LTJ Bukem Presents Planet Earth (DTS DVD/CD Set)

 

DTS 6.1 Discrete: B+     PCM 2.0 Stereo: B     Extras: C     Music: B

 

 

It has been a few years since DTS Entertainment stopped making DTS-only CDs and created an exceptionally interesting and performing line of titles form their own label in the DVD-Audio format.  Now, they are back to trying out DTS-only music DVDs for the first time and Planet Earth adds a DTS CD so one can try all kinds of playback of the material.

 

LTJ Bukem may be familiar to non-Electronica and non-Club fans as a name associated with the James Bond films.  He has been involved in some interesting retro projects involving famous music from the films.  In the meantime, he has been very consistent in his field and this set is a compilation of some of Europe’s hottest acts.  The tracks offered include:

 

1)     Makoto - Extensions Of Life

2)     K-Scope – Black Widow

3)     Makoto featuring Lori Fine – You’re Divine

4)     LTJ Bukem – Unconditional Love (Quintet Plays Reconditioned Love Remix)

5)     K-Scope – The Setup

6)     Phluff – Trailin’

7)     Worlds 2 Be Heard: Substance featuring Mark Holmes – Stranded

8)     Dr. Jazz’s Universal remedy – Love Is

9)     PHD & The Funky Technicians – Above & Beyond

10)  K-Scope – Outer Mind

11)  LTJ Bukem – Suspended Space

 

 

This is an enjoyable exercise in the genre, with diverse enough talent and is a good album no matter what sound or disc format you play it back in.  This is a compilation of tracks from various installments of the Earth series and the first time DTS has ever put together such a collection.  Usually, everything has been a studio album or a live effort, but this could be considered a “greatest hits” collection of some sort.  I thought this was better than the usual music we get from Electronica and DJs, and the recording quality was better than usual to boot.

 

The sound on the CD is DTS-ES 6.1 discrete, only available as an option at 48kHz/24Bits, as DTS 96/24 does not allow for a discrete back surround.  It is not known as to whether uncompressed DTS HD will, but it should when that format arrives.  In the meantime, the mixes are solid and some will find them fun; a real audio treat.  The DVD has the same, but adds PCM CD-type 48kHz/24Bits 2.0 Stereo for playback compatibility in all DVD players.  The DTS is preferred, but the PCM is also better than usual.  The only thing we should note is that the back of the package says “5.1 DVD” for an audio spec as if to suggest this disc has MLP sound.  It does not and that should have been made clearer on the packaging.  The disc is labeled “DVD-Video” in fine print, though many will think it is a full-fledged DVD-Audio.  That’s too bad, because MLP would have been nice, even if it cannot do 6.1 discrete sound.  Either way, the music is so good that you will not be disappointed.

 

The DVD has extras, which include text bios of all the artists, a nice multi-channel breakdown of one of You’re Divine, a list of three weblinks, and a stills section of the various Earth titles.  We recommend Planet Earth and believe it may get some people to hunt down the previous albums in the series.  For the rest, this will be most satisfactory.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo