Squarepusher tears my head off - in a good way. Makes me completely rethink my role as a bassist and musician. I would LOVE to see him live sometime. Iambic Poetry is a gorgeous track.
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Tom Jenkinson / Squarepusher
- Thread starter rwagne2
- Start date
I bought Ultravisitor after reading an interview in which Matt Garrison praised Squarepusher effusively.
I have listened to it several times, but it does not move me. It reminds me of a kid with all kinds of talent who doesn't know what to do with it.
Come to think of it, he reminds me of Beck, except with more chops and less focus.
I have listened to it several times, but it does not move me. It reminds me of a kid with all kinds of talent who doesn't know what to do with it.
Come to think of it, he reminds me of Beck, except with more chops and less focus.
everybody seems to be worshipping the groud he walks on...i remember a pretty hefty thread about him a few months ago...what is so great about him?
What is a song or cd you'd recommend to me to get a good idea of his talent?
i heard one of his songs and i didn't get much out of it, i don't believe i heard any bass in that song at all!
so what do you guys suggest?
What is a song or cd you'd recommend to me to get a good idea of his talent?
i heard one of his songs and i didn't get much out of it, i don't believe i heard any bass in that song at all!
so what do you guys suggest?
superbassman2000 said:
Well.... I love most of his recordings.... For a starter CD, I'd probably recommend Hard Normal Daddy, but Feed Me Weird Things is a good starter as well, probably DON'T start with Music Is Rotted One Note - I like it, but it's not easy listening - pretty random actually.;
Once you get into him, try Budakhan Mindphone (track one is WHOOOAAAA!) and Ultravisitor, which is 50 minutes of awesomeness and 30 of BS, hehe.
Go to Amazon and check out some clips, I think you'll find something you like/respect.
superbassman2000 said:
Aside from being a phenomenal bass player, he is also a revolutionary pioneer of beat splicing, drum and bass, breakcore and chaos music. Separating him from the masses, he has a trademark of recording himself playing drums, bass, guitar, keyboards...etc. then applying all manner of chaotic destruction to the various elements and doubling synths and samples on top.
Along with Venetian snares, µ-ziq and Aphex twin, he is one of the founding fathers of modern avant garde electronic music.
In short. He kicks ass.
RHFusillo said:
I think This has more to do with your conceptions of music than his approach to music. He is definitely very focused on what he does and he does what he does with deliberateness and dedication. He just so happens to make chaotic, unpredictable music, but that does not mean he lacks focus.
I started with Music is One Rotted Note...Was this a bad choice? I was told it was his best work, and yet I just can't get into it...and I don't have any of his other stuff yet.
Funny, I woulda recommended (for accessibilitiy sake) Go Plastic!
I think Ultravisitor was brilliant, but not as much as Go Plastic and Hard Normal Daddy.
Another great on this front: Plaid.
I think Ultravisitor was brilliant, but not as much as Go Plastic and Hard Normal Daddy.
Another great on this front: Plaid.
A lot of that synth stuff is played on his six string Warwick. He uses it as a midi controller, he also uses Reaktor to make all the drum beats. "Male pill pt. 13" is probably my favorite track by Squarepusher, either that or "Coopers world"
Wrong Robot nailed it pretty much.
The most noticable and revolutionary aspects of Squarepusher is obviously Tom's beatwork and crazy percussion.
However, he's quite a madman on the bass as well (in a good way, of course
). One of my favorite basslines is aggressive ending to "Come on my selector". There's quite a bit more to be discovered in his basswork as well.
Admittedly, Squarepusher can be pretty hard to get into if you stumble upon the wrong tracks to listen to at first (the ones where is mostly insane percussion, almost "noise"). It's easier and more suitable to start with and become of a fan of the more melodic tracks, like Iambic Poetry (5 or 9) and Drum and Bass 2000/Coo/Lost in Space (not sure of the name, those are 3 i have for the same song haha. but its 8:14 long).
I've grown from the generic basic "well yea that's pretty crazy and pretty cool" thinking to really loving a lot of it.
The most noticable and revolutionary aspects of Squarepusher is obviously Tom's beatwork and crazy percussion.
