Photos by Mike Banks
One of the things I love most about working in music is getting the chance to interact with some of my heroes. They say you shouldn't, but personally I've ignored that rule and the result has been almost completely positive, so far !
Monday night was no exception - I got the chance to hear the new Dolby Atmos mix of David Bowie's legendary "Ziggy Stardust" album in Trident Studios, where it was originally recorded and mixed –- but more importantly, to talk to Ken Scott and Emre Ramazanoglu in detail afterwards about the project and it's history.
[Needless to say this was a fantastic opportunity that I want to say more about, but first I can imagine you're probably thinking how lucky I am to have been there. And I was – but if you're based in the UK, so could you have been !
The event was open to all Music Producers Guild members – and full membership only costs £11 a month. To find out more, click here - and no, I don't get a commission if you do !)]
So, first things first - how did it sound ?
Short answer: amazing. In several different ways, in fact.
Firstly, because Atmos. I know people have a ton of scepticism about the whole "immersive" trend, and I get that – but the reality is, when Atmos is done right, it can sound stellar. And this album has been done right, in my opinion. Ken and Emre approached it entirely afresh, as if it were a brand new album, and the results are spectacular.
There were so many great moments during the playback on Monday but just a few that spring to mind: Bowie's first vocal entry on "Five Years" - warmer, fuller and more present than on the original album (and throughout); the strings on "Starman", supporting and enhancing the band from around me (hard to believe they were only originally recorded in stereo!); the massive vocals in the chorus of "It Ain't Easy" triggering mass head-nodding and appreciative grimaces from everyone present; the spiralling vocal delays in "Moonage Daydream" echoing from all directions…
Second, because the original recordings sound so amazing. I mentioned that the strings were only recorded in stereo, but incredibly the entire album was recorded with only 16 tracks. Given the lean, almost sparse sound of the original, I was afraid it would sound lonely and exposed in the extra sonic space available to the Atmos format, but far from it - and apparently with only a single extra compressor used during the entire process !
And third, because of the love, care and attention that Ken and Emre have put into this new mix. Ken played back stems of all the parts at Abbey Road Studio 2 and recorded the room ambience to blend in and help give a better sense of cohesion; he went through and subtly augmented the original drum parts, note by note, using his own sample pack recorded with original Ziggy drummer Nick Woodmansey, to give more flexibility and support in the mixing (something I had read about but then simply didn't notice while I was listening – which shows how successful it was!); Emre brought his wealth of experience in Atmos mixing to to bear and perfectly complement Ken's vision for the way the album should sound… and all in only 10 days work.
If you'd like to find out more about the project I can highly recommend this Sound On Sound article and also this great video interview with both Ken & Emre at RAK Studios from the Record Production website.
The results were so successful that a new stereo mix was derived by simply using the fold-down of the Atmos master. I haven't heard that yet but my Blu-ray is in the post…
So yes, hearing the album this way in the studio where it was born was great, but as I mentioned we also got the chance to talk to Ken and Emre afterwards. With only 10 people or fewer at each playback, this was very intimate and informal – a fascinating mix of nerdy technical talk and first-hand anecdotes. I'd met Ken before and as always he was hugely generous with his knowledge and stories, ranging from details about mic placement all the way through to stories of Mick Ronson retreating to the studio toilet just to get some peace and quiet to finish the string arrangements Bowie was waiting for! Meanwhile Emre is such a quiet gent, always happy to share his expertise about mixing with everyone, especially in Atmos – and this event was no exception.
Finally in another wise and greatly-appreciated move the MPG had arranged for all of us attending to meet before and afterwards at a nearby pub, meaning the conversation could continue, supplemented by a few drinks and some valuable networking opportunities.
In case it's not obvious already, the event was a huge success ! So much so that even a cancelled train leaving me stranded with no car in the early hours of the morning couldn't take the edge off…
And meanwhile the MPG has more events coming up and also a range of other benefits for members – I strongly recommend you take a look, and maybe I'll see you at the next one !
[Update: After meeting Ken at this event he was kind enough to join me as a guest on my podcast - you can listen to the episode here]