There are certain albums I always find myself returning to, no matter my mood or circumstance. One of them is a 1983 record that’s jam-packed with hypnotic synth riffs, epic bass grooves, and vocals that are earnest to the point of hopeless youthful naivete — a perfect complement to lyrics like “Our love is like the flowers / the rain, the sea, and the hours.” New Order’s Power, Corruption, and Lies is a collection of songs that span both exhilaration and confusion, while the basket of roses on the cover points not only to a sound that’s beginning to bloom, but the band itself coming into full flower.
And so it was with much satisfaction that I read the band’s news today about the treat they have in store for fans: The music of New Order is being released for the first time in immersive Dolby Atmos spatial audio. “We are pleased to announce that New Order’s music will be released in Dolby Atmos spatial audio for the first time later this month,” the band announced on social media. “Mixed from the original master tapes by Steven Wilson, and overseen by Stephen Morris, the albums Movement and Low-Life along with the single Blue Monday will be available to stream from 20th September.”
Apple Music is hosting a Q&A with Morris, New Order’s drummer, at an event in the band’s hometown of Manchester later this month. I can only hope the rest of the band’s catalog follows suit, but this is exciting news nonetheless. This 3D sound format, as I’m sure many of you know, is a sonic delight, making it feel as though the music is coming from all around you — even above you — especially when you’re listening through headphones.
The New Order news, meanwhile, comes on the heels of Apple Music also announcing the spatial audio treatment for another seminal Manchester band — Oasis, the soon-to-reunite band whose debut album just hit its 30th anniversary. To celebrate that milestone for Oasis’ Definitely Maybe, Apple announced the record being given a Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio release, making tracks like Live Forever and Cigarettes & Alcohol sound more immersive than ever.
Whether you’re a New Order or Oasis fan, this new sonic treatment will allow you to close your eyes as you listen to the bands’ music and imagine that you’re in the thick of the action back at the Hacienda or the Boardwalk in Manchester — music swirling around you, the lights pulsing, bass thumping, on the kind of night that can make a person feel like you and I are gonna live forever.
