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| Musicomh |
 Bass is the place for Tom Jenkinson, as he goes back to his first principles to reveal what really makes him tick as a musician. These principles are revealed in concert - a feature of the typical Squarepusher live experience, but captured on disc for the first time. It proves something of a revelation to hear him, recorded in 2007 at the responsive Cité de la Musique in Paris. The concert is as intimate as could be asked, with no edits and crowd noise kept to a minimum. A solitary cough towards the end of the fourth track is the closest we get to a pin dropping, while after the more intense periods of fretwork there are genuine gasps of astonishment. It works well to hear him at work in such an uncut format, for this is just Jenkinson, lifted away from percussion and all other electronic trappings, save a single amplifier. And for those of you who think 12 tracks of pure bass guitar sounds like an unnecessary indulgence, the colours Jenkinson gets from the instrument have to be heard to be believed. Only once or twice do his improvisations meander towards self-indulgence - but for the most part this is highly musical, cohesive stuff....full text |
| Urb |
| This Squarepusher album features Tom Jenkins doing what he does best, playing the hell out of the bass. This live recording from a show in Paris is comprised of only a bass and a small amp. Despite only having one instrument, Squarepusher pushes the limits of the instrument. The way he plays the bass is absolutely spell-binding. This quiet and intimate album is just another side of the multi-faceted Squarepusher. For people expecting wild, sprawling, choppy drums and unusual synth melodies that have come to embody Squarepusher, this is not for you. Even though incredibly complex and insanely technical, this is a very quiet, intimate release. There is a vulnerability in this album that hasn't been seen in previous works. You can actually hear coughing in the room and it makes you feel like you are there. It is truly a great listen!...full text |
| Pitchfork |
| Getting called a virtuoso or mad scientist comes with some heavy baggage for a musician, so it says a lot about Tom Jenkinson, who records as Squarepusher, that he's been repeatedly labeled as both. Getting tagged with these contradictory stereotypes-- a classically trained workhorse mastering the canon versus an improvisational, intemperate tinkerer dismantling the rules-- goes a long way toward describing the Warp mainstay's musical output. He can sound technically brilliant and wickedly provocative at times, whether it's with restless, distended breakbeat patterns, buoyant bass-heavy fusion excursions, or airy combinations of these and other styles. And on his new album, in a gesture that could be a challenge in both senses of the word, he merely plugs in his bass and lets his playing speak for itself. And bass, unaltered and without digital delay or effects, it definitely all you'll hear, whether it's delicate melodic progressions, arpeggiated chords or spitfire runs up the fretboard. While Jenkinson's skillful playing, the vital pulse of tracks like "Cooper's World" from Hard Normal Daddy or "Circlewave 2" from Hello Everything, has earned serious plaudits and a shout-out from Flea, it may be slightly surprisingly to hear how classically oriented some of the songs on Solo Electric Bass 1 are. Granted, he claims to have taught himself classical guitar at age 10, but the elegant, breakneck playing on tracks like "S.E.B. 6" resembles that of a Spanish guitarist, and "S.E.B. 5" is a rubbery, staccato splatter of notes that belies the thickness of bass strings. Hyperactive "S.E.B. 8" showcases Jenkinson's antsy side, bouncing between slap-happy antics and more slow and soulful passages. As the naming convention and out-of-order tracks suggest, the songs blend into each other. It creates an album weighed toward showcasing masterful execution that leaves a pretty muted general impression. Unless you're predisposed toward technical prowess and solo bass recordings, it's probably going to come off as more of a clinic than a collection of great songs....full text |
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