Mike Mettler

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Spatial Audio File
Trevor Rabin Says Yes to Surround Sound and Atmos
Mike Mettler  |  Oct 31, 2023

Trevor Rabin is all in on leaping directly into the Atmos-mixing universe, having immersed himself in composing in surround sound for the 50 or so films he’s scored over the past three-plus decades—plus the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix he supervised for his new solo album, Rio. Recently, Rabin—the onetime Yes guitarist/vocalist/composer behind the somewhat unexpected No. 1 hit single from November 1983’s 90125, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”—and music editor Mike Mettler got on Zoom to discuss the creative surround arc of Rio, how his mentor influenced his compositional-oriented way of thinking, and what songs from his era of Yes would benefit the most from new surround mixes. . .

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Music Reviews
U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE - Live in Paris
Mike Mettler  |  Sep 28, 2016
Performance
Sound
These days, even the most seasoned recording artists find it difficult to gain traction with their new material. Case in point: U2, whose deeply personal 2014 release Songs of Innocence fell by the wayside with the listening public, likely due in large part to the instant backlash the band faced when the album suddenly appeared as an automatic download in everyone’s personal iTunes library without warning that September. Much collective online hand-wringing occurred until Apple acquiesced and shared instructions for how people could permanently remove the “offending” files. (Why getting any type of new music legitimately for free was such a problem for consumers used to downloading songs without paying for them continues to mystify me, but that’s another story for another time.)
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Music Reviews
U2: The Joshua Tree – Super Deluxe Edition
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 12, 2017
Performance
Sound
“Outside, it’s America.” That’s U2 vocalist Bono, setting the stage for the explosive climax of “Bullet the Blue Sky,” one of the pivotal tracks on the band’s 1987 masterpiece, The Joshua Tree. As Bono purposefully charges his way through the denouement of the narrative, ace guitarist The Edge literally dive-bombs the aural equivalent of the lyrical floodlights—let’s call them “flood-licks”—through a series of unrelenting scorched-earth riffs while the track careens to its final U.S. caress.
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Spatial Audio File
United in Spatial Audio Gold
Mike Mettler  |  May 20, 2022

Welcome back one and all to the latest weekly installment of Spatial Audio File. As a card-carrying Spatial Audiophile, it's my sacred honor to select five (count ’em) prime Spatial Audio releases on Apple Music by vetting and recommending key individual tracks and (every now and then) full albums via deep-dive listening sessions on my home system and headphones alike. What you will find here is the very best in the immersive Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos universe that’s available in the ever-expanding Apple Music library so you can experience the aural wonders of it all for yourself.

And this week’s fab five are. . .

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The S&V Interview
Van der Graaf Generator Disturbs the Sonic Wavelength (But in a Good Way)
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 07, 2016
Besides having one of the coolest band names ever, Van der Graaf Generator has been making deeply adventurous music since the late ’60s in a style that, frankly, is hard to pigeonhole. Sure, it’s easy to call what they do “progressive,” but I’m inclined to agree with VdGG guitarist/vocalist Peter Hammill, who describes VdGG music as being “barely controlled chaos.” It’s also a good way to define VdGG’s recently released 13th studio album, Do Not Disturb (Esoteric Antenna). I connected with Hammill to discuss the sonic template for DnD, what it’s like to be admired by a punk legend, and VdGG’s possible future (or not).
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The S&V Interview
Video Exclusive: Levin Torn White
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 22, 2011

Good news, friends — we have another exclusive video treat for the S+V faithful.

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Track One
Video: Steven Wilson's "Track One"
Mike Mettler  |  Aug 10, 2011

We talked to Steven Wilson a couple of weeks ago about his forthcoming - and groundbreaking - new Blu-ray release, Grace for Drowning. Fittingly, we offer you, the Sound + Vision and Steven Wilson faithful, an EXCLUSIVE look at the aptly titled "Track One," the third song on Disc 2.

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Music Reviews
Vinyl LP Review: Mark Knopfler's Get Lucky
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 02, 2010

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The S&V Interview
Wayne Coyne, King Mouth of The Flaming Lips
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 24, 2019
We talk with Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips about their current concept release, King’s Mouth: Music and Songs, incorporating stereo-friendly elements into a mix, mastering the lost art of the song transition, and why having a great drummer is crucial to a band’s long-term success.
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Track One
Welcome to the Site Machine 2.0!
Mike Mettler  |  Jul 15, 2011

It may only be the middle of July, but it already feels like Christmastime ’round the hallowed S+V office halls. How come? Well, the evidence is right there before your eyes — to wit: the all-new, all-awesome Sound + Vision Web site!

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