As we approach nearly five years since Dolby Atmos music made its debut on the Tidal streaming service, it’s looking like the immersive format will be here to stay for the foreseeable future. New albums continue to appear at a breakneck pace not only via streaming, but also via Blu-Ray disc and high-resolution digital download.
However, as has always been the case with surround and immersive music, the overall quality and approach to mixing music in the new format varies wildly. It quickly becomes apparent that every mixer has their own philosophy with regards to utilization of the expanded soundstage: some tend to opt for a more-conservative ‘expanded stereo’ presentation, while others prefer to really experiment with all the newfound possibilities that spatial audio affords.
If you’ve just invested in a Dolby Atmos system, the choice of available material to test your system with might seem overwhelming. In a follow-up to our articles of the same name from last year, we highlight ten Dolby Atmos music tracks that best showcase the variable mixing approaches to the format–as well as offer a fully-immersive demonstration-quality experience for new listeners.
Artist: Thompson Twins
Song: “Hold Me Now” (from 1984’s Into The Gap)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: David Kosten
Originally released in February 1984, Into the Gap was the Thompson Twins’ fourth studio album and a defining moment for the British pop trio. To celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024, Into the Gap was reissued on Blu-Ray Audio as the 29th entry in SuperDeluxeEdition.com’s ongoing ‘Surround Series.’ The Blu-Ray edition is essentially a box set housed within a single disc, containing brand-new 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos remixes from expert producer David Kosten alongside 30(!) stereo-only bonus tracks as well as a brand-new remaster of the original 1984 mix.
“Hold Me Now,” a sweeping ballad with an anthemic chorus, is perhaps the group’s most famous song. Castanets rain down from the front heights, underpinning the bouncy synth melody from the side surrounds. The iconic chorus sounds massive in Atmos, with the trio’s vocals attacking from all angles. Towards the end, Joe Leeway’s Beach Boys-esque falsetto pops up in the rear to very fun effect.
Read our full review of Into The Gap here!
Artist: XTC
Song: “Summer’s Cauldron/Grass” (from 1986’s Skylarking)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Steven Wilson
Skylarking was XTC’s ninth studio album, released through Virgin Records in October 1986. Recorded at producer Todd Rundgren’s Utopia Sound Studio in Woodstock, New York, Skylarking continues the stylistic reinvention of XTC that began with the group’s retirement from touring in 1982. Previous records saw them adopt a more-economical approach to arranging, largely avoiding overdubs unless they could be recreated on stage. No longer burdened by the pressures and constraints of performing live, the band were now free to fully exploit the studio as an instrument in service of their artistic vision–much like The Beatles had done in the later half of their career.
The outdoor ambience in “Summer's Cauldron” gently emerges from the rear surrounds, while the cricket sounds and buzzing bees float overhead. The melodica bursts from the side surrounds, announcing the arrival of Andy Partridge’s distinctive voice largely from the center channel. Gorgeous strings then fill up the rear soundstage for “Grass,” with acoustic guitars extending from the front stage out into the side surrounds.
Read our full review of Skylarking here!
Artist: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Song: “One Story Town” (from 1982’s Long After Dark)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Ryan Ulyate
Long After Dark was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ fifth studio release, issued through MCA's Backstreet Records imprint in November 1982. More than four decades after its original release, Universal Music Group and the Tom Petty estate are celebrating Long After Dark with an expanded deluxe reissue produced by longtime collaborator Ryan Ulyate. The deluxe release augments the original album with 12 newly-rediscovered bonus tracks, including several previously-unreleased studio recordings from this period.
“One Story Town” sets the template for the immersive experience. The rhythm guitar parts played by Tom Petty and Mike Campbell are split in wide stereo across the front stage, spilling over into the side surround channels. Stan Lynch’s drums similarly appears mostly upfront, but the overhead mics seem to be mixed partially to the sides–giving the impression that the kit is wrapping around the listener. Benmont Tench’s organ is firmly rooted in the rear speakers, while the height array supplies lead guitar, percussion, and harmony vocals.
Read our full review of Long After Dark here!
