fthesoundguy
Senior Member
Yes! My eyes widened and went "whoa!" when that synth started. I think I replayed that part 5 times the first time I listened to it. It is really a lost opportunity if that version never gets a 5.1/Atmos mix.
HiRez Poll Wilson, Steven - THE FUTURE BITES [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]
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Works especially well in the video when his face turns into Trump at that exact moment.
Lord British
Senior Member
So....
I was disappointed as most fans were when this release was pushed back due to the pandemic. However, I have avoided listening to a single note off of this album because I wanted to take it all in as a whole in one sitting. I read many of the "negative" opinions of fellow QQ members saying that it doesn't grab them. I was worried that my precious Mr. Wilson was going to let me down. I listened to it for the first time in it's entirety just now. And my first impression is...
I dug it (digged it?) While I agree that there isn't anything that jumps out at me and says "this is a great song," I'm glad I listened to the whole thing at once. It works as an "album." Sonically, I listened to the Atmos mix, and again, while nothing jumps out, I think the mix serves the album well. Nothing too crazy or flying around the room except here and there.
TFB could only have come from Steven Wilson, and while the "sound" of the entire album may be something new for us, elements of Wilson's musical past are spread throughout and are worn on his sleeve. I'm thinking of some "Wild Opera" era No-man, and of course "Love You to Bits," which could have been demo material for this release. "Song of I" and "Perminating" from To The Bone have also bleeded into a few of the tracks.
There is nothing on this album that surprised me. It's even got his trademark shoegazer/I'msolonelyIcoulddie final track to close it out.
I suppose some may think that's a bad thing. Not for me. As I said, judging from what I had read here on the forums, I was thinking I may have to prepare myself for something that was boring as hell. One of the reason's I love Wilson's work is it requires deeper listening, and this album is no different. I look forward to additional listening. It's no "Hand. Cannot. Erase" or "Raven," and of course, I'm biased, as you can see from my avatar, but I think TFB can definitely stand on it's own with his other work. We're all biased in one way or another. These ears need to hear it again.
Everyone's mileage will vary, of course. But that's one of the great things about music. It speaks to everyone in different ways.
I was disappointed as most fans were when this release was pushed back due to the pandemic. However, I have avoided listening to a single note off of this album because I wanted to take it all in as a whole in one sitting. I read many of the "negative" opinions of fellow QQ members saying that it doesn't grab them. I was worried that my precious Mr. Wilson was going to let me down. I listened to it for the first time in it's entirety just now. And my first impression is...
I dug it (digged it?) While I agree that there isn't anything that jumps out at me and says "this is a great song," I'm glad I listened to the whole thing at once. It works as an "album." Sonically, I listened to the Atmos mix, and again, while nothing jumps out, I think the mix serves the album well. Nothing too crazy or flying around the room except here and there.
TFB could only have come from Steven Wilson, and while the "sound" of the entire album may be something new for us, elements of Wilson's musical past are spread throughout and are worn on his sleeve. I'm thinking of some "Wild Opera" era No-man, and of course "Love You to Bits," which could have been demo material for this release. "Song of I" and "Perminating" from To The Bone have also bleeded into a few of the tracks.
There is nothing on this album that surprised me. It's even got his trademark shoegazer/I'msolonelyIcoulddie final track to close it out.
I suppose some may think that's a bad thing. Not for me. As I said, judging from what I had read here on the forums, I was thinking I may have to prepare myself for something that was boring as hell. One of the reason's I love Wilson's work is it requires deeper listening, and this album is no different. I look forward to additional listening. It's no "Hand. Cannot. Erase" or "Raven," and of course, I'm biased, as you can see from my avatar, but I think TFB can definitely stand on it's own with his other work. We're all biased in one way or another. These ears need to hear it again.
Everyone's mileage will vary, of course. But that's one of the great things about music. It speaks to everyone in different ways.
kap'n krunch
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
I am almost convinced that "Uncle Stevie" wants to make a Pop album soo badly ...but , here's the thing...Skorpios CAN'T DO "Pop" albums...sorry, but it's NOT in their nature...
Yes, most SW/PT fans will argue that....
"It's too simple"
"there are no solos!"
(basically..."it's NOT what I expected")
SW will always make interesting records which will not grab you on the first listening, or the second, or...(fill the blank)
but he will always make damn good albums....
"I have spoken"
Yes, most SW/PT fans will argue that....
"It's too simple"
"there are no solos!"
(basically..."it's NOT what I expected")
SW will always make interesting records which will not grab you on the first listening, or the second, or...(fill the blank)
but he will always make damn good albums....
"I have spoken"
I am almost convinced that "Uncle Stevie" wants to make a Pop album soo badly ...but he will always make damn good albums....
"I have spoken"
If Wilson ever makes an album that sounds like a Beatles rip off, it won't bother me in the slightest...please, please me.
MC_Freak
Another Hi-Res & Surround Collector
The album gets a 9+ from me. Love the experimenting. The 5.1 mix is more discrete and the Atmos mix more subtle and immersive... it lets you float in the soundwaves.
It's a UI for the Trinnov Altitude preamp, it give me essentially mixing board level control of the music.
I run an Oppo 205 HDMI out into the Trinnov which uses software to break the encoding into channels. Trinnov updates that over the web, so there is no h/w obsolescence. It uses a 3-d mic test to match each channel/speaker to the room for amplitude, phase, and delay. It does all that in s/w before feeding the analog outs to the amps. The room correction is stunning and my room is already treated w/ bass traps, absorption and diffusion.
The UI is networked to the pre and lets me solo any channel or tweak them individually for levels or eq. It also lets you build parametric eq sets for different feels. That all feeds McIntosh & Carver amps & Martin Logan LRC & surrounds. The Atmos 7.2.4 adds 2 barefoot studio monitors for rear surrounds and Bose speakers on the ceiling.
Attachments
I've been through enough 5.1 & Atmos runs to give this a full review.
Steven Wilson is still the most creative and brilliant artist of the past 20 years. He has the chameleon changeability of Bowie paired with the song-crafting of Peter Gabriel but built on a tech chassis from the future.
He's made so many different kinds of music and made them all well. This time he takes aim at popular culture both musically and thematically. He nails both. It's an excellent cutting edge pop record, and it's an edgy cut at our consumer culture. The style and presentation of the content are painfully accurate in showing the sheer nothingness that is sold at a premium to brand junkies.
The songs are tech-flavored pop, some just bopping along, some pounding their way into your guts. Some great, some OK. None less than good. All in all another bullseye.
Now the sound. The 5.1 is more proof SW is the only person who always knows how to make the surround a full system. It's not just throwing some discrete elements in the back. If they are there it's because they belong there. They were written for there and they make 5.1 work the way the audio gods intended.
After listening to the record you simply can't imagine why all music isn't done like this.
The Atmos is new and very cool and fun. He figured out what belonged up there and simply added another layer to mix (heh). It's like a dome over your head with backup singers and electronic stuff and other sonic elements above you, but not with.a special effects feel. They belong up there too.
I could love listening in Atmos, but it makes me sad when I have to back out and go just surround, similar to 5.1 back to stereo. We may need to require SW-mixed Atmos versions of an awful lot of music. They better clone him soon.
Steven Wilson is still the most creative and brilliant artist of the past 20 years. He has the chameleon changeability of Bowie paired with the song-crafting of Peter Gabriel but built on a tech chassis from the future.
He's made so many different kinds of music and made them all well. This time he takes aim at popular culture both musically and thematically. He nails both. It's an excellent cutting edge pop record, and it's an edgy cut at our consumer culture. The style and presentation of the content are painfully accurate in showing the sheer nothingness that is sold at a premium to brand junkies.
The songs are tech-flavored pop, some just bopping along, some pounding their way into your guts. Some great, some OK. None less than good. All in all another bullseye.
