Yes, very good mix, even... incredible for such an album ! Not only is the surround mix really good, but the overall sound quality is also astonishing. Not as much as in Medulla, but close.
Problem is the album. It's one of the worst albums I've ever listened to, hands down, and I've heard quite a few bad albums back in the days ! Some interesting stuff, sound effects and ambiances, but also an awful lot of bland tracks that reach the frontiers of unlistenability (er... sp ? ^^)
For those who tried and liked this album in its entirety, including 5-minute tracks with only glockenspiel and wind sound, or percussions, or even "worse" (sorry) Japanese theater incantations, you have two alternative albums that could really please you... but with a little something more :
- Emilie Simon's "The march of the penguins". Very close to DR9 in some ways, but with a little extra I can"t describe... Give it a try ! (For the record, I listened to DR9 and March... back to back, as a coincidence, and Simon's album shone so much brighter it really struck me)
- The soundtrack of japanese anime 'Akira'. Not only is it very close to DR9 (but way better), it also is available in DVD-A. And what a great DVD-A it is !
All in all, I rated in a 4. The sound is good, the surround is quite pleasant, but I can't stand the album both in stereo AND 5.1. Sorry, sorry sorry sorry...