Medeski, Martin, and Wood – Uninvisible (DVD-Audio/DTS Entertainment)

 

Music: A-     Stereo: B     MLP 5.1: A-     DTS 5.1: A-     Extras: C

 

 

Medeski, Martin and Wood are comprised of more musicians than the name suggests all contributing a wide array of instruments bringing forth an achievement in Jazz fusion unlike anything else.  There sound is Earthy and organic, yet it also reaches levels of funk-based arrangements that become more playful or at times mellow.  With the release of Uninvisible (2002) the group ventures out even further than before. The band arrived onto the scene in the early 90s and have since put out a release every year or two, most of which have been successful or at least moderately above average.  However, Uninvisible puts the group back on track being one of their best efforts in many years.

 

Then comes the arrival of DVD-Audio for the release, with which it quickly becomes apparent why this would be their best album for such treatment.  The cover for this album features three men dressed in tuxedos and wearing masks straight out of Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and like that film, this album reaches out into reality and pulls back with something much more.  It’s a reflection of what appears to be normal, but on the other side it unleashes stranger things.  To help further this is the multi-channel mix for this DVD-Audio, which enables the music to be experienced unlike any other format.  

 

Track Listing

 

Uninvisible

I Wanna Ride You

Your Name is Snake Anthony

Pappy Check

Take Me Nowhere

Retirement Song

Ten Dollar High

Where Have You Been?

Reprise

Nocturnal Transmission

Smoke

First Time Long Time

The Edge of Night

Off the Table

 

 

 

Audio is available here in DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete, MLP 5.1, and PCM 2.0 Stereo, all of which are at the 48/24 bit rate except the PCM tracks, which are 46/16.  By far the better multi-channel mix goes to the DTS-ES track since it allows for more spatialness with it being a six channel versus a five-channel mix.  The surrounds are split making for a more interesting listen, but the fidelity rests in the MLP advanced resolution mode for those with DVD-Audio specific players.  To get better results from the MLP, one might also need an amplifier to feed more bass management that is lacking, but more prominent with the DTS mix. 

 

Some tracks seem to take fuller advantage of the surrounds, while others rely mostly on the stronger front three channels.  Vocals range from all over the mix, but are mostly in the center channels.  Backing vocals peak in and out from the left and left surround, or right and right surround and are balanced accordingly.  Certain instruments such as lead parts dominate the mid section of the mix, which make for the overall experience more remarkable in a 5.1 or 6.1 configuration.  The music video for the title track is also included and it the only supplement aside from lyrics that appears during the song.  Overall, this is a fantastic exploration into some of the other bounds of music and music discovery on a format like DVD-Audio.

 

 

-   Nate Goss