Coinciding with its upcoming PBS broadcast and coming off a critically-acclaimed premiere at SXSW earlier this year, the star-studded, groundbreaking music documentary series Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music makes its DVD and Blu-ray debut on Tuesday, November 29 from Athena, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. Produced in association with the late legendary music producer Sir George Martin, and the filmmakers Show of Force, LLC, the highly-anticipated eight-part series took over five years to make and features more than 150 exclusive and original interviews with some of the most celebrated recording artists, producers, and music industry PIONEERS of all time sharing behind-the-scenes stories celebrating THE ART OF recording. The DVD/Blu-ray feature several bonus features including Elton John and Sir George Martin in conversation, Ringo Starr on Drums, Rosanne Cash on Sun Studios, and many more. Its broadcast premiere on PBS begins Mon., Nov. 14 with next-day availability to buy digitally via multiple platforms including iTunes and Amazon Video (full series and individual episodes), as well as Vudu, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Sony Interactive Entertainment. The series received a 2016 Critic's Choice Awards nomination for Best Limited Documentary Series. Trailer
Soundbreaking includes Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Roger Waters, Joni Mitchell, Roger Daltrey, Linda Perry, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash, Steven Van Zandt, Billy Idol, Beck, RZA, and many more.Mark Stevens, President of Acorn Brands at RLJ Entertainment, said, "With more than 150 exclusive interviews and rarely seen footage, Higher Ground, Sir George Martin, and Show of Force have created a remarkable, one-of-kind music documentary series sure to become iconic. Soundbreaking is exactly the kind of high caliber, non-fiction programming we seek out to offer consumers through our Athena brand." In eight captivating episodes, Soundbreaking charts a century's worth of innovation and experimentation, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of brand new sounds. From the Beatles' groundbreaking use of multi-track technology to the synthesized stylings of Stevie Wonder, from disco-era drum machines to the modern art of sampling, the series highlights the dynamic tension between the artificial and the natural--between the man-made and the God-given--and explores the way in which that tension has continuously redefined not only what we listen to and how we listen to it, but our very sense of what music is and can be. In the end, Soundbreaking makes us hear the songs we love in a whole new way, and illuminates the sonic alchemy by which the music we listen to becomes a fundamental part of who we are.Videos