Review about Rodriguez Jr. – Blisss – Pure Audio Blu-ray – 2022
Facts about the Product
Artist: Rodriguez Jr.
Country of Origin: France / USA
Titel: Blisss (Dolby Atmos Edition)
Format: Pure Audio Blu-ray
Label: Prime Audio Recordings
Vertrieb: Prime Audio Distribution
(addvalue SOLUTIONS)
Release Date: 26.08.2022
plus Bonus Video „What is Real“ feat. Liset Alea
(Deep in the Playa Mix)
At Pure Audio Recordings available
in Dolby Atmos and Hi-res 24-Bit / 48 kHz
For the German translation of
this review >>> click here <<<
Intro
These days Rodriguez Jr. has launched his album „Blisss“ that he had already released in November 2020, now on Pure Audio Blu-ray including an immersive Dolby Atmos mix. In the meantime, the first Dolby Atmos release came out on Apple Music and Tidal.
Basically, I know the album in the 16-bit as well as in the 24-bit version like the back of my hand and in the meantime I have listened to a lot of Rodriguez Jr., including the sensational video Rodriguez Jr Live @ Mont Saint Michel de Brasparts from 2020.
The Album
The most accurate way to describe Rodriguez’s sound is the generic term „Electronica“, because his albums usually contain countless cross-references from break beats to ambient to dreamy melodic house numbers and of course always plenty of quiet but thrillingly danceable multidimensional electronic tracks.
And yet his music stands on its own and categorization is difficult. Inspired by vintage synthesizers, keyboards and dusty analog gear from his studio, he blurs the lines between electronic and organic music like no other.
And so the album Blisss leads us through various alternating baths of pleasant melodic tracks like „What is Real“, where his partner Liset Alea has taken over the vocals, to stomping pulsating numbers like „Blisss“ or the somewhat restrained but no less fascinating track „Santa Cruz“ and especially the fascinating track „Nairobi“.
As always, the typical Rodriguez Jr. hooks and his very own melodic lines provide each track with an extremely high musical recognition value.
The Pure Audio Blu-ray
When a few days ago the announcement came out that Rodriguez Jr. would release the album Blisss as Pure Audio Blu-ray, I was speechless at first, because I had already digitized my entire collection years ago, stored it on a high-quality music server and my last remaining Panasonic Blu-ray player DP-UB9004 was up for sale.
After I had listened through the Pure Audio Blu-ray several times, it was now clear to me that the UB9004 now but remains with me and the Pure Audio Blu-rays with prices of 29.90 € audwärts for the high-end fan, as I am one, are quite a more than worthwhile alternative.
The Sound
With the new Dolby Atmos edition of his latest album BLISSS on Pure Audio Blu-ray, French electronic wizard Rodriguez Jr. transports listeners into a spatial audio experience, bringing the dynamic beats and melodic overall picture of his music much more palpable and vivid.
On der Blu-ray stehen uns drei verschiedene Tonspuren in Ausnahme-Qualtät zur Verfügung sowie ein exzellent ausschauendes und in Dolby Atmos daherkommendes Video zu „What is Real“ mit Liset Alea.
It’s incredible… The difference between the Dolby Atmos stream (Apple) and the Dolby Atmos mix on the disc behaves about like the difference between day and night. I hear details that I’ve never heard before, even though I know the album inside out.
On „What Is Real,“ it feels like a bubbling bass carpet is wafting from front to back 1 meter above the floor, squeezing its way under the sofa, only to hit you violently in the pit of your stomach from behind.
The instruments float freely in the room, small acoustic wormholes are basically created all the time, taking you into other sound worlds, while you have the feeling that Liset Alea is sitting 1 meter away from you on the table and singing into the mic.
It really is that indescribably good… and beautiful.
And the DTS-HD MA 24-BIT / 48 KHz mix is hard to beat for precision, sounds completely different again of course.
The 2.0 PCM 24-BIT / 48 KHz also sounds different than the same mix from my MELCO music server, but my Panasonic UDP-9004 player is also a real power.
Which audio track the high-end fan may favor depends on the respective preferences of the high-end fan.
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Resolution
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Höhen / Treble
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Mitten / Mids
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Bass
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Räumlichkeit / Spaciality
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Music
The Bottom Line
The album „Blisss“ is already in the normal „streaming option“ on Apple Music with Dolby Atmos an audiophile treat, the album itself is a milestone of electronic music. The Dolby Atmos version on the Pure Audio Blu-ray, however, is far superior to its streaming Dolby Atmos counterparts, and you’ll experience acoustic details you’ve never heard before. The other two tracks in PCM 2.0 24-BIT / 48 KHz and DTS-HD MA 24-BIT / 48 KHz are also hard to beat in terms of precision. Conclusion: „Blisss“ in the Pure Audio Blu-ray version rocks. Quite powerfully.
Max 5 Stars!