Reviews - ALbums
Squarepusher
just a souvenir
released: October 2008
label: WARP RECORDS
what do we think: he's still got it..
written by Kid Dub
Tom Jenkinson was a hero of mine throughout the 90’s. The entire catalogue of Warp , Planet Mu & Domino Records was almost a daily sustenance for me. Aphex Twin and Autechre were in my opinion masters of sound design but it was Squarepusher who bridged the gap between music and madness for me. Its great to hear this new album the first track sees the’Pusher bringing back the sounds of earlier albums like Budahkan Mindphone & Big Loads and fusing the funk more than ever. Almost right away i realise that Tom has gone back to his organic roots the sound isn’t at sharp the recent albums and as I have a quick shuffle through the album I realise that there isn’t even a sniff of an amen break anywhere! The first two tracks remind me of just how funky Squarepusher can be on a bass – You have to see him live to realise just how mad this can get. The album has its fills of ‘computer game’ music and ambient soundscapes but there is something new. An almost Les Claypool meets Jimmy Hendrix vibe in a track called – Delta V, which sounds almost like a garage punk band. With live drum tracks and not much overdose on glitch but more drum fill programming madness. There is more of this meets the Big Loada vibe. The album ends on Yes Sequitar a beautiful guitar jazz sonata. A wonderful listen!
Tracklist
01. Star Time 2
02. The Coathanger
03. Open Society
04. A Real Woman
05. Delta -v
06. Aqueduct
07. Potential Govaner
08. Planet Gear
09. Tensor In Green
10. The Glass Road
11. Fluxgate
12. Duotone Moonbeam
13. Quadrature
14. Yes - Sequitur