Now the sound. The 5.1 is more proof SW is the only person who always knows how to make the surround a full system. It's not just throwing some discrete elements in the back. If they are there it's because they belong there. They were written for there and they make 5.1 work the way the audio gods intended.
After listening to the record you simply can't imagine why all music isn't done like this.
The Atmos is new and very cool and fun. He figured out what belonged up there and simply added another layer to mix (heh). It's like a dome over your head with backup singers and electronic stuff and other sonic elements above you, but not with.a special effects feel. They belong up there too.
I could love listening in Atmos, but it makes me sad when I have to back out and go just surround, similar to 5.1 back to stereo. We may need to require SW-mixed Atmos versions of an awful lot of music. They better clone him soon.
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The Atmos mix is good enough, nothing to add here.
I’ve been listening the CD3 – Bonus with Extended remixes and new songs. Very enjoyable with the extended mixes that make longer and more varied the electronic rhythms.
After listening to the Atmos mix, my feeling was what a pity that it is just in Stereo.
BUT, with the DSU upmixer engaged, it is the first time I enjoy a stereo much more than many 5.1 mixes.
It is really a particularly good Stereo mix, that makes that the AVR upmixer can locate many sound layers around. I surprised myself looking for with the remote the OSD of the input signal, to check if it was really 2.0 or accidentally had changed to 5.1.
There are so many binaural cues and out-of-phase parts or whatever Stereo mixing techniques Steven has used, that the DSU upmixer behaves even much better than many 5.1 mixes around.
I hear the full bubble sound, voices ending with echoes that move to the rears, Chorus voices from the rear and above, instruments coming from rear and above in a quasi-discrete way.
Incredible from a stereo source mix. I have to check if I can feel the same with other stereo albums, But it seems to me that Steven Wilson know how to mix for such effects, also in stereo.
Of course, the Atmos mix expands all this feelings. While keeping that inmersión bubble you get discrete sounds around there, but not very overwhelming. Not moving around there without any reason.
This album Is not my preferred music style, as being a Prog fan for a long time. But after several listening, and the quality of the production, I begin to like it more each time I listen.
That’s why I have given a +9 instead of a +10
I’ve been listening the CD3 – Bonus with Extended remixes and new songs. Very enjoyable with the extended mixes that make longer and more varied the electronic rhythms.
After listening to the Atmos mix, my feeling was what a pity that it is just in Stereo.
BUT, with the DSU upmixer engaged, it is the first time I enjoy a stereo much more than many 5.1 mixes.
It is really a particularly good Stereo mix, that makes that the AVR upmixer can locate many sound layers around. I surprised myself looking for with the remote the OSD of the input signal, to check if it was really 2.0 or accidentally had changed to 5.1.
There are so many binaural cues and out-of-phase parts or whatever Stereo mixing techniques Steven has used, that the DSU upmixer behaves even much better than many 5.1 mixes around.
I hear the full bubble sound, voices ending with echoes that move to the rears, Chorus voices from the rear and above, instruments coming from rear and above in a quasi-discrete way.
Incredible from a stereo source mix. I have to check if I can feel the same with other stereo albums, But it seems to me that Steven Wilson know how to mix for such effects, also in stereo.
Of course, the Atmos mix expands all this feelings. While keeping that inmersión bubble you get discrete sounds around there, but not very overwhelming. Not moving around there without any reason.
This album Is not my preferred music style, as being a Prog fan for a long time. But after several listening, and the quality of the production, I begin to like it more each time I listen.
That’s why I have given a +9 instead of a +10
Just making sure everyone knows Alan Lastufka, who bought the one-off edition for something like 10,000 pds, has now posted a high rez flac of the exclusive 45 that came with the box. (He has also gathered his dedicated videos onto the page.)
