Yeah I guess I was just being pedantic there, I know what you mean. Though I would definitely make a case for Ultravisitor as his 2nd best album, nearly a really great one, but again low on self-editing. I'm not really sure I understand what he's been up to lately. I will defend Just a Souvenir some (it really is a pretty fun little album) but this guy has such an insane amount of talent and a weird inability to put it together any more. That said, I do have hopes for this new album...
― you can expect punches, kicks and even worse (frogbs), Monday, 30 April 2012 13:53 (twelve years ago) link
My three favourites are Hard Normal Daddy, Go Plastic and Hello Everything. A few skippable tracks on each, but all pretty consistent (and very different!).
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Monday, 30 April 2012 13:59 (twelve years ago) link
Of the ones I've heard, I'd rate em:
Hard Normal DaddyMusic Is Rotted One NoteBig LoadaHello EverythingBudakhan MindphoneGo PlasticJust a SouvenirUltravisitorMaximum PriestDo You Know SquarepusherSelection SixteenSolo Electric Bass 1 Shobaleader One: d'Demonstrator
The guy's just not got any quality control whatsoever, and other than on Just A Souvenir, never really broke out of either of the two dimensions originally sketched out on Hard Normal Daddy and Music Is Rotted - one being his best dance record, the other being his best jazz record.
― Scary Move 4 (dog latin), Monday, 30 April 2012 14:35 (twelve years ago) link
wait you've heard all those but not Feed Me Weird Things!?
― some dude, Monday, 30 April 2012 14:36 (twelve years ago) link
I forgot that one for some reason. Yeah I've heard it. It's quite good - similar to HND but not quite up to the same standard.
― Scary Move 4 (dog latin), Monday, 30 April 2012 14:43 (twelve years ago) link
so has anyone heard the new one yet?
― That's a pretty funky dance, Garfield. Show me how you do it. (frogbs), Monday, 30 April 2012 15:02 (twelve years ago) link
New one is good on first listen, the first half surprisingly extroverted/trancey, with a lot of bombastic airy synths and melodies. Not much guitar/jazz at all. I agree with the above that he's never made a perfect album, but I always end up consistently enjoying half to three-fourths of each full-length he puts out, which is worth something in my book.
― Michael F Gill, Tuesday, 1 May 2012 03:44 (twelve years ago) link
I like it
― suidavyvan eht nioj (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 04:34 (twelve years ago) link
a lot of bombastic airy synths and melodies. Not much guitar/jazz at all.
Well this sounds just dandy to me.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 10:58 (twelve years ago) link
honestly, the guy reminds me of Todd Rundgren, he's got insane talent across the board but really no idea how to put everything together nor establish a direction besides "whatever will confuse my audience"
― That's a pretty funky dance, Garfield. Show me how you do it. (frogbs), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 14:40 (twelve years ago) link
otm
― Badmotorfinger Debate Club (MFB), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 15:44 (twelve years ago) link
yeah. tech wizard, musical bore.
― KitevsPill, Tuesday, 1 May 2012 20:33 (twelve years ago) link
clearly there's pretty different expectations for how to use your skill set between a singer/songwriter on the pop charts and a crazy beat music guy
― Neil Young’s social media channels (some dude), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 20:36 (twelve years ago) link
well, I'm certainly not trying to imply that they *sound* alike, just their mindsets seem similar to me.
been listening to the early stuff lately, particularly Feed Me Weird Things - is it just me or does he artifically speed up his bass playing here? Some good stuff on the album but it's all pushed to the mid-level; not much of a low-end, which is a killer.
― That's a pretty funky dance, Garfield. Show me how you do it. (frogbs), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:34 (twelve years ago) link
aw boo no one like burning'n'tree other than me i guess
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:46 (twelve years ago) link
i mean yes i know it is a comp + new stuff but w/e i like it
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:47 (twelve years ago) link
plus i never would have gotten my hands on those singles anyway.
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:48 (twelve years ago) link
is it just me or does he artifically speed up his bass playing here?
probably, a lot of his acoustic drums sound sped up to me.
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Thursday, 3 May 2012 19:55 (twelve years ago) link
that too - either his chops just improved to the point where he could actually play the way he sounds on record or he learned a better way to pull this off. because on Feed Me it literally just sounds like the tape is sped up.
― That's a pretty funky dance, Garfield. Show me how you do it. (frogbs), Thursday, 3 May 2012 20:01 (twelve years ago) link
there are great moments on the new one, though the tracks frequently build to the point of excess, w/showy displays of editing prowess/haste. First half of DRAX 2 (on youtube) is pretty nice. wish he built tracks more spare, or exercised more restraint on this. welcome release though
― Lowell N. Behold'n, Friday, 4 May 2012 23:16 (twelve years ago) link
There are at least four killer tracks on this (4001, Unreal Square, Drax 2, Dark Steering), and the rest are listenable and may grow on me. Pretty good hit rate for a Squarepusher album.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 17 May 2012 13:49 (twelve years ago) link
nice interview here
http://www.spin.com/blogs/squarepusher-qa-chat-electronic-musics-own-david-foster-wallace
― Crackle Box, Thursday, 17 May 2012 14:51 (twelve years ago) link
basically agreed with most of what he's saying but I find it a little hard to believe he wants us to take everything he's done so seriously
― frogbs, Friday, 18 May 2012 13:29 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2012/05/high-five-squarepusher
― Lowell N. Behold'n, Monday, 21 May 2012 04:34 (twelve years ago) link
just listened to Music is One Rotted Note for the first time in years. I remember not liking it much before - expected something more like Hard Normal Daddy - but holy cow this album is brilliant. It's amazing how good he can be when he just tries to sit down and play instead of seeing how fast he can loop an Amen break. Naturally, he didn't make another album like it.
