Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx Metatronic - new compilation

Loved the 5.1 version - looking forward to the day that all music is released like this!!

Well I've listened through both CDs now and while there really are no surprises on CD1, and I was never over enthusiastic about the tracklisting anyway, CD2 is definitely worth having.
The Sydney live tracks sound good to these ears (despite the, er, rowdy audience) and I think it's the only place we have a live Uptown/Downtown, n'est-ce pas? A very nice little live set...gripe: could have been longer!
The BC demo is interesting enough to be included as is the new remix of Underpass upgarded for the 21stC, although did we really need another remix of Dislocated??(not even a JF song) and 20thC we knew already....
Back to CD1 it's a fairly sound representation of Foxx's "dark electronic music" although I've never been keen on tracks like Everyone, Once in a While, When It Rains.... Would've preferred A Million Cars and X Ray Vision, for example but beggars can't be choosers...
My appreciation of Automobile was raised though ...

Oh yes and the sleevenotes..very well written but who is that Hensey guy anyway? He should do more...

I enjoyed the 5.1 remix of Underpass -
very faithful to the original stereo mix,
nothing wild or radical about the positioning of the sounds - but just nicely spaced out in the soundfield, giving the song just a bit more industrial span and landscape to it

(I suppose the 8-track source tapes don't really contain enough layers for a 5.1 mix to be particularly revelatory - there original mix stereo mix was sparse and wasn't hiding anything...
very pleased they didn't ruin anything though - I've heard a few 5.1 mixes where well-loved elements of the original get dropped altogether, or are treated unsympathetically with naff modern digital reverb ....
this Underpass mix happily avoided any pitfals like that.)

My belief is that the surround mix was not created from the multitracks which, I would imagine, no longer exist. It sounds to me like the surround mix was derived from the stereo mix. I'd be interested to know precisely how it was done.

My belief is that the surround mix was not created from the multitracks which, I would imagine, no longer exist. It sounds to me like the surround mix was derived from the stereo mix. I'd be interested to know precisely how it was done. [/QB][/QUOTE]

I don't think so, Halloway -
I don't see why anyone would have thrown the 8-track reels for Metamatic away! Indeed I believe John talks about them to Malins on the interview CD that accompanied the last Metamatic remaster. And whilst it is possible to "fake" a 5.1 upmix, by doing fancy things with mid-and-side processing and reverb, the results are never all that exciting. You can clearly hear discrete positioning of certain elements in the new 5.1 underpass mix (eg the synthistring riff and the über-flanged white noise barfs), which could only have been done by using the original multitrack tapes.
One thing I did notice that the 2-part harmony vocal was plonked together, no separation. I wonder was this a mix decision, or were the originals bounced together on the multitrack?

Creating surround from stereo mixes is fairly sophisticated these days. For example, there are applications which can 'slice' up the stereo soundstage and redistribute those bits to different parts of the surround field. It's certainly moved on from putting a bit of reverb and delay and putting that in the rear speakers.

I've done a bit of surround processing with something called 'SPEC' which is described and available from www.surroundbyus.com. I did a 5.0 of TCM which was surprisingly convincing in places.

I'd be interested to know for certain whether the multitracks for Metamatic still exist. My assumption that they no longer exist was based on the notion that back in the day, you left the studio with your stereo masters and the studio reused the multitrack tape, it being fairly expensive stuff. I'm sure someone here will know whether the multitracks still exist.

I believe the multi-tracks to Metamatic do still exist.Maybe in digitised form.

I'm sure they are mentioned a while back in an interview.

I've also had coversations regarding them with various people off the forum over the last year or so.

I guess only Rob can answer this.

Mark's blog says re-constructed

From Mark Reeders Myspace blog:-

my john foxx underpass remix HD video on youtube
Category: Music
ive just recently remixed john foxx synthpop classic - underpass - which will feature on his soon to be released metatronic 2CD/dvd compilation.

you can hear my sinister subway radio edit, on johns myspace page www.myspace.com/foxxmetamatic

ive always loved this brilliant track, and its an absolute honour to be given the opportunity to remix it. naturally as fans of the original, we (micha adam and i) understood how important it would be to retain the special feeling this track has.
of course, i didnt want to dissapoint those who love it as much i do too. so i tried my very best to keep the cold atmosphere of angst as close as possible to the original, while adding my own signature sounds.
please feel free to let me know if you think ive succeded.

ive made the following versions:

underpass (reeders sinister subway radio remix) which will appear on the metatronic cd & dvd
underpass (reeders sinister subway remix)
underpass (reeders dark, long & sinister remix) with a long ambient intro all three will be released as a digital single
underpass (reeders 5.1 surround sound reconstruction of johns original version) which will also appear on the metatronic dvd.
underpass (reeders sinister subway 5.1 surround remix).

shockelectrik has kindly recut and re-edited the 80s underpass video to fit my full dark, long and sinister remix version.
i think hes done a rather splendid job, hope you do too.
this remix, along with the sinister subway remix and my radio remix will all be available together as a digital single only, on the day of release of johns metatronic special edition 2cd/dvd album.

ive also posted the dvd version here on my sounds like section too, so you can get an idea of what the dvd video is going to look like.

this 2cd will also contain my sinister subway radio remix version and the dvd will also feature a very special 5.1 surround sound mix of johns original 80s underpass version that i reconstructed together with micha adam (and THAT was a real task i can tell you).

oh and as for the comment on youtube that all my remix needs now are some guitars, well if you listen very very closely, you will actually hear that it already does! yep, ive played a new gritty bassline to give it some weight and added some guitar and a couple of new string melodies.

hope you will like them.

mark xxx

Yeah! That's what I wanna know! :p

Not being "funny" or anthing but Townsend still has an incorrect tracklisting
http://www.townsend-records.co.uk/product.php?pId=6768416&pType=1
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