From his post:
This page features the Music Video, streaming audio, and free MP3 and hi-res FLAC downloads for Steven Wilson’s “The Tastemaker”. This exclusive studio outtake was included only in the one-of-a-kind Ultra Deluxe Music Product on Obsolete Media Limited Edition of One version of The Future Bites. Steven gave permission to the purchaser (me) to choose whether they wanted to share the song with the world, or wanted to keep it private. I am choosing to share it here for all fans…
https://alanlastufka.com/2021/02/10/steven-wilson-tastemaker-free-mp3-flac-download-streaming-audio/
From his post:
This page features the Music Video, streaming audio, and free MP3 and hi-res FLAC downloads for Steven Wilson’s “The Tastemaker”. This exclusive studio outtake was included only in the one-of-a-kind Ultra Deluxe Music Product on Obsolete Media Limited Edition of One version of The Future Bites. Steven gave permission to the purchaser (me) to choose whether they wanted to share the song with the world, or wanted to keep it private. I am choosing to share it here for all fans…
https://alanlastufka.com/2021/02/10/steven-wilson-tastemaker-free-mp3-flac-download-streaming-audio/
Another great Steven Wilson album, with an electronic twist this time. I really do not understand the bashing some old fans are giving this one and To The Bone. For me it is typically Steven Wilson trademark, and he has always constantly been changing "twists" between albums.
I do not have Atmos but the stereo and 5.1 is excellent to my ears. And the three videos are all good ones, with King Ghost as my favorite. I never understood the idea with the instrumentals but if some like them, fine for them.
One thing is bothering me though, and I am surprised that no one else brought it up. As all seem to agree upon, the sonics are marvelous on this one... with one exception which is the female backing vocals on the song Eminent Sleaze. I heard some annoying sibilance on this already when I streamed it before the physical release but I hoped that it should not be present on the CD and Blu-ray. Unfortunately I was wrong and the higher the resolution the more obvious this flaw is heard for me. Any one else agree or am I alone in this? The same kind of backing vocals is to be found on Personal Shopper as well, but here I do not hear any problem with the s-sound...
For the record, I voted 9.
I do not have Atmos but the stereo and 5.1 is excellent to my ears. And the three videos are all good ones, with King Ghost as my favorite. I never understood the idea with the instrumentals but if some like them, fine for them.
One thing is bothering me though, and I am surprised that no one else brought it up. As all seem to agree upon, the sonics are marvelous on this one... with one exception which is the female backing vocals on the song Eminent Sleaze. I heard some annoying sibilance on this already when I streamed it before the physical release but I hoped that it should not be present on the CD and Blu-ray. Unfortunately I was wrong and the higher the resolution the more obvious this flaw is heard for me. Any one else agree or am I alone in this? The same kind of backing vocals is to be found on Personal Shopper as well, but here I do not hear any problem with the s-sound...
For the record, I voted 9.
Ge Someone
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
This was definitely a lot more fun in surround (5.1 in my case).
I too was somewhat disappointed about the music. The minimalistic drumming is a departure and I long back to drummers like Gavin Harrison and Marco Minnemann. But Steven has to be free in choosing his style.
The falsetto singing is used a bit much, but the backing vocals of his wife are a nice addition.
I too was somewhat disappointed about the music. The minimalistic drumming is a departure and I long back to drummers like Gavin Harrison and Marco Minnemann. But Steven has to be free in choosing his style.
The falsetto singing is used a bit much, but the backing vocals of his wife are a nice addition.
JediJoker
Audio Engineer/Enthusiast
She doesn't sing on this album, but does contribute voiceover to "Personal Shopper." Hers is the female voice you hear towards the end of that track.
Great album - love it! It's fantastic that Wilson is able to explore multiple genres.
I got the stand alone bluray, thanks Steven!
The more I listen to the album, the more I like it. Good atmos mix with a generally smooth balance. Easy to listen to.
The more I listen to the album, the more I like it. Good atmos mix with a generally smooth balance. Easy to listen to.
I did a separate review/writeup in more detail in the Dolby Atmos surround thread about a month ago (see HERE), but I'll share some things that come to mind offhand right now here relating to the poll question.