Artist: The Flaming Lips
Song: “It’s Summertime” (from 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Dave & Jon Fridmann
Originally released in July 2002, The Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots continues to be regarded as a creative high point for the band. To belatedly celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary, a new standalone Blu-Ray Audio edition of Yoshimi arrived in November 2024 courtesy of Rhino Records. The Blu-Ray disc not only contains the original 2003 5.1 mix–which has been out-of-print for years–but also a brand-new Dolby Atmos version mixed from the original multitracks by Dave and Jon Fridmann at Tarbox Road Studios.
Much like the prior 5.1 surround release and some quadraphonic mixes of the early-1970s, the Dolby Atmos rendition of Yoshimi completely throws all immersive mixing conventions out the window. The channel-hopping intro to "It's Summertime" quickly gives way to acoustic rhythm guitar from side left and lead guitar from front right, while the harmonies sit up in the front heights. The backwards vocals after the chorus rapidly swirl around the listener just like in the 5.1 mix, except now they travel up to height speakers as they're spinning.
Read our full review of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots here!
Artist: Fish
Song: “State of Mind” (from 1990’s Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Andy Bradfield & Avril Mackintosh
In the Fall of 1988, British neo-progressive rock band Marillion and their charismatic lead singer/songwriter Fish parted ways. Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors, Fish’s debut as a newly-minted solo act, arrived several months later in January 1990. Fast-forward to 2024 and lavish new CD/Blu-Ray deluxe editions of both Vigil and its 1991 follow-up Internal Exile have arrived courtesy of Fish’s own Chocolate Frog Records, both containing brand-new 5.1 surround sound & Dolby Atmos mixes created by Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh.
The percussion in “State of Mind” spills over from the front stage out into the sides, activating the ‘front wide’ channels in a 9.1.4 or 9.1.6 setup. The wailing electric guitar hovers between the rear surrounds and rear heights, while the plucked acoustic appears mostly from the height array on the right side. Starting in the second verse, Fish’s double-tracked vocals (“everyday I hear a little scream inside…”) fill up the side surrounds.
Read our full review of Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors here!
Artist: Ultravox
Song: “White China” (from 1984’s Lament)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Steven Wilson
Originally released through Chrysalis Records in April 1984, Lament was Ultravox’s seventh overall studio album and fourth to feature the band’s most successful lineup of singer/guitarist Midge Ure, keyboardist Billy Currie, bassist Chris Cross, and drummer Warren Cann. To celebrate Lament’s 40th anniversary in 2024, Steven Wilson created a new Dolby Atmos mix of the original LP and and three associated extra tracks: “Building” (B-side to "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes"), "Easterly" (B-side to "One Small Day"), and the non-album single "Love's Great Adventure." The Atmos mix was available on a limited-edition Blu-Ray Audio disc sold exclusively through SuperDeluxeEdition.com, though it can also be streamed on Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music.
Lament is easily the most sonically-layered of the four Ultravox albums mixed by Wilson thus far and benefits greatly from the enlarged canvas that the immersive format affords. “White China” sounded amazing even in stereo, with the electronic percussion that rapidly bounces between the two speakers. The Atmos presentation is just as fun as you’d expect: it starts in the front channels and quickly flies overhead to the rear heights. During the chorus, guitar blasts bounce between the front heights while synthesizers jump between the rear surrounds.
Read our full review of Lament here!
Artist: Howard Jones
Song: “Things Can Only Get Better” (from 1985’s Dream Into Action)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Bob Clearmountain
To celebrate 40 years since the release of Howard Jones’ debut studio recordings, Cherry Red Records have released the Celebrating Together digital EP featuring new Dolby Atmos remixes of six classic songs from Bob Clearmountain. The recently-released CD/Blu-Ray deluxe editions of Jones' first two albums–1984’s Human’s Lib and 1985’s Dream Into Action–feature Clearmountain's Atmos mixes of five tracks ("The Prisoner" remains exclusive to streaming services) alongside Stephen W Tayler's new stereo & 5.1 surround mixes of the complete albums.
The keyboard intro to “Things Can Only Get Better” fills up the rear surrounds, with programmed drums and horns blasting in from the front stage. Howard Jones’ vocal resides primarily in the center speaker, while the big ‘80s ambience travels up to the height array. The call-and-response backing vocals during the chorus answer from behind, just as I’d hoped.
Read our full review of Celebrating Together here!
