Search - Squarepusher :: Hello Everything (Bonus CD)

Hello Squarepusher

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 10/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For just about every artist who has a signature style, and makes more than a few albums, a bit of repetition is inevitable. Sooner or later, they will return to familiar territory. That's the case in Squarepusher's latest, "Hello Everything," which sounds a lot like his earlier work from the late 1990s.



But surprisingly, it doesn't feel like he's been here before. Instead it feels like a nostalgic mishmash of sampling and bass, but with an exuberant feeling that wasn't there in his previous few albums. This is Tom Jenkinson in a fun mood, settling back into familiar beats.



It opens with the slightly wobbly, energetic beats of "Hello Meow," and meanders down a string of more upbeat melodies, using all sorts of weird samples and beats -- the sounds of buzzes, bubbles, sharp drum machines and woozy jazzy downtempo, all sounding very catchy in an offbeat way.



Things change dramatically in the middle -- there are a pair of unabashedly spacey songs, which sound a lot like the background music for a sci-fi film. Then Squarepusher reluctantly switches to a more grounded sound, with swooshy synth, sharp beats, and fast-paced electronic soundscapes, before endin with the weirdly soothing ten-minute "Orient Orange."



Anyone expecting "Hello Everything" to build on the sound of "Ultravisitor" is going to be VERY disappointed -- only one song on here, "The Modern Bass Guitar," sounds even vaguely like it. Instead, the music sounds much more like his earlier work like "Music is Rotted One Note" and "Selection Sixteen."



It may not be a new sound, but it fits Squarepusher like a comfortable old sweater. He seems to be dabbling in various styles that he enjoys, just because he enjoys them. "Hello Everything" shoots from from sleepy downtempo to ambient to razor-edged techno, and it fits together like a slightly disjointed, but colourful puzzle.



In fact, it's actually kind of fun -- it sounds lighthearted in some of the early tracks, although he noodles a bit too much in the middle. Songs like the effervescent, fizzing "Bubble Life" make a sharp contrast to the rat-a-tat of "Planetarium," but Squarepusher wrings complex melodies out of the simplest samples and rhythms, wrapping them in layer of colourful sound.



Squarepusher backslides in a good way in "Hello Everything," revisiting his older sounds with enjoyable results. It's not exactly new, but it's certainly enjoyable."

Great album, but bonus cd is questionable.

Huntsman | Austin, TX USA | 10/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I love Squarepusher, and I've been anticipating this release for some time now. The good news is this is a great Squarepusher album. He seems to be back in late 90s form for the majority of the album. Several of the songs remind me of songs from Hard Normal Daddy, based more around jazz and early 90s techno than some of the later releases. Chances are that if your interested in Squarepusher already, you'll like this album.



The bonus cd was a disappointment for me. It's a 3 inch cd, with tracks Melt 1, Melt 3, Melt 4, Melt 5 and Melt 6. These appear to be variations of the song Vacuum Garden from the main disc. Normally I'm all for remixes, but these tracks bored me. The original is very spacy, with a slow build over the course of the song that never really goes anywhere. On the album it serves as a transition and doesn't feel out of place. On the bonue disc, however, this slow build only leads into another slow build with the slightest of variations. Maybe the differences would stand out a little more with repeated listens, but I don't foresee a time that I'll have the desire to play that disc again.



Unless you're a completist that just has to own the bonus disc, I'd advise to skip the limited edition and go for the standard version.



"

If you're going to go plastic, go "Hello Everything."

Black Eagle Child | Wisconsin | 10/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For a man who has been doing this for over a decade (and a very strong decade too), Tom Jenkinson a.k.a Squarepusher shows no signs of tiring out, evidenced by both "Hello Everything" and the new EP "Welcome to Europe." He seems to still have quite a few new ideas and each one is blended very seamlessly with the old.



If you're a fan already, then you probably love solid jungle sounds and he really does a fantastic job with that sound here. Tracks like 'Hello Meow,' 'Planetarium,' and 'Rotate Electrolyte' all feature some light jungle, though also showcasing some pretty ear-bending synth conjunctions. No track is solely dedicated to jungle beats--most tracks feature a nice blend of acid and jungle (not a bad idea at all).



Where "Ultravisitor" faultered was maybe in its overabundance of seemingly wandering and unfocused spells. "Hello Everything" wanders perfectly within tracks like 'The Modern Bass Guitar', which is also a perfect example of Jenkinson's masterful knowledge of the modern bass style, something that (one might think) he may have had a hand in inventing. The bass tracks on this album certainly show the artist's advancement in skill and creativity. Some of the bass stylings hark back to "Music Is Rotted One Note", where Jenkinson plays with a slower, more deliberately funky texture. My absolute favorite track on the album is one like this called "Theme From Sprite," which sounds like an off-kilter jazz band trying to play an uppity tune, but still coming off with an ominous overtone--masterfully done!



He puts just enough textural ambience on the record, with only one track having absolutely no drums at all. The final track, 'Orient Orange,' features some very rich night ambience fronted by large cymbals, which at times mock the sound of swords clashing.



Overall, I can't give this anything fewer than 5 stars. Performance, composition and orchestration are all pushing listeners ahead into the future of music--don't be left behind!"