EMI Capitol in Europe has released Kraftwerk’s Minimum-Maximum album as a Hybrid Surround Sound Super Audio CD. The new edition of this live album of the 4 member electronic music group features a number of the group’s best known material, including the 1970’s hit single “Autobahn”, in a 2 disc set. Minimum-Maximum was recorded live during their World Tour during 2004.
The new Surround Sound SACD comes in a 2 Disc Super Jewel Box with a 16 page booklet of color photos from their world tour and a slipcover that lists the 22 tracks on the 2 SACD set. The back of the slipcover lists the date and location where each track was recorded. This includes stops and venues all over the world such as Sala Kongresowa in Warsaw, Ljubljana Krizanke, Olimpiska Hall in Riga, Lushniki in Moscow, Le Grand Rex in Paris, Tempodrom in Berlin, Brixton Academy and Royal Festival Hall in London, Sportarena in Budapest, The Warfield in San Francisco, Shibuya Ax in Tokyo and Exhibition Hall in Tallinn.
Album Tracks
Disc 1
1. The Man-Machine
2. Planet of Visions
3. Tour de France – Etape 1
4. Chrono
5. Tour de France – Etape 2
6. Vitamin
7. Tour de France
8. Autobahn
9. The Model
10. Neon Lights
Disc 2
1. Radioactivity
2. Trans Europe Express
3. Metal on Metal
4. Numbers
5. Computer World
6. Home Computer
7. Pocket Calculator
8. Dentaku
9. Robots
10. Elektro Kardiogramm
11. Aero Dynamik
12. Music Non Stop
The Stereo and Surround Sound mix of Minimum-Maximum was done by Kraftwerk band members Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz. SACD Mastering was done by Tom Young and Crispin Murray at Metropolis Studios in London. The Hybrid Surround Sound SACD was made by Sonopress in Germany.
Maximum-Minimum features a very involving Surround Sound mix. Instruments and sound effects are used in all channels – front and surround along with some effects that are panned around the room. This is quite a contrast from most live albums in Surround Sound where the band and musicians are featured in the front channels and the surround channels are used for ambience and crowd applause for the most part. But the creative and immersive Surround Sound mix is appropriate here given the experimental nature of Kraftwerk’s music and I think their fans will enjoy what it adds to the performances.
Availability
The Surround Sound Super Audio CD edition of Minimum-Maximum by Kraftwerk is now available in music stores in Europe. It is also available from several Amazon web sites including Amazon.De (Germany), Amazon.Fr (France) and Amazon.Uk (United Kingdom) as well as cd-wow.com in the U.K.
Several web sites also have the album as an import with import pricing including Amazon.Com, CD Universe and ForTheFans.Net in the United States, Amazon.Ca in Canada and Amazon.co.jp in Japan.