squarepusher Squarepusher - Ufabulum

Very difficult to say if this is best album since Ultravisitor for me, mainly cause JAS is very dear to my heart. But that one did take some time before it really revealed its power. Regardless awesome release, will be exploring it more.

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:17 AM, Caretstik said:

I think it's been a while since a Squarepusher album had such a positive response here (although I may be mistaken, haven't checked too much of this thread in a while). But is anyone else picking up hints of Shobaleader in Panic Massive and Unreal Square? And I've little to no doubt this is Jazz, but I love the Sqpr logo on the slipcase.

 

 

Fuck it, this is an ace album.

From what I gather people have slagging it off for the most part. I can't say because I still haven't received it yet. They don't deliver mail on Saturdays in this socialst hellhole, although the mail service has become worse ever since they started to run it as a for-profit business.

anyone else having trouble getting on

http://bleep.com/lpt-squarepusher-ufabulum

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:47 AM, jhonny said:

anyone else having trouble getting on

http://bleep.com/lpt...pusher-ufabulum

oh shit, just realised it's out tomorrow!

  On 5/14/2012 at 10:27 AM, jhonny said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:47 AM, jhonny said:

anyone else having trouble getting on

http://bleep.com/lpt...pusher-ufabulum

oh shit, just realised it's out tomorrow!

The Metallurgist is killer

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:36 AM, azatoth said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:17 AM, Caretstik said:

I think it's been a while since a Squarepusher album had such a positive response here (although I may be mistaken, haven't checked too much of this thread in a while). But is anyone else picking up hints of Shobaleader in Panic Massive and Unreal Square? And I've little to no doubt this is Jazz, but I love the Sqpr logo on the slipcase.

 

 

Fuck it, this is an ace album.

From what I gather people have slagging it off for the most part.

As one of the slagging people, I've seen more positive reactions than negative. Could be me though. But whatever the case, I won't throw any money at it. (I'd prolly think different after having heard these tracks at a gig.)

x2 For the negativeness. Although I don't think it's a good album, it escalated on my lastFM. I must have heard it more than 20 times, however I haven't done it for days.... I have a very weird relationship with this album.

This asks for a poll.

  On 5/14/2012 at 12:03 PM, goDel said:

As one of the slagging people, I've seen more positive reactions than negative. Could be me though. But whatever the case, I won't throw any money at it. (I'd prolly think different after having heard these tracks at a gig.)

The first time I heard the bulk of the album was at the show last week. It all sounded brilliantly bass-laden live (the venue has a good system), but I feel like the album has been mixed quite flat and lacking in the low end. Still liking the actual music, just... less treble would've been nice.

Yeah.

But I think it's more than mixing though. Some music has to be heard on a huge set to be understood, I guess. To me Ae is an obvious example. SP perhaps less so. I've seen him live once (a year before Shoba) and this made me appreciate Hello Everything a bit more. But not much. I dunno. His recent work just sounds like kids music to me.

I guess I liked him better when he had his head up his ass, completely OCD on useless and countless technical aspects.

Last time I saw SP live was Warp20 (Sheffield). The sound at the venue wasn't great on the front row, but I gave SP a free pass as he was rolling out all the old material that I'd never had a chance to hear live originally.

In parallel to the audio, he mentions in that FACT interview that he never intends to put out a DVD of the Ufabulum show, because the whole LED thing just doesn't have the same impact on a TV/computer screen that it does live. I can fully testify to that - the LEDs are a punishing assault to the point where I saw people at the front of the crowd turning around because they couldn't handle it, and some smart folks donning sunglasses!

  On 5/14/2012 at 10:27 AM, jhonny said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 9:47 AM, jhonny said:

anyone else having trouble getting on

http://bleep.com/lpt...pusher-ufabulum

oh shit, just realised it's out tomorrow!

4 all who pre-ordered it can download this entire album... Yeah, it's now able 2 download it... who is happy, now?

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:42 PM, jasondonervan said:

Last time I saw SP live was Warp20 (Sheffield). The sound at the venue wasn't great on the front row, but I gave SP a free pass as he was rolling out all the old material that I'd never had a chance to hear live originally.

Sound was just fine to me, and I was literally right at the front on the barrier, holding up a mic to record it all.

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:42 PM, jasondonervan said:

In parallel to the audio, he mentions in that FACT interview that he never intends to put out a DVD of the Ufabulum show, because the whole LED thing just doesn't have the same impact on a TV/computer screen that it does live. I can fully testify to that - the LEDs are a punishing assault to the point where I saw people at the front of the crowd turning around because they couldn't handle it, and some smart folks donning sunglasses!

wusses, the LEDs weren't that tough to watch. either that, or I'm hardcore.

I've been listening to this album non-stop for the last week or so. All I can say, is that this is the best album I've heard in years. Yes, I just went there. This fucking crazy good music! Can't wait to hear the EP when the cd arrives in the mail.

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:50 PM, oscillik said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:42 PM, jasondonervan said:

Last time I saw SP live was Warp20 (Sheffield). The sound at the venue wasn't great on the front row, but I gave SP a free pass as he was rolling out all the old material that I'd never had a chance to hear live originally.

