DVD/DTS Poll Draper, Paul - CULT LEADER TACTICS [DTS DVD]

[sjcorne]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2022 release from former Mansun frontman Paul Draper.
The deluxe edition from Kscope includes a 5.1 surround mix of the album by Paul 'P-Dub' Walton.

Pre-release thread for all shipping/ordering queries and non-poll related posts:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...1-out-august-11-2017.23490/page-2#post-614733

 

[sjcorne]

I went with an "8". This was a nice surprise! I'm not really familiar with Draper and Mansun's prior work, but I think comparisons can be drawn between this album and Steven Wilson's The Future Bites - both share a similar satirical concept and synth-heavy production style. I much prefer Draper's lyrics to Wilson's though, there's some really clever digs sprinkled throughout the album. SW himself appears on "Omega Man", not surprisingly one of my favorite songs on the album.

P-Dub's 5.1 mix is not as adventurous or dynamic as some of the recent Bruce Soord and Steven Wilson mixes, but it's not a tossed-off 'double stereo' job either. You get a really good inside-your-head localization of the lead vocal from the sweet spot, with the drum kit in the front speakers and all kinds of isolated elements in the rears: percussion and backing vocals in "You've Got No Life Skills, Baby!", synths and sequencers in "Omega Man", underwater sound effects in "U Killed My Fish", etc. The strings in "Cult Leader Tactics In E-Flat Minor" and fan choir in "Lyin Bout Who You Sleep With" fill up the entire listening space to great effect. There's even a fun bit in one song where Draper's voice bounces around the room '70s quad-style.

I suppose one could quibble about the price point - I would have preferred a more economical CD/DVD digipak or even a FLAC download - but the book presentation is nice, as are the bonus CDs featuring acoustic and in-progress renditions of a few songs.

 

[madship]

Like @sjcorne, I was not familiar with Mansun and Draper. I had not heard of Mansun at all until an episode of the Album Years podcast. I decided to buy the abloom after hearing Omega Man. After preordering CLT, I ordered Attack of the Gray Lantern from Burning Shed. I liked the songs enough to keep the pre order but was concerned about the mix. The AotGL mix was not impressive.

Overall, I am also going with an 8, base on the rating scheme I described in PollsL an (Im)modest Proposal.

I love the mix on Cult Leader Tactics. P-Dub has learned a lot since mixing AotGL. Maybe he had some time ti discuss surround mixing with SW when Omega Man was put together. The songs are great and and hug ear worms, I find myself humming and singing them to myself throughout the day, The sound quality to my ears is excellent, The colors and contrast of the packaging can be nauseating and the video hypnotizing. I do like that concepts in the book come up in the songs, but it is too much of the same. I haven't finished reading it yet.

The breakdown

Mix 4/5
music 2/2
Sound 2/2
Packaging 0/1

 

[rusinurbe]

Wow did not realise i had not reviewed this yet. This is possibly the best of the Draper related surround mixes. I quite like the album, and you have a good idea what you are going to get with a P aul Draper album. Shame that we probably won't get 'little kix' to complete the Mansun trio but I believe he did not like the album describing it as out 'Shitty third album'. Back to the show. I think cult leader tactics is a stringer solo album than spooky action and the surround mix though not out of the world is not so bad as to be unlistenable, plenty happening in the surround channels at time.

 

[beerking]

I've very recently bought this release.
Mainly on the positive reviews posted here
And
I'm not disappointed.
They finally got the 5.1 mix to quite a high standard. Listening to the DTS version.

Not an artist I'm familiar with but this release is really growing on me.
I wonder if he has any future releases in mind?

A solid 9 and that's not influenced by the trance inducing graphics!!!