Ayreon's Final Experiment and Actual Fantasy: Revisited to launch on vinyl

Ayreon will release their albums Final Experiment and Actual Fantasy: Revisited on vinyl for the first time on August 26.

The launch of the 1995 debut album and the 1996 sequel follows the re-release of their entire catalogue after leader Arjen Lucassen hooked up with Mascot Label Group in April. Last month the Dutch multi-instrumentalist also released the DVD The Theater Equation in which he took his 2004 album The Human Equation to the stage.

Lucassen says: “I couldn’t have wished for a better start with Mascot Label Group and Music Theories Recordings. The people at Mascot flooded me with ideas and plans for the re-releases, which is a luxury, really.

“Take the artwork, for example. They offered to rework it, but wanted to show the original artwork as well. Their ideas were all really good.

“I’m sure the fans will appreciate this, which is one of my main goals when working on a re-release or a vinyl release. The worst thing to do is forget about quality and details, because people will turn away from you in no time.”

The Final Experiment comes in a 3LP hard-cover box, while Actual Fantasy: Revisited comes in a 4LP hard-cover box. Both can be pre-ordered via the label’s website.

Meanwhile, Lucassen recently recalled how fellow prog icon Steve Wilson declined his collaboration offer because he considered his music “too old fashioned.”

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Ayreon Actual Fantasy Revisited tracklist

1. Actual Fantasy
2. Abbey Of Synn
3. The Stranger From Within
4. Computer Eyes
5. Beyond The Last Horizon
6. Farside Of The World
7. Back On Planet Earth
8. Forevermore
9. The Dawn Of Man

Ayreon The Final Experiment tracklist

1. Prologue
2. The Awareness
3. Eyes Of Time
4. The Banishment
5. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy
6. Sail Away To Avalon
7. Nature’s Dance
8. Computer-Reign
9. Waracle
10. Listen To The Waves
11. Magic Ride
12. Merlin’s Will
13. The Charm Of The Seer
14. Swan Song
15. Ayreon’s Fate Bonus LP:
16. Dreamtime (Semi-Acoustic)
17. Eyes Of Time (Semi-Acoustic)
18. The Accusation (Semi-Acoustic)
19. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy (Semi-Acoustic)
20. Sail Away To Avalon (Semi-Acoustic)
21. Nature’s Dance (Semi-Acoustic)
22. Waracle (Semi-Acoustic)
23. Merlin’s Will (Semi-Acoustic)
24. The Charm Of The Seer (Semi-Acoustic)

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