Artist: Howard Jones
Song: “Tentative Decisions” (from 1977’s Talking Heads: 77)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Jerry Harrison & E.T. Thorngren
Often hailed as one of the most innovative rock acts of the 20th century, Talking Heads burst onto the scene in September 1977 with their aptly-titled debut Talking Heads: 77. To belatedly celebrate the album’s 45th anniversary, Rhino has compiled a lavish four-disc Super Deluxe Edition that charts the early development of the band. For immersive audio enthusiasts, the centerpiece of the set is certainly the audio-only Blu-Ray disc containing both the original 2005 DualDisc/DVD-Audio 5.1 surround mix and the 2022 Dolby Atmos mix that was previously exclusive to streaming services.
"Tentative Decisions" is definitely a highlight of the immersive presentation, as the harmonies ('oh, the boys wanna talk...') appear isolated in the rear surrounds. Starting in the second verse, the short vocal interjections of 'I wanna talk' and 'I'm gonna give' cleverly bounce around the four quadrants.
Read our full review of Talking Heads 77 here!
Artist: Crowded House
Song: “Black Water, White Circle” (from 2024’s Gravity Stairs)
Format: Blu-Ray
Mixed By: Steven Schram
Produced by Steven Schram (Paul Kelly, Midlife) and released through BMG Rights Management on May 31, Crowded House’s latest album Gravity Stairs is their second to feature the current lineup of Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom, and Neil’s sons Elroy and Liam Finn. In addition to the standard two-channel stereo version, Steven Schram has also created a Dolby Atmos mix of the album. Though you can stream the Atmos mix on platforms that support immersive audio such as Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music, it was also available on an audio-only Blu-Ray disc sold exclusively through SuperDeluxeEdition.com.
“Black Water, White Circle” is certainly one of the most impressive tracks from an immersive standpoint. Percussion hovers directly overhead, while the backing vocals alternate between the side and rear speakers. There’s an especially fun moment at around the two-minute mark, where the lead vocals ('she is the force that led me…') move up to the height array.
Read our full review of Gravity Stairs here!
Artist: Loma
Song: “Please, Come In” (from 2024’s How Will I Live Without A Body?)
Format: Streaming
Mixed By: Steven Wilson
After an extended post-pandemic hiatus, Loma’s long-awaited third album arrived via Sub Pop Records in June 2024. Equal parts indie rock, ambient, new age, and singer/songwriter, How Will I Live Without A Body? is as haunting as it hopeful–maintaining an almost-hypnotic calm despite the ominous undercurrent in songs like “Arrhythmia” or “I Swallowed A Stone.” Despite knowing little about the band, I was immediately intrigued to hear that Steven Wilson had been brought in to mix the album in Dolby Atmos.
The first track “Please, Come In” kicks off with the sound of birds chirping and synthesizers circling overhead, quickly giving way to the rhythm section from below. The drums fill up all seven speakers at ear level, while Emily Cross’ vocals protrude from the center channel out into the side surrounds. An electric guitar part emerges from the right side speaker, along with additional acoustic guitars from the rear.
Read our full review of How Will I Live Without A Body? here!
Artist: Roxy Music
Song: “Take A Chance With Me” (from 1982’s Avalon)
Format: Streaming
Mixed By: Bob Clearmountain & Rhett Davies
Originally released through Virgin Records in May 1982, Avalon was Roxy Music’s eighth and final studio album. To celebrate Avalon's 20th anniversary in 2002, the original engineering team of producer Rhett Davies and mixer Bob Clearmountain were tasked with creating a 5.1 surround sound mix for the Super Audio CD edition. More than two decades later, the duo have reconvened once more to bring Avalon into the realm of immersive audio.
The long instrumental intro to “Take A Chance With Me”–my personal favorite track–offers some of the best surround interplay on the album, with percussion, sax, guitar, and keys alternating from different quadrants to breathtaking effect. When the full band kicks in at around 1:20, the power and 'punch' in Andy Newmark's drums is palpable. Manzanera’s guitar fills from the left side speaker call-and-respond with Ferry’s voice from the center channel, while layers of synthesizer fill up the back of the room.
Read our full review of Avalon here!
