The article analyzes surround mixing of King Crimson’s analogrecordings. “Lizard,” “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (Part 1),” “The NightWatch,” “Trio,” and “One Time” are analyzed using the theoretical perspectivesof the music recording as representation and spatial design. There is adifference between live and studio recordings in surround: live recordingstend to be mixed according to the direct/ambient principle, while studio recordingsare mixed according to the principle of direct-sound all around.Live recordings in surround can also often be understood as examples ofdocumentarism, and studio recordings as examples of hyper realism. Thespatial design of the surround mix tends to emphasize aspects of spatiality inthe broad sense: where the recording can, for example, be interpreted as alandscape in sound.