2018 Grammy Nominations for Surround Sound

Field 26 - Surround Sound

Category 72 - Best Surround Sound Album

(For vocal or instrumental albums in any genre. Must be commercially released on DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, SACD, Blu-Ray, or burned download-only/streaming-only copies and must provide a new surround mix of four or more channels. Award to the surround mix engineer, surround producer (if any) and surround mastering engineer (if any).)



• Early Americans

Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Jim Anderson & Jane Ira Bloom, surround producers (Jane Ira Bloom)



• Kleiberg: Mass For Modern Man

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Eivind Gullberg Jensen & Trondheim Symphony Orchestra And Choir)



• So Is My Love

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Nina T. Karlsen & Ensemble 96)



• 3-D The Catalogue

Fritz Hilpert, surround mix engineer; Tom Ammermann, surround mastering engineer; Fritz Hilpert, surround producer (Kraftwerk)



• Tyberg: Masses

Jesse Brayman, surround mix engineer; Jesse Brayman, surround mastering engineer; Blanton Alspaugh, surround producer (Brian A. Schmidt, Christopher Jacobson & South Dakota Chorale)





Hmmmmm.....

ZZzzzzzz

It is a particularly esoteric slate of nominees this year, isn't it? Save for Kraftwerk of course. I like some of 2L's recordings - Souvenir is a fantastic demonstration of how good 7.1 can sound, and I imagine the 9.1 is even better - but the music there is Tchaikovsky, compared to the obscure modern stuff on their two nominees. The Kleiberg Masses disc might be the first 11.1 classical recording, though.

I'm not familiar with Tyberg, but this review is enough to generate at least some interest on my part: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Oct/Tyberg_masses_PTC5186584.htm. And good for Pentatone for the nomination.

GOS said:

ZZzzzzzz

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My snooze isn't because of what's ON the list. It's because of what's NOT on the list.

ubertrout said:

It is a particularly esoteric slate of nominees this year, isn't it? Save for Kraftwerk of course. I like some of 2L's recordings - Souvenir is a fantastic demonstration of how good 7.1 can sound, and I imagine the 9.1 is even better - but the music there is Tchaikovsky, compared to the obscure modern stuff on their two nominees. The Kleiberg Masses disc might be the first 11.1 classical recording, though.

I'm not familiar with Tyberg, but this review is enough to generate at least some interest on my part: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Oct/Tyberg_masses_PTC5186584.htm. And good for Pentatone for the nomination.

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Esoteric is an interesting way to describe the selections...I wonder if sales figures enter into these nominations?

GOS said:

My snooze isn't because of what's ON the list. It's because of what's NOT on the list.

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For me.... the genre selections leave me out of the discussion

Clint Eastwood said:

Esoteric is an interesting way to describe the selections...I wonder if sales figures enter into these nominations?

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In the inverse? It wouldn't be totally crazy. Free PR for unknown records.

Edit to add: I'm listening to Tyberg's 2nd Symphony now on Spotify and really like it, and will be ordering the Tyberg Masses disc. Apparently he was somewhat well-known in his day but was killed in the Holocaust and his music effectively disappeared until recently. The idiom is kind of like the music of Anton Bruckner, only more conventional.

GOS said:

My snooze isn't because of what's ON the list. It's because of what's NOT on the list.

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see this:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/...my-nominations-2018-analysis-hip-hop-takeover

Do record companies or producers have to submit their entries for nomination? Maybe some companies didn't even bother...

Has anybody heard the 5.1 of the first one, Jane Ira Bloom's Early Anmericans?

fac23 said:

Do record companies or producers have to submit their entries for nomination? Maybe some companies didn't even bother...

Has anybody heard the 5.1 of the first one, Jane Ira Bloom's Early Anmericans?

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HR Audio.net review: http://hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=11877#reviews

I have it and it comes highly recommended.

I'll second that. I don't know that it's the best surround mix of the year, but it's quite lovely and deserves wider recognition. And besides, when were the Grammys ever truly about the "best" anything?

4-earredwonder said:

HR Audio.net review: http://hraudio.net/showmusic.php?title=11877#reviews

I have it and it comes highly recommended.

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humprof said:

I'll second that. I don't know that it's the best surround mix of the year, but it's quite lovely and deserves wider recognition. And besides, when were the Grammys ever truly about the "best" anything?

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I agree....it's mostly an ambient mix but the recording is top notch.

Too bad the Grammys don't highlight surround sound during the actual award ceremony but instead relegate it to a private ceremony mostly attended by tekkies.

If there is a God, Kraftwerk 3D should take home the prize. A simply amazing boxset which I still haven't completely waded through.

And conspicuously absent is Giles Martin's rather tame remix of Sgt. Pepper.......so much for politics! I should think that would've been a shoo in.

fac23 said:

Do record companies or producers have to submit their entries for nomination? Maybe some companies didn't even bother...

Has anybody heard the 5.1 of the first one, Jane Ira Bloom's Early Anmericans?

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It's been a while since I listened to it, but my recollection is that it is well recorded, and very atmospheric. I recall classifying it at some point as accessible avant-garde jazz. Not dissonant for the most part, interesting rhythms. But at the same time, not begging for multiple listening sessions - which is entirely subjective and based on my taste. I tend to like jazz when it compliments itself to a good glass or two of wine. If I could find a wine that made me slightly nervous, it would pair nicely. Now that it is nominated will dig it out and give it another spin.

When it comes to this Grammy category, we know surround and can MOST CERTAINLY best anything they offer up.

I was going to suggest we do an Alt.Grammy of selections for surround. (But I think that ship has sailed, oh well).

at least Kraftwerk was nominated

They for sure deserve to win

Honestly, NO Steven Wilson work? And Bruce Soord has done some great things this year.

Geez.

edisonbaggins said:

Honestly, NO Steven Wilson work? And Bruce Soord has done some great things this year.

Geez.

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EB, maybe they'll consider giving them both lifetime achievement awards when they're :yikes 80!

IMO, the Grammys have always been style over substance. And for that matter, the Academy Awards, as well.

Here is what they look like : I can't wait to listen, not.

OK - we go through this every year. First, IMHO, the Grammies have very little meaning other than it’s a nice trophy to place on the mantel and an impressive line on one’s CV as a Grammy nominee/winner. Unless your a top category, a Grammy has little or no bearing on future sales or success. That having been said, there is a process that must be followed to even make it to the nomination process.

1. For the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards, albums must be released between Oct. 1, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2017. Recordings must be commercially released in general distribution in the United States, i.e. sales by label to a branch or recognized independent distributor, via the internet or mail order/retail sales for a nationally marketed product. Recordings must be available for sale from any date within the eligibility period through at least the date of the current year’s voting deadline (final ballot).
2. While Grammy (NARAS) members in good standing (annual dues paid) can vote/nominate titles within their field of expertise, The Surround category is one of five that bypass this nomination round and are nominated entirely by the Engineer Craft committee (an old boy network of top Grammy member recording engineers/producers)

So before you can say you wuz robbed, you better have followed all the submission guidelines to a tee, and then hope you have an “in”with the boys in the committee.

It’s a serpentine path to the award and you better be workin’ it if you know what I mean.

One nice thing is that the powers that be fly out and listen to the albums together in the same room.