To celebrate composer Steve Reich’s 90th birthday on 3 October 2026, DG is releasing a deluxe, hand-numbered and limited-edition ‘Original Source’ edition of his groundbreaking 1974 recording of Drumming, along with two further earlier works. The set is released in the original LP format with authentic packaging and includes Reich’s original liner notes featuring numerous photographs from the recording sessions, as well as a detailed article containing Reich’s original correspondence with his DG producer.

To ensure the best possible sound quality, the recordings have been remastered and edited from the original 4-track tapes for the first time.

This limited and numbered release is available on 180g vinyl in a luxurious 3-LP box set featuring the original cover art, and includes additional photographs as well as facsimiles of the original recording logs and tape sleeves.

The vinyl series The Original Source presents outstanding recordings from the 1960s and 1970s in a whole new level of sound quality. To achieve this, the renowned Emil Berliner Studios have remastered and cut the original multitrack tapes using technologies developed specifically for the production of this series, in 100% analogue quality (AAA). The differences in sound quality compared to the original releases are considerable: greater clarity, more subtle nuances and improvements in the frequency response, coupled with less background noise, distortion and compression, deliver an audiophile listening experience like never before.

Tracklist

LP1

Side A
Part I (Russ Hartenberger, Bob Becker, James Preiss)

Side B
Part II (Tim Ferchen, Russ Hartenberger, Steve Reich, Steve Chambers, Cornelius Cardew, Bob Becker, Ben Harms, Glen Velez, Joan LaBarbara, Jay Clayton)

LP2

Side A
Part III (Leslie Scott, Glen Velez, Bob Becker, Russ Hartenberger, James Preiss, Steve Reich)

Side B
Part IV (Leslie Scott, Tim Ferchen, Steve Reich, Steve Chambers, Russ Hartenberger, Glen Velez, Bob Becker, James Preiss, Ben Harms, Cornelius Cardew, Jay Clayton, Joan LaBarbara)

LP3

Side A
Six Pianos (Steve Chambers, James Preiss, Russ Hartenberger, Bob Becker, Steve Reich, Glen Velez)

Side B
Music For Mallet Instruments, Voices And Organ (Russ Hartenberger, Bob Becker, Tim Ferchen, Steve Reich, Glen Velez, Ben Harms, James Preiss, Janice Jarrett, Joan LaBarbara, Jay Clayton, Steve Chambers)