― frogbs, Thursday, 24 May 2012 16:43 (twelve years ago) link
I remember the reaction when it came out, "now he's gone too far" etc.
― hot slag (lukas), Thursday, 24 May 2012 16:44 (twelve years ago) link
I listened to it twice and found it really boring, but I don't really like free form jazz.
― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Thursday, 24 May 2012 17:38 (twelve years ago) link
I dunno, give it more of a chance. It's really great.
― frogbs, Friday, 25 May 2012 15:16 (twelve years ago) link
Music is Rotted... has been my favourite for *years*. Thanks to this thread though getting into other stuff.
― Philsatawny Punx (S-), Tuesday, 5 June 2012 06:39 (twelve years ago) link
I dunno if this was posted elsewhere but whoa
http://www.youtube.com/lQnORVoz1yI
― flamboyant goon tie included, Sunday, 24 March 2013 20:07 (eleven years ago) link
Whoops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnORVoz1yI
― flamboyant goon tie included, Sunday, 24 March 2013 20:09 (eleven years ago) link
Just stumbled upon a cool cover of "Journey to Reedham" by a Montreal jazz trio:https://open.spotify.com/track/2wHIuTg9zXtuSZBRRAQs5V
― jaymc, Sunday, 8 March 2015 20:32 (nine years ago) link
Awesome. Thanks.
Squarepusher is underrated in 2015.
― Allen (etaeoe), Sunday, 8 March 2015 20:40 (nine years ago) link
New album soonhttp://www.squarepusher.net/
― the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Monday, 9 March 2015 02:34 (nine years ago) link
oh hey, new single is actually really good. i could see it going over with EDM kids but it's not pandering at all.https://soundcloud.com/warp-records/squarepusher-stor-eiglass
― lil urbane (Jordan), Friday, 20 March 2015 14:06 (nine years ago) link
wondering if he reads his youtube comments, and has since become familiar w/The Cure
― Dominique, Friday, 20 March 2015 14:35 (nine years ago) link
???
― lil urbane (Jordan), Friday, 20 March 2015 19:01 (nine years ago) link
The main descending synth line is heavily reminiscent of "Inbetween Days"
― DJP, Friday, 20 March 2015 19:39 (nine years ago) link
er I meant "Just Like Heaven" oops
Cure card revoked
― DJP, Friday, 20 March 2015 19:41 (nine years ago) link
If I go see him play live is it just gonna be him hitting play and then noodling on a bass
― the most painstaking, humorless people in the world (lukas), Saturday, 21 March 2015 18:22 (nine years ago) link
there's a rad light show apparently
― oochie wally (clean version) (sic), Saturday, 21 March 2015 22:41 (nine years ago) link
i have always been super-into "my sound"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzoFHatryJQ
― jaymc, Thursday, 16 April 2015 06:46 (nine years ago) link
yeah that one's excellent. squarepusher rarely does the chilled/pretty jazz thing but it's something he's really great at.
― but then again, who really cares? I don’t. (dog latin), Thursday, 16 April 2015 08:58 (nine years ago) link
new one seems super maximal and overdriven, with barely a deep breath in sight
― Michael F Gill, Thursday, 16 April 2015 22:48 (nine years ago) link
I'm enjoying the new one. Very much continuing in a similar vein to the last one, unusually for him.
― the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Monday, 27 April 2015 15:26 (nine years ago) link
Just saw him with Shobaleader One in SF. Was expecting all Shobaleader songs with Tommy J going off and maybe a Squarepusher track as fan service, but instead it was an all Squarepusher cover set with them playing classics from almost every album from 1996-2007. I think they finally dropped a Shobaleader song for the encore. If you get a chance, check this show out! Some tracks I recall hearing:
Cooper's World - Hard Normal Daddy (opened the show)Squarepusher Theme - Feed Me Weird ThingsIambic 5 Poetry - Budakhan MindphoneDon't Go Plastic - Music Is Rotted One NoteA Journey To Reedham (7am mix) - Big LoadaTetrasync - UltravisitorHello Meow - Hello Everything
Of all the times I've seen him live (this was the 5th now) this had to be the most satisfying from a fan service perspective. And the drummer was NUTS. Incredible. RDJ in Houston? Squarepusher jamming his classics with a full band? What a time to be alive.
― octobeard, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 21:47 (seven years ago) link
that sounds absolutely awesome, and exactly the sort of thing I have been wishing him to do for like, a decade now. this vid confirms:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VypU8zojFsY
hopefully he releases a live disc, cuz damn
― frogbs, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 21:51 (seven years ago) link
I decided to play Hard Normal Daddy after years of skipping over it in favor of other things and it is the best decision I've made in a long time.
― (The caption: “fine dining.”) (DJP), Wednesday, 25 January 2017 20:17 (seven years ago) link
you gotta hear his live band play the tracks it's incredible
― kurt schwitterz, Wednesday, 25 January 2017 20:23 (seven years ago) link
Dude seriously has one of the most detailed musician pages on Wikipedia I've ever seen:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squarepusher
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 25 January 2017 20:27 (seven years ago) link