Artist: Ray Charles
Song: “Here We Go Again” (from 2004’s Genius Loves Company)
Format: Digital Download
Mixed By: Eric Schilling, Michael Romanowski, and Herbert Waltl
Genius Loves Company was soul music pioneer Ray Charles’ final studio album, released posthumously a mere three months after his passing in June 2004. In 2024, the album celebrated its 20th anniversary with a brand-new Dolby Atmos mix produced by John Burk, mixed by Eric Schilling, Michael Romanowski, and Herbert Waltl, and mastered by Romanowski. Though the Atmos mix has been available to stream on Apple Music since August 2024, we at IAA–in partnership with Exceleration Music and the Ray Charles Foundation–are thrilled to now offer the album as a hi-res immersive digital download through our online shop!
The Dolby Atmos mix fully-envelops the listener, often positioning key elements like rhythm guitars, keyboards, organ, background vocals, and orchestration forcefully in the side, rear, and height speakers. “Here We Go Again”–featuring Norah Jones–opens the album with the drums upfront, organ in the rear surrounds, and rhythm guitar pinned to the left side speaker. Additional keyboards appear overhead, playfully circling the height array at the very end.
Read our full review of Genius Loves Company here!
Artist: Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes
Song: “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” (2024)
Format: Digital Download
Mixed By: Guy Fletcher
In order to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America charities, Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler has assembled a who’s-who of rock royalty to re-record his debut solo single “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero).” Originally released in 1983, “Going Home” was featured in the 1983 film Local Hero starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster. Performed by Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes and produced by longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher, this very special new recording of the anthemic instrumental features an unprecedented line-up of some of the greatest guitarists and musicians in history.
In addition to the standard two-channel stereo version, Guy Fletcher has also created a Dolby Atmos mix of the nearly 10-minute single. Immersive music fans may already be familiar with Fletcher’s work on the new Dolby Atmos mixes of Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms (1985) and Money For Nothing compilation (1988), as well as Mark Knopfler’s latest solo album One Deep River (2024). Though the Atmos mix has been available to stream since March 2024, we at IAA are thrilled to now offer the album as an exclusive immersive digital download through our online shop!
Read our full review of Going Home (Theme From Local Hero) here!
Artist: Ian Thomas
Song: “How We Roll” (from 2024’s How We Roll)
Format: Digital Download
Mixed By: Vic Florencia
How We Roll is Thomas’ fifteenth solo album and first new release in nearly a decade, following 2016’s A Life in Song. Work on the album began during the COVID-19 lockdown, with remote collaboration from outside musicians like bassist Paul Intson and guitarist Jon Zaslow. Though the Atmos mix–created by Vic Florencia and mastered by Justin Gray–is accessible through streaming services that support immersive audio like Apple Music and Tidal, it can also be purchased on a limited-edition audio-only Blu-Ray disc from IAN Records and as a hi-res immersive download from IAA's online shop!
Florencia’s Dolby Atmos mix does indeed provide a stellar listening experience on a 7.1.4 setup, with the various layers of guitar, vocal, synthesizer, and percussion dotted all around the room. “How We Roll” kicks off with keyboards floating overhead and behind, quickly giving way to electronic percussion in the side surrounds and Thomas’ vocal in the front ‘phantom’ center. Background vocal chants of “this is how we roll” during the chorus hover beside the listener.
Read our full review of How We Roll here!
Artist: Birdsong At Morning
Song: “Devil’s Stomping Ground” (from 2015’s A Slight Departure)
Format: Digital Download
Mixed By: Alan Williams
Birdsong at Morning’s second studio outing A Slight Departure is a lush, contemplative work that defies easy categorization. Originally released in 2015, the album finds the Massachusetts-based trio–Alan Williams (lead vocals, guitar, and principal songwriter), Darleen Wilson (guitar, backing vocals), and Greg Porter (bass, backing vocals)–exploring a variety of musical styles including chamber pop, folk, and soft rock. Now, to celebrate A Slight Departure’s forthcoming tenth anniversary, Williams has revisited the original multitrack recordings to craft a brand-new Dolby Atmos mix of the album.
The Dolby Atmos mix builds upon the strong foundation of the 2015 5.1 surround mix, further unpacking the dense layers of harmony vocals, strings, guitar, and keyboard out into the side surround and height speakers. Williams’ acoustic guitars extend from the front stage out into the side surround speakers, while backing vocals from Wilson and Porter usually appear from directly behind the listener. The height array adds further immersive, supplying 'you-are-there' ambiences.
Read our full review of A Slight Departure here!
