d'Demonstrator [Import]

Anyone expecting an old skool return here from Jenkinson will indeed be disappointed; I certainly was at first as I desperately wanted another 'Theme from Ernest Borgnine'!

Whilst the sound is an evolution from 'Just a Souvenir', it's an entirely different structure but if you found that unbearable then I doubt you find much to agree with for the rest of this review.

After the first listen I was convinced the whole thing was a horrible mistake; so I had another go. Since then it's gone through my ears a further 6 times (intermixed with most of his other output except most of 'Do You Know Squarepusher' 'cept the title track) and every time it's weedling its way further into my psyche.

There are fantastic melodies and choruses throughout and some frankly dirty grooves - yes choruses; because on this album there are more 'songs' than just music. The drums are a little too lo-tech in places (given the cutting-edge fills and rhythms and sounds we're used to); but overall I've found the more I listen to it, the more it makes sense and I genuinely do like all of it now - except "Maximum Planck" which is bewildering both on its own and in the context of this album, however, and I would forgive anyone for skipping it.

You have to forget everything you ever thought you knew about Tom 'Squarepusher' Jenkinson; this is coming from a different place inside of him, and if he ever joins this part of his musical personality up with the others that we have seen in the past then I think the resulting output will be something to behold.

So buy it if you're brave enough and I think you will enjoy it if you are prepared to give it repeated listens - about 3 should do it I think.

Tom Jenkinson has produced another wonderful piece of music. He seems amazingly prolific and for this I'm eternally grateful. This new album, though short, is packed with some lovely, funky melodic tunes that show how far ahead of everyone else he is in contemporary music. This is not to say that I am a die hard fan or don't feel able to criticise his music. Not in the least. Its just that are so few bad tracks here. Only the last one do I find a bit of a tough listen. Everything else is smooth and absorbing. This is great stuff and if you have any kind of ear you will love this. If you are expecting something harder and wilder, in tune with more of his previous work, you won't find it here. But that's no excuse to give this a bad review. Why does he have to keep doing the same stuff? Ignore the bad reviews. Treat this album on its own merits and you'll be absorbed. This is excellent music making.

There have been a lot of comparisons to Daft Punk, which is understandable considering the style. But those people who make that comparison fail to realise his extensive body of work and I think it is genuinely just coincidence that this music resembles them. In any case this is just light years ahead. Ignore the online reviews by the 'industry experts'.

I can say with confidence that I will love and listen to this album for many years to come. Thank you Tom, and keep up the good work. Keep innovating! I love the hard stuff and the soft stuff, because they're both tuneful and give me eargasms galore.

A dissapointment by Squarepusher's usually high standards, it's not a bad album but it's not great either. Of course everyone must be aware that Jenkinson, rather than doing his usual thing of performing the works entirely by himself now has (or supposedly has, as some suspect) a mystery band behind him, this being 'Shobaleader One', I don't mind this especially except that I miss the loose as rapper's jeans jazz rock drumming characteristic of albums like 'Music is Rotted One Note' and 'Ultravisitor' which has been replaced with bland drumming that wouldn't sound out of place on most current pop albums (WHY?!!).

I don't particularly mind the fact that most of D'demonstrator is actual songs rather than instrumentals (which have made up about 99% of Pusher's previous catalogue), although there is no organic singing, all vocoder and of course most of the lyrics are indistinguishable. What I do mind is the album's lack of any sense of adventure compared to everything else he's ever done, even 'Do You Know Squarepusher' the other dud Squarepusher album was at least adventurous (especially so actually) but this seems easy and like he's perhaps trying to please a few listeners too many.

'Plug Me In' is the opening track and the first of several ventures into slick R'n'B, with possibly the album's best use of the robotic vocoder, I can't help but love it, 'Abstract Lover' is a similarly pleasant pure cyber R'n'B track. 'Endless Night' is where Pusher throws a curveball into this new style of his, it begins with a great bassline (although sadly one of the few great bass moments of this album), then threaded through the peice are sections that fuse thumping apocalyptic metal with R'n'B vocals, interesting, still not quite a masterpeice but the closest thing D'Demonstaror has.

'Laser Rock' is a bit lame and 'Maximum Planck' is utterly dire (if you want to hear Squarepusher in metal mode I suggest you try the vastly superior 'Steinbolt' from 'Ultravisitor' or 'Delta V' from 'Just a Souvenir'), it pains me to say that about anything Squarepusher's done but they are beyond let downs.

'Megazine' of all the album's tracks this is the one probably most responsible for all the horrible Daft Punk comparisons but it's better, it's a stomping neo-dance-rock tune, with the most tongue in cheek metal inspired/piss taking bass solo you'll ever hear, I do and don't like it, I also do and don't want to like it, alot like D'demonstrator as a whole. 'Into the Blue' is a good, dark, moody, quirky tune with some nice chunky basslines. 'Frisco Wave' is a joyously cheesy, smooth, jazz funk instrumental, reminiscent of tracks like 'Bubble Life', 'Theme from Sprite' or maybe one of the 'Star Time' tracks. 'Cryptic Motion' is a respectable single, funky basslines and beautiful melodies that linger in the background, solid track, although it feels like a simplistic pop refinement of previous tones rather than an exciting new experiement with a life of it's own, a problem across the board on D'demonstrator.

I'll check out his next release to see if Squarepusher returns to form but in the meantime this album will be spending alot of lonesome time on the shelf whilst 'Hard Normal Daddy', 'Go Plastic', 'Music is Rotted' etc. carry on jamming on the turntable.