Talk Talk - Filibuster 5.1 DTS Upmix by Sansdancer (SBU)

TALK TALK - FILIBUSTER - 5.1 DTS Upmix by Sansdancer

This is a re-post by request that was originally on the big "D".

This is my compilation of songs by Talk Talk, upmixed to 5.1 DTS surround sound using the SPEC method and tools available on Surroundbyus.com. (DTS isn't lossless but there is no upmix section on the site.) This upmix can only be played on PCs and HT/audio systems capable of decoding and playing DTS files. You can burn it to a DVD using the ISO file. (I recommend ImgBurn for best results.)

Talk Talk was formed in 1981 by singer/songwriter Mark Hollis with bassist Paul Webb, drummer Lee Harris, and keyboardist Simon Brenner. They were very much in the groove of other Synth-Pop / New Romantic groups of the time such as Human League, Soft Cell, The Reflex, Duran Duran, Eurythimics, etc. Over the course of five albums they pared down the group and moved the music style to more serious and sparse arrangements. Brenner left after the first album and producer and multi-instrumentalist Tim Friese-Greene took his place for the next four albums. Bassist Paul Webb left before the final album, “Laughing Stock”. The music changed so drastically that their record label tried to sue them over the “Spirit Of Eden” album for delivering such a non-commercial piece. (The suit was subsequently dropped.)

This type of material doesn’t produce hard discrete “quadraphonic”-like 5.1 separation. Often there are only two or three instruments on a track. The production, however, is very dense on the synth-heavy songs and the music envelopes the listener in layers of sound. On the later sparse tracks, the rear channels help create ambience and atmosphere that put you in the old church where many of those tracks were recorded. I feel the stark differences in style and structure from song to song make for a nice flow when compiled. Overall, I think the sound quality and surround experience is excellent. I hope you agree.


For the techies, this was sourced from the 1997 English EMI remastered redbook CDs, “It’s My Life” (Steve Thompson US Remix) which is my vinyl rip (I don’t believe this version has been issued on CD), Polydor’s 1991 “Laughing Stock” CD, and a couple of rarities CDs. The CDs were ripped by Exact Audio Copy, upsampled to 24 bit, 48khz with R8brain Pro, sequenced (in part) using Mixed In Key, processed into 5.1 with Plogue Biddle using the ArcTan method with Slice rears, post-production via Sound Forge 6, encoded to DTS with DTS-HD Master Audio Suite, compiled using AudioMuxer and ISO created with ImgBurn. (Whew!) There are pictures and onscreen titles for each song. (Nothing fancy, though.)

With apologies to Mark Hollis, who according to Steve Wilson, doesn’t want Talk Talk remixed to 5.1:
“Some musicians simply don't like it or get it, Mark Hollis from Talk Talk springs to mind. I really wanted to do the Talk Talk records, and EMI were keen, but Mark just didn't want the music in any other form other than stereo.”

Of course I took that as a dare. So….Here you have: FILIBUSTER – TALK TALK in 5.1 DTS

Here’s the track list:

01 Talk Talk
02 Living In Another World
03 Renee
04 Why Is It So Hard?
05 Call In The Night Boy
06 The Rainbow
07 It's My Life (Steve Thompson US Remix)
08 Today (Gary Miller remix
09 Runeii
10 Life's What You Make It
11 Without You
12 My Foolish Friend (12" Mix)
13 It's You
14 Such A Shame
15 I Don't Believe In You
16 Pictures Of Bernadette (12" Dance Mix)
17 Eden
18 It's So Serious
19 Dum Dum Girl
20 Happiness Is Easy
21 Have You Heard The News?
22 After The Flood
23 ? (Question Mark)
24 Give It Up
25 Mirror Man
26 It's Getting Late In The Evening
27 Ascension Day
28 I Believe In You
29 The Party's Over
30 Talk Talk (12" Remix)

If you download this, please leave a comment. Play it loud!