 

Sound was just fine to me, and I was literally right at the front on the barrier, holding up a mic to record it all.

 

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:42 PM, jasondonervan said:

In parallel to the audio, he mentions in that FACT interview that he never intends to put out a DVD of the Ufabulum show, because the whole LED thing just doesn't have the same impact on a TV/computer screen that it does live. I can fully testify to that - the LEDs are a punishing assault to the point where I saw people at the front of the crowd turning around because they couldn't handle it, and some smart folks donning sunglasses!

 

wusses, the LEDs weren't that tough to watch. either that, or I'm hardcore.

Hah, no way... I think I remember you! Did you have big spiked hair (my memory is hazy), wearing glasses? Possibly holding something like a Tascam recorder aloft? If so, I was about three people to your right getting stabbed in the arm with a lit cigarette by an exuberant SP fan... I wonder if it was your recording that I snagged up about a week or so after the show, from where I can't even remember. If it was, then many thanks for your efforts in capturing it!

And as for those LEDs, I found it easier to focus on them than to look away - doing that messed up my vision even more!

Osc is so hardcore, he receives sounds through his spiked hair!

the good reviews sound like people who just listened to tom for the first time, which i know isn't true, cause most of you probably knew sp long before me, that's why i don't get them.

this sounds like generic leftovers from all over the years, there's not one bit of magic imo.

the sweet melodic ones try hard and fail to be dyksp, others sound like druqks wannabes and last there's one shobaleader treat somewhere... the only ones that maybe stand a bit out are the "soundscape fuckery" ones...

really, generic dull tracks literally fucked by tom's dsp gigantormous cock? no thanks!

i hate the overall palette of percussion sounds chosen for this album, sounds flat and too much abrasive most of the time, i wish they sounded more organic... weak over compressed snare most of the times, lifeless ungroovy hi-hats and cymbals, saturated hardcore gabba kicks, you name it... for me it ruins what this album has to deliver. i think tom is a bit lost in which direction he should take, i kept getting all excited with the track's beginnings just so that one minute later my hopes were going down the drain :(

I really hope this vinyl shows up today

I have yet to really get into this album. I do like some of it, but some parts seem too much like a big soupy mess to me so far. Also agreed on the amount of compression being jarring and un-Squarepusher-like.

  On 5/14/2012 at 3:04 PM, jasondonervan said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:50 PM, oscillik said:

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:42 PM, jasondonervan said:

Last time I saw SP live was Warp20 (Sheffield). The sound at the venue wasn't great on the front row, but I gave SP a free pass as he was rolling out all the old material that I'd never had a chance to hear live originally.

 

Sound was just fine to me, and I was literally right at the front on the barrier, holding up a mic to record it all.

 

  On 5/14/2012 at 2:42 PM, jasondonervan said:

In parallel to the audio, he mentions in that FACT interview that he never intends to put out a DVD of the Ufabulum show, because the whole LED thing just doesn't have the same impact on a TV/computer screen that it does live. I can fully testify to that - the LEDs are a punishing assault to the point where I saw people at the front of the crowd turning around because they couldn't handle it, and some smart folks donning sunglasses!

 

wusses, the LEDs weren't that tough to watch. either that, or I'm hardcore.

Hah, no way... I think I remember you! Did you have big spiked hair (my memory is hazy), wearing glasses? Possibly holding something like a Tascam recorder aloft? If so, I was about three people to your right getting stabbed in the arm with a lit cigarette by an exuberant SP fan... I wonder if it was your recording that I snagged up about a week or so after the show, from where I can't even remember. If it was, then many thanks for your efforts in capturing it!

 

And as for those LEDs, I found it easier to focus on them than to look away - doing that messed up my vision even more!

My recording of the gig was a bit bass heavy, due to the fact that I couldn't afford to get a better quality mic for my MiniDisc recorder.

I think my head was constantly fixed towards the stage. I was blind stinking sober that night though, so that might have something to do with it...

Sounds great on my Grado SR325i set-up... Very crisp, clear, with excellent punchy bass and sound staging. It may depend on how you listen to it. Other than some overly compressed drums at times, I think the production is quite solid. Some of by biggest issues come in on Drax 2, which seems to suffer the most from that side-chain compression issue.

Definitely don't hear the sound being particularly muddy or soupy. I find it quite dynamic in both the highs n' lows, with the highs never getting too grating, though I can see why people might say so on particular set-ups. My brother's Sennheiser HD600 setup actually produces some more annoying highs. Tom likes quite jarring sounds at times, so I think it's all intentional (Note that I'm not trying to make any excuses for him... Just sayin').

  On 5/14/2012 at 4:28 PM, CraniumXII said:

Sounds great on my Grado SR325i set-up... Very crisp, clear, with excellent punchy bass and sound staging. It may depend on how you listen to it. Other than some overly compressed drums at times, I think the production is quite solid. Some of by biggest issues come in on Drax 2, which seems to suffer the most from that side-chain compression issue.

you, or anyone else for that matter, don't find that 'energy wizard' ends up sounds kind of flat or lacking in production relative to the rest of the album? 'drax 2' is a little odd in how it's compressed, but 'energy wizard' sounds strangely unlike the rest of the album production-wise