However, he's quite a madman on the bass as well (in a good way, of course
). One of my favorite basslines is aggressive ending to "Come on my selector". There's quite a bit more to be discovered in his basswork as well. Admittedly, Squarepusher can be pretty hard to get into if you stumble upon the wrong tracks to listen to at first (the ones where is mostly insane percussion, almost "noise"). It's easier and more suitable to start with and become of a fan of the more melodic tracks, like Iambic Poetry (5 or 9) and Drum and Bass 2000/Coo/Lost in Space (not sure of the name, those are 3 i have for the same song haha. but its 8:14 long).
I've grown from the generic basic "well yea that's pretty crazy and pretty cool" thinking to really loving a lot of it.
Perhaps I phrased my comment badly. I do not doubt that he is focused on his art and craft -- he has mad skills, to use the vernacular. But the music I heard on Ultravisitor seemed unfocused to me.Wrong Robot said:
Maybe I will come to like it, eventually. I didn't like The Inner Mounting Flame until a few years after it came out.
IDM can always be a bit tricky to follow, if you want my advice give a listen to Bitstream- Domestic Economy 7.
It took them TEN years to make!!! But its a great and criminally ignored doorway into splicing sampling and obscure grooves.
Bass lobe is a tune too
Anyone have any links to Squarepusher live vids with him playing his bass?
It took them TEN years to make!!! But its a great and criminally ignored doorway into splicing sampling and obscure grooves.
Bass lobe is a tune too
Anyone have any links to Squarepusher live vids with him playing his bass?this man is the reason i bought a bass, after seeing him live in 2001 i instantly wanted to be able to do the **** he does
still 4-5 years on, no one has influenced me as much as this guy bass wise, i strive to be able to one day, probrably taking me 30+ years, play with as much creativity and fearlessness to explore unchartered territory as him, last time i saw him live at glastonbury he was recreating a full on techno track with his 6 string thumb and some fxpedals. the techno kick drums, hi hats, synth lines, etc all there. mind blowing. wish i had audio/video
for videos
these first two are an interview with him in his 'studio' about a decade ago, the second of the two has him playing bass for a couple of minutes at the start, but i thought i'd put both up in case any fans of his are interested
third ones just him playing at some gig, but its pretty crap quality
Link Removed
Link Removed
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (albeit not amazing quality)
theres more aswell, just look on yahoo and google video
and for people asking for albums, i'd say his most recent effort, ultravisitor. if you don't like that, you won't like any of the rest of it basically. personally i think music is rotted one notes is his best, but then i'm a complete jazz fusion geek, and that album is about as straight up fusion as they come, unlike the rest of his.
still 4-5 years on, no one has influenced me as much as this guy bass wise, i strive to be able to one day, probrably taking me 30+ years, play with as much creativity and fearlessness to explore unchartered territory as him, last time i saw him live at glastonbury he was recreating a full on techno track with his 6 string thumb and some fxpedals. the techno kick drums, hi hats, synth lines, etc all there. mind blowing. wish i had audio/video
for videos
these first two are an interview with him in his 'studio' about a decade ago, the second of the two has him playing bass for a couple of minutes at the start, but i thought i'd put both up in case any fans of his are interested
third ones just him playing at some gig, but its pretty crap quality
Link Removed
Link Removed
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (albeit not amazing quality)
theres more aswell, just look on yahoo and google video
and for people asking for albums, i'd say his most recent effort, ultravisitor. if you don't like that, you won't like any of the rest of it basically. personally i think music is rotted one notes is his best, but then i'm a complete jazz fusion geek, and that album is about as straight up fusion as they come, unlike the rest of his.
RHFusillo said:
man it took me a few years to get my head around any of the 70s fusion, espec. mahavishnu orchestra/return to forever/etc. squarepusher in my mind is just jazz fusion with ultra contemporary, quasi-drum&bass facelift. and yeah i thought it was **** for a good 2 years before i heard hard normal daddy properly and nearly came in my pants (ez boogie, oh my.)
Squarepusher is incredible, such a musical pioneer.
I think Hard Normal Daddy is probably my favourite album of his at the moment.
I think Hard Normal Daddy is probably my favourite album of his at the moment.
