A remake of the budakhan mindphone?
10/12/1999
(2 out of 5 stars)
"i dont know if anyone else notised this, but the first few tracks sound like very week empty remixes of the first tracks of budakhan mindphone.(iambic poetry = our underwater torch) . (fly street = dethlacon oxide.)there is too much similarity between these 2 pairs of songs for it to be a coincidence. i dont know whats going on. this album was, to me, a dissapointment, compared to his last 2 (and best 2) albums. the remixes were very nice, but nothing amazing. im not sure how much more 'jazz/dnb' dabbling and crossing jenkinson has left in him. -Colin"
Worth it for track one . .
08/11/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)
"As big a Tom Jenkinson fan as I am, I have to admit this one is lacking in substance. Unlike many, I loved "Budakhan Mindphone", but you have to ask why he chose to release "Maximum Priest." Having maintained a fairly constant stream of releases over the past few years, Mr. Pusher didn't need to rush this out to appease starving fans, yet it's hardly substantial enough to stand on its own.That said, "Song: Our Underwater Torch" is stunning. The "underwater" noises are somewhat distracting, but the melody is deceptively complex and beautifully constructed. The live percussion adds texture to the track's hymnal tone. This could have been the highlight of a killer future Squarepusher full-length, but Tom chose to rush it out attached to mediocrity.The other TJ tracks are OK, but nothing that'll bring in hordes of new fans. Likewise, the remixes are fair at best. It was somewhat interesting to hear the somewhat free-form "Shin Triad" and "Circular Flexing" tied to more-or-less conventional rhythmic patterns. However, it also served to emphasize that each of those tracks (like most everything else on "Music is Rotted One Note") were initially made up of one "hook" amidst a bunch of noodling. Not that I didn't like "MIRON," but it's definitely not for everyone. The remixes basically extract the hook from each track and lay down a beat around it. So, this is a decent value for a single, but it has to rank as the most unnecessary Squarepusher release to date. Buy it for track one."