BuzzNet Brings Total Immersion Surround Music to College Campuses; New Tracks by Venice Underground, Big Phat Band, Others Featured in CEA-Sponsored Tour.

Entertainment Editors

ARLINGTON, Va.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2000

A sneak preview of hot new music tracks created especially for the latest surround music formats is coming to select college campuses this fall during the BuzzNet 2000 tour. Sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), BuzzNet is an "ears-on" educational festival of new music listening technologies planned for U.S. colleges this year and next.

Venice Underground, Big Phat Band, and Aaron Neville are among the artists whose music will be used at BuzzNet to demonstrate the total immersion quality of new high-resolution surround music playback technologies for homes, cars and headphones.

Even more than the transition from mono to two-channel stereo, which brought listeners closer to the reality of live music, the advent of surround music offers a total immersion "virtual reality" experience. New audio technologies demonstrated at BuzzNet, such as DVD-Audio, make music fans feel like they're sitting in the studio with the band.

DVD-Audio offers significantly higher resolution playback, resulting in what many believe is a richer, more realistic listening experience. Surround music is played back via a 5.1 channel system, comprised of a multichannel amplifier, plus five discrete speakers and a subwoofer (the ".1" in 5.1 sound). For those on the go, "virtual surround" headphones create a level of aural immediacy and realism never before experienced in music, games or movies.

One of the pioneers in creating original surround music is rock musician Peter DiStefano. A member of famed alternative bands such as Jane's Addiction, DiStefano began to explore the musical possibilities that the DVD-Audio format affords. He put together a group of musicians, dubbed Venice Underground, to explore the creative opportunities that six channels and higher resolution provide.

"We were the first band to track in surround," says DiStefano. "It really inspired me to try new approaches on my instrument. With stereo, the music comes from an artificial point, somewhere between the left and right speakers. With surround, you are the center of the music and the whole band is playing directly to you. It hits you from every side."

Music tracks by Venice Underground, as well as a number of other artists, will be featured at the events taking place on October 11-12, 2000 (dates revised) at California State University at Long Beach, and October 16-17, 2000 at the University of California at Davis. For more information on the events, visit the BuzzNet Web site, www.buzznet.org.

Companies sponsoring BuzzNet 2000 include Alpine, Denon, Dolby Laboratories, Klipsch, Runco, Sherwood America, Toshiba, Yamaha, and Hachette, publisher of Sound & Vision and Mobile Entertainment magazines.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), represents more than 600 U.S. companies involved in the development, manufacturing and distribution of audio, video, mobile electronics, communications, information technology, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services, that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, these companies account for more than $60 billion in annual sales.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES -- Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology(SM). All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

Note to Editors: Buzznet media credentials available by request.