Ultravisitor

Squarepusher | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warp Records
• ASIN: B0001E70BM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,522 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Ultravisitor

2. I Fulcrum

3. Iambic 9 Poetry

4. Andrei

5. 50 Cycles

6. Menelec

7. C-Town Smash

8. Steinbolt

9. An Arched Pathway

10. Telluric Piece

11. District Line II

12. Circlewave

13. Tetra-Sync

14. Tommib Help Buss

15. Every Day I Love

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Squarepusher's best effort yet..., March 25, 2004

By 

Max (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ultravisitor (Audio CD)

Ever since 1998's Music is Rotted One Note, it has always seemed that Tom Jenkinson never really managed to find a middle ground for his hardcore techno musings and his softer, freeform jazz musings. After having released the quite mixed Go Plastic and Do You Know Squarepusher, it seems like Squarepusher finally managed to find that longly-seeked middle ground that mixes both dominating elements of Squarepusher's style without having it sounding out of place and whilst still managing to surprise us with entirely new directions as well.

Ultravisitor is a collection of every single aspect of Squarepusher's music, ranging from manic drill and bass compositions to jazzier, more musically oriented numbers as well. In the complete overall feel, his compositions have gotten to a more mature and sophisticated level as well. The title track, Ultravisitor, pretty much shows out what I'm talking about. It's an epic, futuristic and delightful electro-pop tune mixed up with Squarepusher's signature bleeps and manic snares. Even though it's actually 8 minutes long, it do feels a lot more shorter than that since the track's flow is so excellently crafted.

The complaint I had with Go Plastic and DYKS was the lack of Jenkinson's live bass musings, and fortunately for all of the people who loved airing his bass playing, he finally decided to dust off his bass from the basement with Ultravisitor. He's quite an amazing player indeed, as shown into the extended bass solos being played through I Fulcrum and C-Town Smash. Andrei and Every Day I Love both are complete surprises, them being quiet and gentle classical guitar compositions without involving any digital trickery in the process.

The album's biggest highlight though is Tetra-Sync, an amazing epic that almost squeezes in every single aspect of Jenkinson's music into 9 minutes of madness. It's a beautifully executed mesh of live and programmed drums, mind-numbing bass playing and beautiful melodies to boot. The middle section of the song is probably the best music that has ever came from Squarepusher. This album is worth getting for this song alone. It HAS to be heard, I tell you.

Expect the rest of this album to be incredibly solid as well. Iambic 9 Poetry is a quite relaxing tune featuring well-crafted live drums while 50 Cycles is warped, noise-hop with an incredible atmosphere. Steinbolt is a complete mind twisting, sick experiment that has Squarepusher thinking for a while that he's part of a death metal band. The result is undoubtly the most violent track that has ever been put unto a CD, people who enjoyed Go Plastic as a whole are really going to love that tune.

Anyone who's been familiar with Squarepusher since the past years are going to love this CD without any doubt since it's the best of both of Tom Jenkinson's worlds. There's something for everyone on this release and the results are as, if not more impressive than his previous efforts. If you like Squarepusher, you can't go wrong with Ultravisitor. If you're unfamiliar with him, I'd wager it's a good place to start with Squarepusher as well. However, don't expect any easy-listening music out of this album. This is purely music for adventurous listeners wanting to stretch their musical horizons further ahead.

It's fantastic music, period.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars would you rather be deaf or blind?..., February 22, 2005

By 

a_hermit (Maryland, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ultravisitor (Audio CD)

When I first heard Iambic 9 Poetry, it was a life changing experience. For years you search for songs that make you feel, and in electronic music that isn't easy to find... Danceable yes, maybe a few 4 to the floors will do, but they never seem to resonate in your heart the way a singer would. Songs that make you want to express emotion instead of motion. With this listen it pretty much salvaged my hopes for electronic music. Forget about taking it to the next level, we can make any sounds we want now, this is the next dimension. This is Tom Jenkins after he gave himself to his music and was held captive by ultra-unknown melodies and beats.

I dont want to go into every track because this album is just too beautiful to pick apart like that. Some of the tracks are a bit raw and not very meticulous. It's more like a foray to try and break new ground I think. I wouldnt want it any other way, this is how you feel your music, guitars, keyboards, drums, seamlessly blended at times, haphazardly thrown together forced to coexist with each other any other. I think you will be either completely enthralled with this, or...your deaf.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultravisitation, January 29, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultravisitor (Audio CD)

Squarepusher -- Tom Jenkinson -- stares serenely from the cover of "Ultravisitor," as if he's examining whoever is considering buying it. Surprisingly, it doesn't feel weird. Somehow the cover seems appropriate, as Jenkinson seems to have matured musically in the frantic, beautifully mad newest album, and the calm cover reflects it.

The title song kicks off "Ultravisitor" in a whirlwind of mad bleeps, robotic flashes and breakneck percussion. And that's just the first few minutes -- what follows is a mixture of jazzy solos, a delicate guitar melody, and a halting ambient pop melody that seems uncertain of where exactly it's supposed to go.

About one-third through, Jenkinson gets more expansive, creating a mix of sweeping electronic panoramas and robotic vocals in "50 Cycles." It sounds like a compressed cyberpunk movie. Then he strays deeper into sputtering feedback, buzzing tools, and ghostly creaks. Don't expect a robotic, mad climax -- instead, he chooses to end it with a pair of startlingly delicate little instrumentals.

Squarepusher sounds more polished and sure of himself in this release, as if he has a good grip on what he can do best. It's sparse, cold and metallic at times, but is warmed up by the acoustic instrumentals. Those songs are where Jenkinson sounds least sure of himself, but it gives "Ultravisitor" a gentler tone.

Jenkinson is in fine form as he creates apocalyptic hard electronica, sounding like a robot city imploding on itself. But he also indulges in his love of jazz music, and performs songs that are nothing but a hesitant little solo on an acoustic guitar. It's difficult to believe that these songs are all by the same person, or that Jenkinson could do them all so well.

Squarepusher stretches his boundaries in "Ultravisitor," a more mature album that displays all his musical talents. Definitely worth getting.