King Crimson’s fourth album, 1971’s “Islands,” was for many years somewhat underrated in the band’s history. It was often considered one of those albums that fell between the undisputed classics “In the Court of the Crimson King” and “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic.” In recent years, however, the album has been re-evaluated. This process began with the new stereo and 5.1 mixes created by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp in 2010, and continued with the songs “The Letters,” “Sailor’s Tale,” and the title track becoming part of the band’s 2014-2021 lineup. The changing perception among both old and new listeners was further confirmed when the extensive 27-disc box set “Sailors’ Tales”, featuring a wide selection of live recordings from the “Islands” era, became one of the fastest-selling releases in the acclaimed King Crimson box set series – a fitting testament to the band’s second, albeit short-lived, live lineup.

So what’s really left to say or hear about this period?

It turns out: quite a lot.

A fully-loaded Blu-ray disc and accompanying CD document Steven Wilson’s return to the album once again to create a transformative Dolby Atmos mix. This work also led to new stereo and 5.1 mixes. Steven Wilson is now considered one of the leading Dolby Atmos engineers in classic album releases, and his long-standing association with and deep understanding of King Crimson’s catalog make his work with the band particularly sought after by fans.

King Crimson producer and manager David Singleton has also put together a set of Elemental Mixes, where alternative takes and recordings have been unearthed and mixed into a fascinating “what if?” interpretation of the material. This approach has proven extremely popular on King Crimson’s Blu-ray releases and on standalone vinyl releases in recent years.

Singleton and DGM’s in-house sound engineer Alex R. Mundy have also prepared a complete set of session mixes from the album’s recordings, all presented in hi-res stereo.

Two previously unreleased elements complete the edition: the quadraphonic mix of the band’s 1972 Summit Studios concert recording – previously only available on the sold-out “Sailors’ Tales” box set – and, as always with such releases, the original album mix in 24/96 high-resolution stereo.

The CD contains the entire album in Steven Wilson’s new mix, as well as a selection of David Singleton’s Elemental Mixes.

“Islands” was the only studio album recorded by the line-up of Fripp, Collins, Burrell and Wallace, and the last album with Peter Sinfield as a full-fledged creative partner. The album closed one chapter in King Crimson’s history while discreetly sketching the contours of the next.

Historically, it captured the band in a brief but remarkably creative period, during which material was developed during intensive touring and recorded between live performances. Musically, it is the point at which the group’s early sound was stretched to its limits and began to evolve into something harder, more distinctive and more open in form.

Although the album’s six compositions span vastly different expressions – from the forward-looking elements of “Sailor’s Tale”, where Fripp’s sharp guitar playing and Collins’ fiery saxophone work point to the future, to the purely orchestral “Prelude: Song of the Gulls” – “Islands” tells a coherent story. It is both a collection of music and a portrait of King Crimson at a very special time in the band's development, a story that can perhaps be experienced more fully than ever before in this release.

Media	Music CD/Blu-ray (CD and Blu-ray)
Number of units	2
To be released	September 25, 2026
EAN/UPC	0633367799227
Label	Panegyric
Genre	Rock Progressive Rock
Dimensions	140 × 175 × 16 mm · 150 g (Weight (estimated))

Track list

1. CD
1. 2026 mixes - Produced and Mixed by Steven Wilson
2. Formentera Lady
3. Sailor’s Tale
4. The Letters
5. Ladies of the Road
6. Prelude: Song of the Gulls
7. Islands
8. Formentera Lady
9. Sailor’s Tale
10. Islands
11. Ladies of the Road
2. Blu-ray Audio
1. 2026 Dolby Atmos
2. Formentera Lady
3. Sailor’s Tale
4. The Letters
5. Ladies of the Road
6. Prelude: Song of the Gulls
7. Islands
8. Formentera Lady
9. The Letters
10. Ladies of the Road
11. Islands
12. Formentera Lady
13. Sailor’s Tale
14. The Letters
15. Ladies of the Road
16. Islands
17. Prelude: Song of the Gulls
18. Islands Studios - July 22nd
19. Command Studios - Aug 2nd
20. Peacemaking Stint Unrolls Takes 1 to 3
21. Aug 25th
22. Ladies of The Road Take 1
23. Band Jam
24. Ladies of The Road Takes 2 to 4
25. Aug 26th
26. Ladies of The Road Takes One to Five
27. Ladies of The Road Backing and Overdubs
28. Ladies of The Road Vocals and Overdubs
29. Sept 1st
30. The Letters Section One First Two Verses
31. The Letters Section Two Riff
32. The Letters Section Three Solo Takes 1 and 2
33. The Letters Section Four Last Two Verses
34. The Letters Intro Overdubs
35. The Letters Riff Overdubs
36. The Letters Vocals and Piano Last 2 Verses
37. The Letters Backing and Flute Last 2 Verses
38. Sept 8th
39. Formentera Lady Backing and Overdubs
40. Formentera Lady Vocals and Overdubs
41. Sept 9th
42. Sailor's Tale Bass
43. Sailor's Tale Sax and Banjo Guitar Overdubs
44. Sailor's Tale Piano and Guitar Overdubs
45. Sailor's Tale Mellotron Overdubs
46. Oct 1st
47. Islands Takes 1 and 2
48. Oct 2nd
49. Oct 3rd
50. Islands Master Piano
51. Islands Master Keys and Mellotron Overdubs
52. Formentera Lady
53. Sailor’s Tale
54. The Letters
55. Ladies of the Road
56. Prelude: Song of the Gulls
57. Islands
58. Pictures of a City
59. Cadence and Cascade
60. Groon
61. 21st Century Schizoid Man
62. Improv: Summit Going On
63. My Hobby
64. The Sailor’s Tale
65. The Creator Has A Master Plan (including Summit and Something Else)