Customer Reviews

Just a Souvenir (Dig)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With his twelfth album, Tom Jenkinson takes even a further departure from his staple Squarepuher sound of broken beats atop slapped bass and twisted triggers of the Amen Break. Warp's own store, Warpmart, categorizes the album as "Drum and Bass / Breakcore / Electronica", but I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth! (kind of misleading actually). Just A Souvenir is more in the realms of experimental rock and future jazz, with a touch of electronic treatment and a few very tasteful drills, where Jenkinson continues evolving (as a true musician should) in his experimentation with abstract accompaniment of acoustic instruments (mostly his custom built 6 string bass guitar once again) and drums that effortlessly morph between organic and digital. With Just A Souvenir, Jenkinson introduces an element of early garage rock, with vocoder and all, and reminds us once again of his amazing instrumentalist skills. First thing's first - I like it! And after only a few listens, the melodies come back haunting me later during the day. A true sign that I will return to the album! Just A Souvenir opens up with a track titled, Star Time 2 (makes you wonder about its first part) with a fun funky synth/clavichord melody and light beats. From then on Squarepusher moves into improvisational, jazzy, and effected bass slaps over barely comprehensible vocoder blurbs. All of it is truly of psychedelic nature with sparking notes in a kaleidoscope of white, red, green, blue and yellow. On his site, Jenkinson explains that "this album started as a daydream about watching a crazy, beautiful rock band play an ultra-gig." He then goes on describing his fluorescent trip which included an Eskimo on the drums and a classical guitar player that could speed up and slow down the time in his vicinity. I recommend you read up on on Tom's blurred delirium before embarking on this trip. Then bathe yourself in this album which is the interpretation of Jenkinson's memory of the daydream which he held on to as a souvenir. Running at (only) 45 minutes long, Just A Souvenir picks up where Hello Everything left off, becoming more organic with every track. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you'll enjoy this rubber band trip through time. Only the way Squarepusher could. Just A Souvenir hits the streets on October 27th (2008), and is currently available as a digital download (in FLAC as well) from bleep dot com.

Just a Souvenir is his punk fusion record, and I'm quite certain that no one has ever sounded like this before. At points, Tom is clearly imbellishing on his bassy jazz sounds of yore (see Feed Me Weird Things and Hard Normal Daddy), but as the record progesses, we find ourselves listening to an alien sound, one that seems to combine the efforts of Einsturzende Neubauten, Kraftwerk, Miles Davis, and Dead Kennedys. The gritty production and deep textures give way to moments of immense beauty, deep and dark jazz, and some of the only electronic music that has ever been suitable for a mosh pit. I won't forget to mention the almost dangerously catchy "A Real Woman", which is a sweet mixture of British snot punk and electrobot drill n' bass. To put it plainly, Jenkinson could have done well to release this album on Mike Patton's Ipecac Label, as it would sit just as well next to a Fantomas release as it would an Autechre release. Just a Souvenir is absolutely worth a purchase to the lovers of Squarepusher and all things experimental. It's not a bad starting point for someone who wants to hear electronic music with the added flavor of live instruments, either. Well done, sir! I can't wait for the new EP due out in January!

Squarepusher's sound continues to develop with his album "Just A Souvenir", taking an experimental step into rock with many of his classic, jazzy and bass centric sounds. The instrumentation of this album, though, really sets it apart from his past releases. With a rock heavy feel to this album, of course over a DnB foundation, Squarepusher creates a unique experience for the listener. For me, this album reminds me of the common roots that so many genres share. Jazz, rock, and drill and bass come together in this album to create colorful melodies, which are complex at times and simple at others, yet, never predictable.
Although it's not a huge leap from his past material, my favorite track on the album is Aqueduct. This jazz influenced track combines electronic music concepts from the musique concrete movement with highly stylized and processed live recordings. The result is a trippy piece with clangs, acoustic guitar and bass, and synth stabs that's an easy piece to sit back and think to.
On the other end of the spectrum, some tracks such as Delta V sound straight out of the 1970s glam and punk rock genres. As a child I mainly studied jazz and blues music, so heavy rock has always been a bit hard for me to grasp and enjoy. For my taste, then, this album is bit disjointed and will probably require every listener to press the "skip" button a few times. This album definitely can't be pigeonholed into a specific genre.
One thing I have always respected about Squarepusher is his ability to create complicated melodies as well as complicated rhythms. Aqueduct is a great example of his ability to make complicated melodies that stand on their own without even a simple drumbeat. The intriguing mixture of sampled and recorded sounds that make up the melody create a dark yet beautiful texture that invites introspection. The lead track of the album, "Star Time 2", is a prime example of Squarepusher's ability to create complicated rhythms. Better yet, the fast paced, sound bending rhythm is coupled with calming guitar melodies in a funky piece that's worth listening to over and over again. Every time I listen to the piece, a new rhythmic set or melody will catch my attention, making it a new experience every time.
For people who enjoy 1970s music, this album is a great modern take on those classic themes that were strong in 1970s jazz and rock. With jazzy strummed guitars and slapped bass lines, the album reminds me a lot of John McLaughlin's work on Miles Davis' Bitches Brew album. Short choppy bass clips with both quick and slow guitar strumming mixed masterfully to create a trippy feel. More so than any other genre, the jazz work in this album seems to be a great fusion of classic style with modern technological improvements that really make it easy to create the intricate drum rhythms that should be the foundation of experimental jazz.
I'll be listening to this album on and off over the next few weeks in search of inspiration for my next pieces.

