When Up finally landed in 2002, critics were split. It was claustrophobic, filled with low-end rumble, distorted bass, and lyrics about mortality ("I Grieve," "Growing Up"). However, for audio engineers, it was a masterpiece of texture. The album is dense with polyrhythms, manipulated found sounds, and layers that a standard stereo CD could barely unravel.
The album’s emotional core of trapped anguish is physically realized. The central, repeating piano figure is locked in the front. But the swirling, atonal synth strings and the fractured, panicked vocal harmonies of the chorus are sent aggressively to the rears. You are not listening to the song; you are inside the panic attack.
The album's LFE (Low Frequency Effects) channel is equally impressive, with deep and controlled bass that adds weight and impact to the music. The DTS 5.1 mix of UP is also notable for its use of subtle ambiance and spatial effects, which add a sense of depth and space to the music. Peter Gabriel - UP -2002- -2004- DTS 5.1 Digital Surround-
In 2004, Peter Gabriel’s label, Real World Records, began reissuing his catalog in surround sound. Up received the "CD+DVD" treatment. The DVD side contained a track (at a full bitrate of 1.5 Mbps) and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (at 448 kbps).
10/10 for sonic architecture. 8/10 for music composition (it’s still a bleak album). 2/10 for availability. Buy it on sight. When Up finally landed in 2002, critics were split
This track showcases the playful potential of surround. The bouncing, rubbery bassline circles the room. The marimba-like synth hits are panned actively across the front and rear, mimicking the circular, childlike motion of the song’s theme. Gabriel’s vocal remains anchored in the center channel, a fixed point of humanity amidst the spinning mechanical whimsy.
: The DTS 5.1 version is presented in 24-bit / 96kHz digital surround, offering an audiophile-grade listening experience. The album is dense with polyrhythms, manipulated found
On early pressings of the 2004 DVD, there is a known mastering error during the transition from track 4 ("The Barry Williams Show") to track 5 ("My Head Sounds Like That"). In the DTS stream, there is a 0.5-second dropout. While frustrating, collectors have come to view this as a watermark of authenticity. Later re-pressings (2007 and 2014) fixed the dropout but, according to golden-eared listeners, neutered the low-end dynamics to fit the disc space.
Up is an album about age, loss, technology, and the ghosts of the past. A standard stereo system presents these themes as a dense, sometimes impenetrable wall of sound. The DTS 5.1 mix unlocks the album. It separates the organic from the mechanical, the earthly from the ethereal, the front from the back. When the final piano chord of “Signal to Noise” decays into the rear speakers, you understand that Up was never just an album—it was an environment. And the 2004 DTS 5.1 Digital Surround release is the key to that environment’s front door.
: The track’s explosive shifts in volume are more jarring in surround, as the "flood of sound" in loud sections completely envelops the listener while keeping Gabriel’s vocals crystal clear.