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Suede 30th anniversary SDE-exclusive blu-ray

#11 in the SDE Surround Series

By Paul Sinclair

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Blu-ray available for 10 days only • Features Steven Wilson Atmos, 5.1 & Stereo Mixes and HD Videos • Quick pre-order link

Suede’s self-titled debut album from 1993 will be reissued in July for its 30th anniversary and formats will include an SDE-exclusive blu-ray with Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes.

Suede is unarguably a landmark British album of the 1990s, and was both a critical and commercial triumph, winning the Mercury Music Prize and entering the UK Album Chart at number one, in April 1993 (knocking Depeche Mode’s Songs of Faith and Devotion off the summit). Frontman Brett Anderson pointedly calls it “the first Britpop album” while dissociating it and Suede the band [know as ‘The London Suede’ in the US] from the ‘Cool Britannia’ type movement that followed; “It certainly wasn’t a celebration of some imaginary view of British life… some fantasy, Carnaby Street, 1960s thing” he said. Bass player Mat Osman perhaps put it best suggesting that in the wider context of Britpop, Suede was “Dr Frankenstein, but not the monster”.

Such was the momentum and excitement generated by the band’s first three singles (‘The Drowners’, Metal Mickey’, and ‘Animal Nitrate’), Suede sold 100,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the fastest-selling debut albums in the UK, at the time. A fourth and final single, ‘So Young’ was issued about a month after the album in May ’93.

‘Animal Nitrate’ from Suede

The reissue of the band’s debut LP sees a Suede album remixed for spatial audio for the first time and who better to do this than musician and producer Steven Wilson. A very successful artist in his own right, Wilson has without doubt established himself as a leader in remixing studio albums in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound. He’s tackled giants from the 1970s (King Crimson, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, Chic), pop pioneers from the 1980s (Tears For Fears, XTC, Simple Minds, Ultravox) and now with Suede, moves into the early 1990s.

This was a genuinely magical time in my life and one for which I’ll always be grateful. It felt incredible being in what I thought was quite probably the most exciting band in the world at the time, making a record which felt like more than just another band making another album.

Suede frontman, Brett Anderson

Producer Ed Buller has approved the mixes and has been impressed with Wilson’s work saying: “It’s wonderful that we can now revisit this 30 years later and allow Steven Wilson and his fabulous ears to reposition this music in Dolby Atmos. I am very grateful he has resisted the temptation to fix past perceived mistakes and was keen to show the original approach intact”.

The SDE Exclusive blu-ray will feature the following audio streams:

  • 2023 Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
  • 2023 Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix (96/24)
  • 2023 Steven Wilson Stereo Mix (96/24)
  • 1993 Definitive Original Stereo Mix (96/24)

It should be noted that, despite a massive effort, the multi-track tapes for the song ‘Breakdown’ could not be located, so the spatial audio versions of that one song are Penteo ‘upmix’ versions (the stereo remix uses the 1993 mix). The original version of the album has been remastered by Phil Kinrade using transfers of the original 1⁄2” master tapes, with the exception of ‘Moving’ and ‘The Drowners’ which were sourced from production masters. Everything was overseen and approved by producer Ed Buller.

‘The Drowners’ from Suede

For the first time on an SDE-exclusive blu-ray, bonus video is featured and this disc includes the following promo videos for all four Suede singles, remastered/restored to HD (their first – and possibly only – physical release):

  • The Drowners
  • Metal Mickey
  • Animal Nitrate
  • So Young
  • The Drowners (US Version)

The blu-ray will be region-free so international fans won’t have any issues playing the disc.

This Suede Blu-ray is #11 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series and will be packaged similarly to previous editions and ships with a free, collectible SDE Surround Series slipcase.

Here’s the now traditional reminder as to why this product is highly recommended:

  • It’s the only way to enjoy the Dolby Atmos mix of the album via a physical product
  • You don’t need to sign-up to a streaming service such as Tidal or Apple Music to hear the spatial audio mix
  • The Atmos Mix on the Blu-ray is not compressed due to streaming bandwidth restrictions
  • You own the product, you are not renting it from a digital service provider
  • The Blu-ray audio is an excellent format for music and you don’t want to see it die off
  • Supporting SDE with these initiatives leads to similar collaborations with labels/artists and we are keen to bring your more in the near future!

Other formats/editions are available as part of this 30th anniversary reissue. Here’s a summary:

  • Blu-ray with Spatial Audio and Stereo Mixes and HD Videos (SDE-exclusive)
  • Half-speed mastered vinyl LP with OBI-strip and 4-page booklet
  • Limited edition picture disc LP with deluxe packaging (1030 copies – Suede shop exclusive)
  • 2CD edition in deluxe gatefold seven-inch packaging
  • The Drowners/To The Birds 7″ picture disc (limited to 1000 units)

Order your copy of the Suede blu-ray or the other formats (except the LP picture disc) via the SDE shop using this link or by clicking on the special SDE shop buy buttons (‘add to cart’) below. We ship worldwide (the tracked service to USA for blu-ray is £8, for example) and the CD and vinyl editions are also available individually or via a specially-priced bundles.

There are a lot of bundles, so choose carefully! Any with ‘The Drowners’ picture disc will likely disappear quickly since that disc is so limited.

Suede 30th anniversary Blu-ray and the other formats will be released on 7 July 2023, via Demon Music.

TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT
Very much worth watching this documentary if you aren’t familiar with Suede or the Britpop movement in the UK in the mid-90s

Tracklisting

Suede Suede /

    • Blu-ray
      Audio
      1. Suede – 2023 Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
      2. Suede – 2023 Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix (96/24)
      3. Suede – 2023 Steven Wilson Stereo Mix (96/24)
      4. Suede – 1993 Definitive Original Stereo Mix (96/24)
      Remastered/Restored HD Videos
      1. The Drowners
      2. Metal Mickey
      3. Animal Nitrate
      4. So Young
      5. The Drowners (US Version)

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