Thanks to The Because Group, a wholly Australian owned company, comes the first release of the Mix FM compilation discs in the DVD Plus format. What this means is that a single disc contains a DVD format on one side and a CD format on the other. This allows the CD side to be played in a standard CD player or computer CD ROM drive and the DVD player can play both formats.
For this release we have a collection of 14 audio tracks in the CD format, containing a wide variety of popular tunes, and the DVD side carries a collection of 21 popular music video clips. Thankfully there is no doubling up of tracks, only artists, and a wide selection is available, with a good dose of Oz talent.
Track lsting (CD):
Better Man - Robbie Williams
Spinning Around - Kylie Minogue
I Need Somebody - Bardot
Cruisin' - Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis
Horses - Daryl Braithwaite
High - Lighthouse Family
Last to Know - Human Nature
Like the Sun - Wendy Matthews
Take My Breath Away - Emma Bunton
There She Goes - Sixpence None the Richer
I've Been Thinking About You - London Beat
I Say A Little Prayer - Diana King
Celebration - Kool & The Gang
Blame It On the Boogie - The Jacksons
As stated earlier, variety is the key and this is aimed at a wide section of the buying public. As is the case with any collection of hits, there will be tracks that people like along with those that they can’t stomach, the hope being that the former will be the case for the majority.
The collection of music video clips is also a wide selection. Many are there for their chart success, but there are also clips that are very entertaining to watch, even if you don’t like the song. Offering a much larger number than the CD collection, the tracks are mixed to say the least.
Track listing (DVD):
What Took You So Long? - Emma Bunton
Dancing in the Moonlight - Toploader
Moving On Up - M People
Life - Des'ree
I Try - Macy Gray
As I Lay Me Down - Sophie B Hawkins
Everytime You Cry - John Farnham & Human Nature
Shine - Vanessa Amorosi
Sunshine On A Rainy Day - Christine Anu
Reminiscing - Madison Avenue
Crush - Jennifer Paige
It's Raining Men - Geri Halliwell
Desensitized - Invertigo
Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
What's A Girl To Do? - sister2sister
Me Myself & I - Scandal'Us
I Won't Let You Down - Kate Ceberano
She's So High - Tal Bachman
Buses & Trains - Bachelor Girl
Forgive Me - Danielle Spencer
Ain't No Sunshine - Rockmelons featuring Deni Hines
The concept of a combined DVD/CD is an interesting one. Many may question the need for it while others will see it as a welcome addition to the market. Personally the contents of the disc are the most important thing and this one contains a terrific range of music to attract interest from almost everyone. The inclusion of many Australian artists is a great addition and this is balanced well with international stars. Great work The Because Group, whether this is a brilliant new format or not is irrelevant, the fact is it’s good to know there are companies out there striving forward and looking for ways to improve the marketplace.
The music video clips contained on this DVD are of varying aspect ratios and are not 16x9 enhanced. All are of excellent quality and equal to or better than that you would see on any television music video show. Although these are varying aspect ratios and ages, none are old enough to suffer great problems from artefacts or other nasties. Overall the picture quality is as expected, pretty much faultless.
For the CD component, the audio is supplied in Dolby Digital 2.0 and offers exactly what it intends, CD quality. The DVD component also offers Dolby Digital 2.0 and is again of CD quality. The only criticism of the audio overall is it does tend to be a bit on the quiet side. The inclusion of a DD 5.1 surround mix would have also been a welcome one, but apart from these minor criticisms, sound overall is very good.
In the way of extras for this release there are a couple of additions. Firstly there are artist biographies which contain 77 pages of text covering all artists contained on both the CD and DVD. The only other extra is a collection of 44 weblinks to artists' websites, record companies, Mix FM and The Because Group.
Overall this is an interesting concept that could take off and fill the market with a good range of material. This pilot release in the Mix FM series offers a wide range of artists and is possibly deliberate to gauge the market for future Mix FM releases. The video and audio are both of excellent quality although a DD 5.1 mix would have been nice for the video clips. The one last fact is this is an Australian company leading the way and we should get out there and support them.