Based out of San Francisco, California, Monte Casino is what happens when great friends from different projects finally decide to get together and make some noise. Heavy grooves and familiar melodies are a hallmark of this ‘band of brothers.’ After releasing four records in stereo (two full-length LP and two EPs), by 2020 the band were ready to push the boundaries of what was then possible for independent artists.
Upon its original release in February 2021, The Money's Not Enough was made available in both standard stereo and Dolby Atmos formats. The Atmos mixes were created by Erich Gobel and Karma Auger at Studio 1LA in Venice, California, ensuring high-fidelity sound that captures the nuances of each performance. Auger and Gobel are perhaps best known in the immersive music community for their Dolby Atmos remixes of four classic Frank Zappa albums released between 1972 and 1974.
Though the Dolby Atmos mix has been accessible via streaming services for some time, we’re proud to announce that The Money’s Not Enough is now available as a hi-res immersive download in the IAA shop! IAA offers immersive digital downloads in Dolby TrueHD, the same hi-res format used for Blu-Ray discs with Atmos audio. While streaming services offer convenience and access to a vast library of music, they also severely compress the audio to save bandwidth. With lossless TrueHD, the inner detail and sonic clarity is much better preserved for home listeners.
“Wake Up Rise Up” kicks off the album with a keyboard swirling around the listener at ear-level, giving way to the band’s thunderous entrance from the front stage. Tony Malson’s drum kit extends from the front channels up to the front heights, while the guitars played by Tim Pryde and Joey Kay drift out towards the side surrounds. The lead vocals are primarily focused in the center channel, though additional effects like reverb and delay typically appear behind the listener.
The opening sound effects to “Merry-Go-Round” take a lap around the room, just as you’d expect. Kay’s basslines are completely isolated in the center speaker, while the vocals appear suspended between the center and front heights. The acoustic guitars in “Back To You” float out into the room, touching the front, side, and front height channels.
“The Best of Everything” concentrates the heavy guitars and more of the main band energy toward the front stage, reserving the back half of the room for cavernous room ambience. During the quieter interlude at around 2:25, the shakers in “What You’re Told” slowly pan back-and-forth across the room to very cool effect.
We mix based on space, not where the speakers are. If something wants to be out here in the room, that's where we’ll put it.
Karma Auger, February 2025
The ethereal opening synth line to “All I Can Be” circles the listener as it fades in, just before the opening guitar line enters from the center channel. For the first time on the album, harmony vocals are placed behind the listener. “Justify” pushes the organ to the back of the room, making for a nice contrast with the heavy guitars upfront.
The bone-crushing riffs of “Beneath The Shadows” sound massive spread across the expanded soundstage, while “Push” interestingly features the drum overheads primarily from the front height speakers. “Less Is More” brings back the acoustics, along with double-tracked vocals from the side surround channels. The final track “Slip and Fall” is another standout, with the strings extending from the sides up into the height array.
The Money’s Not Enough traverses various musical styles, blending alternative rock with elements of indie pop and post-punk revival. The band's synergy and the album's thematic depth make it a standout release in their discography. For fans of heavier rock music and immersive audio, this is a release you won’t want to miss!
Purchase The Money’s Not Enough in the IAA shop!