I enjoyed the album overall and the Atmos usage is above average, but not quite to the levels of Fritz Hilpert (Booka Shade's Dear Future Self) or Stefan Bock and David Merkl (Yello's Point) so I ended up giving it an 8 overall (those three all got 10s). Oddly, my biggest complaint of the mixes is the lack of deep bass (LFE). I hear virtually no difference with or without my subwoofer on a track like Personal Shopper (without cranking the LFE channel at least) and I think it could have used at least a little bit of a boost at times.
I did love the swirling guitar "tornado" on that track, though and the voices coming from all around and above. I appreciate the separate non-Atmos surround version, but I couldn't help notice the difference in overall levels between it (and the stereo mix) versus the Atmos mix which was a good 6-7dB less in average level. I've noticed that on a few Atmos music discs, really and on one like INXS you get knocked out of your seat with the blast in the menu sections if you have it turned up to hear Atmos tracks at proper listening levels. I'm not sure if that's the case here as I listened to it from MKV dumps of the disc (INXS had issues playing from MKV in KODI due to the high bitrates used), but I am confused why the average levels vary so much on some of these discs. One could guess it was more dynamic range present in the Atmos mix, but I find that unlikely given who mixed it. I'm starting to wonder if there's a default encoder setting that automatically adjusts Atmos or something since several discs share this in common.
I enjoyed the album overall and the Atmos usage is above average, but not quite to the levels of Fritz Hilpert (Booka Shade's Dear Future Self) or Stefan Bock and David Merkl (Yello's Point) so I ended up giving it an 8 overall (those three all got 10s). Oddly, my biggest complaint of the mixes is the lack of deep bass (LFE). I hear virtually no difference with or without my subwoofer on a track like Personal Shopper (without cranking the LFE channel at least) and I think it could have used at least a little bit of a boost at times.
I did love the swirling guitar "tornado" on that track, though and the voices coming from all around and above. I appreciate the separate non-Atmos surround version, but I couldn't help notice the difference in overall levels between it (and the stereo mix) versus the Atmos mix which was a good 6-7dB less in average level. I've noticed that on a few Atmos music discs, really and on one like INXS you get knocked out of your seat with the blast in the menu sections if you have it turned up to hear Atmos tracks at proper listening levels. I'm not sure if that's the case here as I listened to it from MKV dumps of the disc (INXS had issues playing from MKV in KODI due to the high bitrates used), but I am confused why the average levels vary so much on some of these discs. One could guess it was more dynamic range present in the Atmos mix, but I find that unlikely given who mixed it. I'm starting to wonder if there's a default encoder setting that automatically adjusts Atmos or something since several discs share this in common.
Can’t get any better than the Altitude! Nice
I'm in the boat of thank heavens Steven does not like to repeat himself.
I was not a big fan Hand cannot Erase, liked To the Bone a bit more , but this album I really do like, the surround mix is as I have come to expect fantastic.
The music draws me in more that HCE and I did the album more engaging.
I really do like personal shopper but wish the bonus disc version was the one appearing in surround.
In some respects I would have liked all the music from the deluxe box to have appeared in surround on the blu ray even if it was just in the deluxe version.
Not as perfect an album as Raven but still very much a Steven Wilson album for the Covid age
I was not a big fan Hand cannot Erase, liked To the Bone a bit more , but this album I really do like, the surround mix is as I have come to expect fantastic.
The music draws me in more that HCE and I did the album more engaging.
I really do like personal shopper but wish the bonus disc version was the one appearing in surround.
In some respects I would have liked all the music from the deluxe box to have appeared in surround on the blu ray even if it was just in the deluxe version.
Not as perfect an album as Raven but still very much a Steven Wilson album for the Covid age
The more I listen to TFB, the more I like it.
You've got to get into the lyrics to really appreciate it.
Besides the Atmos mix is just awesome.
You've got to get into the lyrics to really appreciate it.
Besides the Atmos mix is just awesome.
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