If an outsider can identify in Tom Jenkinson one quality beyond his obvious instrumental and programming virtuosity, it's a lack of self-satisfaction. He might produce a couple of records consecutively that are in the same thematic ballpark, but his pattern has been to then move on to parts unknown, then occasionally doubling back to toss everything into a blender, like his did in his masterpiece (thus far), "Ultravisitor." Accompanying his lack of fidelity to one style is apparent utter indifference towards the too-hip-for-the-room IDM crowd and its demands for frequently unlistenable experimentalism.

His last record, "Hello Everything" felt like Tom taking a break and just having a little fun. It was at its core classicist Squarepusher, but, after its breathtaking predecessor, it seemed a little light. It was an understandable, "tide the fans over" effort that, for once, broke no new ground. With "Just a Souvenir," we get to peek inside Tom's brain in its current state and see that he hasn't lost that sense of fun, but has coupled it with a renewed sense of purpose.

It may not seem that way when the first track kicks in, as "Star Time 2" is the type of catchy, upbeat opener Tom can knock out in his sleep. If it is a little familiar to fans (a handful of his other releases open with a similar tone), it's at an example of classic `Pusher at his most accessible and appealing.

Tom serves up his first slice of vocoder in "The Coathanger." Other than its obvious nod to electro, I find this track difficult to classify . . which might be why it sounds so fresh while retaining accessibility. The lyrics are amusing fluff ("Observe the coat-HANGER!") but practically demand this track get its own dance. It serves as an appetizer to the chugging rhythm guitar and robot vocals of the empowerment anthem "A Real Woman," which is easily the most absurdly catchy pop song produced by Squarepusher or any of his contemporaries. Yes, that's Squarepusher . . the same guy who produced "Music is Rotted One Note" and "Go Plastic" . . adhering to classic pop-song structure and resorting to cheesy synthetic vocals. I imagine longtime fans will either love this side of Tom or will bail in favor of someone who takes himself more seriously. I love this track and the fact that Tom has added pop hooks to his ever-expanding repertoire. I mean, we knew he had it in him ("My Red Hot Car"), but here it's on full display. Take it or leave it.

The signature sound of "Just a Souvenir" takes center stage when we reach the heavy punk-fusion crunch of "Delta-V," and my personal favorite, "Planet Gear." Electronic flourishes are nearly abandoned during the former and Tom just gets his RAWK on. These two tracks are nothing like Squarepusher has produced before and lead to the most unclassifiable piece here, "Tensor in Green." Call it . . adult contemporary speed metal space jazz? That's not remotely right, but then again I don't think any other description would be any more apt. Very solid and surprising track.

The most interesting experiment here is "The Glass Road," which initially echoes the rock-ish feel of the previous two tracks, yet shifts effortlessly between aggro and mischievous. It's the record's longest track, and I consider it the album's centerpiece. Close behind it follows "Duotone Moonbeam," which is driven by apprehensive acoustic guitar and bass. Tom's clearly trying to let us down slowly after an intense middle act. The phrase that comes to mind is "languid yet slightly agitated," like lying comfortably in a hammock in the backyard but being vaguely bothered by noisy kids next door. "Quadrature" is our landing point; a very enjoyable slow, melodic combo of acoustic guitar, bass and squelchy electronics. Another track that's clearly Squarepusher, yet is not easily comparable to anything he's done before.

The only relative downside to "Just a Souvenir" is the handful of short throwaway tracks that sound like outtakes from Tom's "Maximum Priest" / "Selection Sixteen" era. They're not bad per se, but they are rather shapeless fragments that serve only as segues to the more interesting stuff. They keep this release from being essential Squarepusher, but when saying an album is "only" very good, you know you're dealing with an unbelievably accomplished and creative artist.

3 1/2

SQ has spread his sound (which had been getting stale over the past few releases) out a little further, and when he really tries, concocts furious sonic statements that sound just as revolutionary as anything he used to produce. Problem is, between a majority of tweaked ephemera the disc comes off as playful but ultimately underdeveloped.

You never know what your going to get with a Squarepusher release. 'On The Corner' style jazz, drill n bass, bouncy Big-Beat...and the list goes on ad finitum. I will say that Just A Souvenir is much easier to enjoy than it is to describe. I'm sure Tom gets a laugh out of creating music that the media cannot pigeon-hole let alone describe. There is a very late 1970's / early 1980's sound that permeates the entire release. It brings to mind Pink Floyd's 'Animals', Styx's 'Mr. Roboto', and even some Weather Report. It's a healthy mix of instruments where Squarepusher breathes life into the electronic instruments like he's performing CPR, and yet somehow makes the organic instruments sound cold and electronic.

Do you remember the band in the animated video of Daft Punk's 'One More Time'? THIS is what I think they would have really sounded like.

I have considered Squarepusher to be one the more exciting and interesting things going on in music this past decade. I was also happy to come across an LP version of this album which includes a very cool poster with a very cool and far out essay by Square himself.

But alas...the great possibilities of this album are not realized. I see some other reviewers liked it but I thought it totally sucked. It sounds like [...] Surfers meets King Crimson micro waved with a thin slice of weak house music sounds. It has Sqaurepusher's sense of humor and I also admire artists that try new things and try to surprise their audience but I didn't like this at all. Some of it even sounds like a crappy Black Sabbath sample looping. Awful.

This album is Squarepusher's 'Druqks'. Absolutely beautiful melodious jazzy guitar work, that leaves you (most clocks under two minutes) wanting more (like Aphex twin's piano work in Druqks). Drill and bass of different kind (not annoying kind). Synths and bongo work thrown in. Unpredictable. Twists and turns in drill and bass tunes. In state of the art sound system you will even appreciate more, when you hear texture and layers of electronic and acoustic instruments sounds free of jitter induced high freq shrills. Warmer recording quality helps a great deal. Great step forward for Squarepusher.