The Beach Boys' iconic 1966 album, Pet Sounds, has just been released with a new mix in Dolby Atmos, so fans can now enjoy an immersive experience while listening to the record. Giles Martin, son of late Beatles producer George Martin, is responsible for the new mix, and he certainly has great respect for the original.

"I think that's what made this album exceptional is the fact that it sounded otherworldly because it used a combination of instruments that had never been heard before. Anywhere!” Martin tells ABC Audio.

It's commonly noted that in making Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson was inspired by The Beatles' Rubber Soul; The Beatles then took inspiration from Pet Sounds for Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Martin believes it's because there was a bit of "competitiveness" that went on between the bands, allowing both to break the rules.

He explains, "[The Beatles] were like, 'Oh, you know, if the Beach Boys can do that, we're The Beatles, we can certainly do that!" He said Wilson felt the same way about his band.

For Martin, one of his main goals for the Dolby Atmos mix is to get younger music fans to listen to the classic album. He believes The Beach Boys “aren’t listened to enough” and the record “has now been lost on a generation.”

Martin hopes at the very least the new mix will start a “conversation” about the album, whether people like what he’s done with it or not, which will lead to new generations discovering it.

He shares, "The Beach Boys is one of those bands that ... it sounds overbearing for me to say they need to be discovered, but they certainly need attention. And so if I can do that, then great." (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

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