Starkland Releases Commissioned Surround Sound DVD-Audio Disc Recording Likely A Historic First

24-Oct-01

Starkland, one of the premier alternative classical labels, has made history as the first company ever to release music commissioned exclusively for the new surround sound DVD-Audio format. This groundbreaking music debuts on a disc called IMMERSION. ""In this disc, a new genre of music is born,"" writes Kyle Gann.Sound & Vision gave IMMERSION one of its best DVD-Audio reviews so far, noting that this unprecedented recording is ""not only a fascinating array of musical innovation but a persuasive exploration of the possibilities of surround sound."" Billboard states that IMMERSION has achieved ""a number of 'firsts' in an exceptionally enjoyable program."" Such recognition has led to IMMERSION being ranked the #1 best-selling DVD-Audio at Amazon.com nearly every day since August. It is highly unusual for an experimental music release to outsell not only mainstream classical repertoire but also major pop recordings.Starkland commissioned 13 leading-edge electroacoustic composers to be part of this momentous release. They include: Pamela Z, Bruce Odland, Maggie Payne, Carl Stone, Phil Kline, Ellen Fullman, Lukas Ligeti, Paul Dresher, Pauline Oliveros, Paul Dolden, Merzbow, Ingram Marshall, and Meredith Monk. All the pieces written for IMMERSION represent the first digital surround recordings from each of these composers.Starkland worked with one of the world's finest mastering engineers (Bob Ludwig) and most sophisticated authoring facilities (Gateway Mastering) to produce IMMERSION. It is one of only a few DVD-Audios to receive the highest 5-star rating for its sound from Sound & Vision. IMMERSION also plays as a standard DVD-Video.While high quality surround sound can benefit all types of music, the potential for truly enveloping sound is especially relevant to today's iconoclastic electroacoustic composers. The world's leading surround authority, Tomlinson Holman, states that IMMERSION is a ""fascinating disc"" which shows these ""composers stretching the boundaries of recorded sound by exploring the new possibilities inherent in DVD-Audio."" The music on this release is both aurally and intellectually stimulating as it brings together these cutting edge musicians and this emerging technology. IMMERSION is the first glimmer of a burgeoning movement and a profound snapshot of the birth of a new era in the creation and appreciation of music.