Kraftwerk has announced a special edition of their album Autobahn to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release.
The special edition includes a new digital audio mix in Dolby Atmos 5.1, remixed from the original 16-track analogue tapes recorded in 1974. The new edition will be available in Blu-ray format (Stereo Mix – Dolby Atmos 5.1 + Video + Book), streaming, and traditional vinyl. The LP, in particular, will be the first picture disc release, accompanied by a 7-inch single.
This is not the first time Kraftwerk has experimented with an immersive sound system. When Autobahn was released in 1974, the album had a quadriphonic edition, a short-lived audio format that struggled to gain traction among mainstream consumers of the time. As a result, the quadriphonic system was discontinued by the end of the decade and eventually replaced by other formats.
Autobahn was a landmark work for the German group, as it marked their first international success and allowed the quartet to perform beyond the European circuit. The album was released in a shortened version in the United States and the United Kingdom at the time of its launch. These shorter versions (singles) helped the band gain popularity, leading Autobahn to rank among the top 100 most-played songs on radio stations across Europe and North America.
Kraftwerk has previously utilised immersive 5.1 sound systems in their Minimum-Maximum (2005) DVD and Katalog 3D (2017), both of which won Grammy Awards for Best Electronic Music Album and were recognised for their contribution to musical innovation.
Autobahn Dolby Atmos was mixed by Ralf Hütter in collaboration with sound engineer and longtime contributor Fritz Hilpert. This appears to be Fritz's final work with Kraftwerk after nearly 40 years.
Happy listening!
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