Listening to in Dolby Atmos Streaming, via Tidal/Apple/Amazon

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I wonder if there can be two versions of this thead -- one listing the hundreds/thousands of releases of stuff most of us will never give the slightest damn about..and another with just the good* stuff.

;)



*that is, old
While my first reaction to this post was laughter, I wonder if it might not be helpful to have one thread for new releases, and another thread for re-issues.
 
Although I'm listening in stereo with headphones, here's a bit of Spanish music history, when flamenco turned into experimental pop/rock/prog. I'll check the surrond tomorrow (Triana was a trio, so the mix may have its limitations)

Progressive rock, so rare among bands in Spain.

I never liked flamenco, only Paco de Lucia, because just guitar without flamenco vocals... But Triana sounded very good to me with Prog instrumentation tastes.

Now waiting for other Prog/Jazz/Fussion bands from Spain from my youth to be released in Atmos: Granada, Iceberg, Companya Electrica Dharma, and other Zeleste productions with their Layetana music, etc.
 
Progressive rock, so rare among bands in Spain.

I never liked flamenco, only Paco de Lucia, because just guitar without flamenco vocals... But Triana sounded very good to me with Prog instrumentation tastes.

Now waiting for other Prog/Jazz/Fussion bands from Spain from my youth to be released in Atmos: Granada, Iceberg, Companya Electrica Dharma, and other Zeleste productions with their Layetana music, etc.

I was curious about your take on Triana, because I'd heard you say that you don't like flamenco before, but I know you love prog. To me, Triana rarely sounded like a flamenco/prog fusion, but rather like prog rock played by guys with a flamenco background, which is not the same.

I like flamenco myself, although I tend to prefer the instrumental stuff, since the over the top vocal style can be too much for me sometimes. Triana's vocal style is more subdued than traditional flamenco vocals though. Actually, my favourite band of all times (together with Yes), Conception, a Norwegian prog metal band from the 90's, was known for introducing (instrumental) flamenco influences in their music, and my favourite solo artist, Azerbaijan's jazz fusion pianist Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, also showed similar influences in some of their albums, mainly due to the contributions by Al Di Meola.

I love Triana, and to me their debut album is up there with most prog masterpieces from the 70's and maybe only inferior to the top half a dozen albums produced in that genre and era, with a very unique sound as well. I'll try to listen to these new Atmos mixes later today.
 
Although I'm listening in stereo with headphones, here's a bit of Spanish music history, when flamenco turned into experimental pop/rock/prog. I'll check the surrond tomorrow (Triana was a trio, so the mix may have its limitations)

So I've been listening to this. Only the first 6 tracks, which are the ones from their debut album (it's almost complete, only "Diálogo" was excluded for this compilation). I'm happy to report it's an excellent Atmos mix overall. I was even getting goosebumps at several moments. "Todo es de color", for example, is utterly wonderful in Atmos, with the chirping birds coming from the height speakers and the sounds of the water stream from the rears. So immersive! It puts you on a different place.

Generally, almost everything sounded as I was hoping it would sound, so I'm really happy with this. The only instance that left me a bit disappointed was the electric guitar solo at the end of "Abre la puerta". It comes from the side & rear left, which is kind of cool, but the volume is lower than it should be and gets overpowered by the rhythm section and the keyboards. It's supposed to be the 'grand finale' of the song, but the impact is lost compared to the stereo version. Other than this, it's truly excellent.

When I wrote my first impressions about Rush's Hemispheres Atmos mix a couple of days ago on this thread, I mentioned the numerous percussive effects in the height speakers. Just like Peart, Juan José Palacios loved adding bells, chimes and all kind of additional percussion elements to his basic drumset, and just like in that mix they dominate the heights to very nice effect.

I was a bit surprised at first by how modern the mix sounds, almost as if it were a re-recording (which obviously isn't). I guess I got too used to my old, slightly beaten original vinyl press :ROFLMAO: (it still sounds really good, but it's a bit noisier than I'd like).

And yes, Triana were a trio, but there were 5 musicians in studio for these songs, plus some additional overdubs. I think their music is perfect for Atmos. Too bad this is an only streaming release. I've been checking the different configurations for the compilation in physical form, and there is even one that includes a DVD with video content, but nothing about Blu-ray and Atmos. I'd buy a physical release in a heartbeat!
 
Actually, my favourite band of all times (together with Yes), Conception, a Norwegian prog metal band from the 90's, was known for introducing (instrumental) flamenco influences in their music
I also love Conception! Tore Østby is responsible for that flamenco guitar sound. I like his work in Ark as well. I only wish he was more active.
 
I also love Conception! Tore Østby is responsible for that flamenco guitar sound. I like his work in Ark as well. I only wish he was more active.

Nice to hear! Well, the band is active again. I've seen them live twice in the last 18 months. Also met Tore and had a very interesting conversation regarding his flamenco influences (lovely guy).
 
I was curious about your take on Triana, because I'd heard you say that you don't like flamenco before, but I know you love prog. To me, Triana rarely sounded like a flamenco/prog fusion, but rather like prog rock played by guys with a flamenco background, which is not the same.
Exactly.
I listen to Triana instrumentation and feel Prog Rock style with nice drums and percussion. Only a few notes/melodies that remember flamenco chords, but this is good enough for me.
Then the vocals sound flamenco style but, I would say, adapted to prog. It hardly sounds like deep "cante jondo".
 
Rush - A Farewell to Kings


Another excellent Atmos mix by Richard Chycki! In this case, unlike Hemispheres, I have the 5.1 mix (the Steven Wilson one) so I've played both mixes in a row to compare. And the thing is, they're not hugely different. Also, what I said about the distribution of the instruments in the surround field for Hemispheres (on page 649) applies here as well, so I won't repeat it. Perhaps the biggest overall difference is the way the drums are mixed. Wilson's mix puts you in the middle of the drums quite often, with Peart's drum fills going around you. Chycki opts for for a more in front of you presentation, but using the height speakers for the occasional cymbal crashes for extra impact. Works for me! I like both approaches, to be honest.

Another cool section that was mixed very differently is the first bass riff of "Cygnus X-I". In Wilson's version, it fades in from rears to fronts, whereas Chycki went for making it descend upon you from the front heights to the center stage. Again, I found both choices effective. "Madrigal" seems to have additional reverb in the Atmos mix that sounds more subdued in the 5.1.

Anyway, the star of the show for me is the first 2 minutes of "Xanadu". I had big expectations for it in Atmos, and I'm happy to say it sounds exactly like I had dreamed of!

Ultimately, I really like both mixes. I enjoy Wilson's for being lossless, for the beautiful visuals on the blu-ray, and of course for being very good overall. And I enjoy Chycki's for the "Atmosness" and for some different mixing choices that are equally effective IMO. Ahhh, what a time to be alive!
 
Last edited:
Spatial Audio Finder's results don't always reflect country restrictions -- in this case, Rock Lobster isn't available in Atmos in the US for whatever reason.
These 3 are also not available in my territory, but I did found one that is.
I tried it with a "US" URL but unfortunately no luck here 😔

Nice mix and a nice find. Thanks @GOS for bringing up the topic
 
Back
Top