfisch productions and features artists including:

Sara K.
Allan Taylor
David Munyon
Mike Silver
Paul Stephenson
David Roth
Chris Jones

Despite originating from different albums, the recordings demonstrate the label’s remarkably consistent approach to musical naturalness, vocal presence and acoustic realism.

The official Stockfisch edition was released as a Hybrid SACD with DSD Stereo and CD layer.

For somebody discovering Stockfisch for the first time, this is one of the essential starting points.

CLOSER TO THE MUSIC - VOL. 2

The second volume expands the catalogue with 15 tracks and approximately 70 minutes of music.

Artists include:

Sara K.
Steve Strauss
Eugene Ruffolo
Mike Silver
David Munyon

It is particularly effective as an audiophile demonstration disc because the programme moves between male and female vocals, acoustic guitars, percussion and richly textured arrangements.

CLOSER TO THE MUSIC - VOL. 3

Volume 3 broadened the series further, combining established Stockfisch performers with newer discoveries.

Its 18 tracks include music from:

Sara K.
Allan Taylor
Eugene Ruffolo
David Munyon
Dennis Kolen
Paul O’Brien
Beoga
Carl Cleves & Parissa Bouas
Beo Brockhausen

This is an excellent sampler for examining vocal realism, image placement and the recreation of acoustic space.

STOCKFISCH VINYL COLLECTION

For analogue enthusiasts, the Stockfisch Records Vinyl Collection series performs much the same role as Closer to the Music, but on audiophile vinyl.

The first edition brought together ten tracks from artists including:

Sara K.
Steve Strauss
Chris Jones
David Roth
Eugene Ruffolo
Paul Stephenson
Louis Capart
Mike Silver
Christian Willisohn
Ewen Carruthers

Later volumes continued the concept, with Stockfisch cutting selected editions using its studio Neumann VMS82 DMM lathe.

ESSENTIAL STOCKFISCH ALBUMS

CHRIS JONES

ROADHOUSES & AUTOMOBILES

One of the defining Stockfisch recordings.

Chris Jones combines exceptional acoustic guitar playing, blues, Americana and singer-songwriter material with a recording notable for enormous presence and physical low-frequency energy.

The song “No Sanctuary Here” became especially well known within audiophile and professional sound circles as a system demonstration track.

Stockfisch itself describes the album as having developed into a de facto reference for listening tests and demonstration sessions.

Originally released on CD, Roadhouses & Automobiles was later given an audiophile analogue edition as a 180-gram double 12-inch LP at 45 RPM.

Listen for:

“No Sanctuary Here”
“Roadhouses & Automobiles”
“Fender Bender”
“God Moves on the Water”

This is perhaps the quintessential Stockfisch demonstration album.

ALLAN TAYLOR

COLOUR TO THE MOON

One of the albums most closely associated with the classic Stockfisch aesthetic.

Allan Taylor’s unmistakably deep, textured voice is presented against intimate acoustic arrangements with extraordinary clarity.

It is the kind of recording that immediately reveals whether a system can reproduce a human voice naturally rather than merely impressively.

Expect exceptional:

• vocal body
• acoustic-guitar detail
• room ambience
• image depth
• low-level resolution

ALLAN TAYLOR

HOTELS & DREAMERS

Following Looking For You and Colour to the Moon, Hotels & Dreamers became another major Allan Taylor release for Stockfisch.

Its eleven songs combine Taylor’s reflective songwriting with the restrained, spacious production style for which the label became known.

The album was also recognised by German folk publication Folker! among its notable releases of the period.

SARA K.

WATER FALLS

Singer-songwriter Sara K. became one of the artists most closely identified with the Stockfisch sound.

Water Falls combines her highly distinctive vocal style and four-string guitar with Chris Jones and an extensive supporting cast of acoustic and electric instruments.

Stockfisch subsequently issued the programme in several forms, including an elaborate 180-gram double-LP edition.

Particularly revealing for:

• female vocal transparency
• string texture
• acoustic-guitar transients
• soundstage layering
• bass articulation

SARA K.

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Another major Stockfisch audiophile recording.

The album contains ten previously unreleased songs and features Chris Jones on guitar and dobro.

Stockfisch released it as a Hybrid SACD with Stereo and 5.1 surround sound, and the recording was later transferred to JVC in Japan for an XRCD24 edition.

This makes Hell or High Water particularly interesting for collectors who enjoy comparing different premium digital mastering formats.

SARA K. & CHRIS JONES

LIVE IN CONCERT

Recorded during the 2002 Nautilus Tour, this release strips the musical presentation down to its essentials:

Sara K. — vocals and four-string guitar
Chris Jones — guitar and dobro

There are no elaborate studio constructions to hide behind.

What remains is voice, guitars, venue acoustics and musical interaction.

The result is a particularly convincing demonstration of transient realism and live spatial information.

Stockfisch later issued the concert on double vinyl for analogue enthusiasts.

WHY AUDIOPHILES VALUE STOCKFISCH

Stockfisch recordings rarely depend upon artificial spectacle.

Their strength comes from something more difficult to achieve:

believability.

A good Stockfisch recording can make a vocalist appear almost physically present between the loudspeakers.

Guitars possess wood, string and body rather than merely treble detail.

Double bass has weight without becoming bloated.

Small reverberations reveal the dimensions of the recording environment.

And silence between notes becomes part of the musical presentation.

For this reason Stockfisch recordings are frequently encountered at Hi-Fi demonstrations, audio exhibitions and private listening sessions.

They are not simply recordings made to sound “audiophile.”

At their best, they demonstrate the philosophy behind the label’s name:

CLOSER TO THE MUSIC.

Recommended Starting Collection

For anyone beginning a Stockfisch collection, an excellent foundation would be:

Stockfisch Records — Closer to the Music Vol. 1
Stockfisch Records — Closer to the Music Vol. 2
Stockfisch Records — Closer to the Music Vol. 3
Chris Jones — Roadhouses & Automobiles
Allan Taylor — Colour to the Moon
Allan Taylor — Hotels & Dreamers
Sara K. — Water Falls
Sara K. — Hell or High Water
Sara K. & Chris Jones — Live in Concert
Stockfisch Records — Vinyl Collection

Together, they provide an outstanding introduction to the distinctive recording aesthetic that has made Stockfisch Records one of the best-known names in contemporary audiophile music production.