Squarepusher X Z-machines: Music For Robots - EP 05 April 2014

  On 2/12/2014 at 4:48 PM, Joyrex said:

Excellent news if true!

Confirmed - HMV Japan has it listed as well: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Squarepusher_000000000065761/item_Squarepusher-X-Z-machines-Music-For-Robots_5683134

I think what you MEANT to say was ...

  On 2/24/2014 at 6:03 PM, Terpentintollwut said:

 

  On 2/12/2014 at 4:48 PM, Joyrex said:

Excellent news if true!

Confirmed - HMV Japan has it listed as well: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Squarepusher_000000000065761/item_Squarepusher-X-Z-machines-Music-For-Robots_5683134

 

I think what you MEANT to say was ...

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

X Z-machines †track by track written by SquarepusherWarp: Follow the new 'Remixes' playlist with contributions for and by Warp

 

 

 

 

  On 2/17/2014 at 12:48 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

i don't really understand how this is a 'gimmick' .Clearly tom is an accomplished composer, and something as we've seen in this video wouldn't have been able to exist in purely human terms or even something digitally created. I'm not in love with the style of jazz he's doing with them, but I'm surprised so many (not just you) are deriding it as a simple gimmick. I don't see anything about this that's not creative, who else has done something like this with real instruments not using multi-track recording or editing?

 

I for one am excited to hear just the drum beats on a real acoustic kit he's sequenced with these machines

I think the concept is fine and interesting (haven't really listened to the execution, obviously). The only thing that doesn't sit well with me is the Zima sponsorship angle, but does Zima ever sit well with anyone? Gross.

  On 2/24/2014 at 7:51 PM, baph said:

Also I'm not sure if I like skeuopmorphic faces on robots that don't technically need faces, but I'm a purist when I come to robots, god dammit.

Ayo baph, robots need faces too... otherwise this happens

  On 2/24/2014 at 7:53 PM, jasondonervan said:

 

  On 2/24/2014 at 7:51 PM, baph said:

Also I'm not sure if I like skeuopmorphic faces on robots that don't technically need faces, but I'm a purist when I come to robots, god dammit.

Ayo baph, robots need faces too... otherwise this happens

 

 

  On 2/17/2014 at 12:45 AM, Philip Glass said:

Z-machines? Really? Well Tom has just hit rock bottom of creativity it seems, relying on gimmicks like that.

It's not his gimmick. They approached him and he took advantage of the opportunity. Besides, someone has to fund the project. Hardware is expensive, and I'm sure the team behind the robotics were happy to get the funding that they did--if that means slapping the label "Z-Machines" on the band, whatever. I'm sure the choice (again, for the roboticists who made these things, not Tom, who (from what I've seen) was only a composer, not a roboticist on the team) was between getting the funding they needed and using the title "Z-Machines" and having no money for robots at all.

The choice facing the team was probably no different than Nascar teams: they're probably happy to take the money of any corporation who is interested and can afford it. I mean, I personally don't care for Zima, but that's pretty cool that they liked this project enough to put their name on it. But again, it's quite a leap on your part to conclude that Tom is selling out for a "gimmick". Lighten up, geez.

  On 2/24/2014 at 2:09 PM, phudoshin said:

lol awesome

Remote Amber on BBC Radio:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03w7mb5

Jump to 47:00! Splendid!

I like it. I hope the other three are similar to sad robot goes funny though.

Not really looking for avantgarde or abstract squarepusher at the moment.

  On 2/18/2014 at 7:10 PM, mcbpete said:

 

  On 2/18/2014 at 7:06 PM, guidewire said:

in that interview does anyone know the name of that artist he mentions at the end? I'm not sure the spelling.

Conlon Nancarrow

 

 

oh hell fucking yeah, the connection makes perfect sense. I never really thought about it before but even Squarepusher's earlier music with the hyper fast drum break programming, but still managing to make it sound very fluid jazzy and musical seems very much in line with Nancarrow's musical philosophy with his player piano recordings.

Is there any actual theory/structure behind the Nancarrow piece or is it simply an exploit of a player piano? I can imagine better ways to write for it that don't just sound like randomly laid notes.

On "Dissolver" Tom is pushing the limits of the robot guitarist to a sonic extreme. This is definitely something that has never been done so far. And the dense arpeggiated chord layers have some strange beauty in it. I dare to call it uncanny valley music! Truly inspiring stuff, and so much fun!

It's definately strangely beautiful yet disturbing at the same time.

  On 2/12/2014 at 4:51 PM, StephenG said:

wut wut whatttttttttttttttt?

 

=)

 

I imagine based on the times listed that "sad robot goes funny" is this??

 

My favorite part in this vid is 3:25

that robot digs the grooves

have i said 'awww, hizzity heck yeah' in this thread yet?

awww, hizzity heck yeah

"World Three": Beautiful free floating composition including a "church organ!". Might be one his most sophisticated pieces he has done so far. My fave on the ep! Wish he had more time for a whole album though.. The Robots are already dismantled....

Howd you hear it already?!

Yeah :c

Where'd you hear World Three and Dissolver, and I'm guessing you heard You Endless too.

The idea is interesting but Squarepusher doesn't achieve his goal to let a robot sound like a human. The tracks sound perfect in a mathematical way but they also sound very mechanic. Basically you can hear the hydraulics working which makes the tracks rather static.

You would think that Tom would steer well clear of this type of thing after Aphex's computer controlled piano on Drukqs and that robot drum thingy?

http://logosfoundation.org/instrum_gwr/HAT.html

Also sounds as bland as what Pat Metheny was doing with his robot band... Tom seems very uninformed.

Yes, Tom must be uninformed as to what would appeal to your tastes.

I don't see how this is bland at all. I wish he would have taken another direction, but Tom is still Tom, and his musicianship is as good as ever.

  On 3/31/2014 at 2:00 AM, CraniumXII said:

Yes, Tom must be uninformed as to what would appeal to your tastes.

 

I don't see how this is bland at all. I wish he would have taken another direction, but Tom is still Tom, and his musicianship is as good as ever.

Agreed! I actually hope he comes out with a full album of similar material.

Squarepusher is one of those rare artists that just does what he does, he does something different almost every album. His albums are unmistakably his, but each one has a different flair about it. I really appreciate that and I find it funny when people expect the same old same old from Tom.

  On 3/31/2014 at 2:00 AM, CraniumXII said:

Yes, Tom must be uninformed as to what would appeal to your tastes.

 

I don't see how this is bland at all. I wish he would have taken another direction, but Tom is still Tom, and his musicianship is as good as ever.

Sorry that's not what I meant, I meant not informed about what others are doing, the way he talks about it as if it's a new thing, anyway matter of taste, boring as fuck imo, ha !

  On 4/1/2014 at 10:08 PM, chops727 said:

 

  On 3/31/2014 at 2:00 AM, CraniumXII said:

Yes, Tom must be uninformed as to what would appeal to your tastes.

 

I don't see how this is bland at all. I wish he would have taken another direction, but Tom is still Tom, and his musicianship is as good as ever.

Sorry that's not what I meant, I meant not informed about what others are doing, the way he talks about it as if it's a new thing, anyway matter of taste, boring as fuck imo, ha !

 

Indeed. I see your perspective as well. The fact that the guitar has no dynamics makes it sound very synth-like and sterile at times. That doesn't bother me personally, as I tend to look at things from a composition standpoint, but it can be a turn off.

It's an interesting experiment because it's so human and so inhuman, both trying to create 'emotional' music while being unnaturally fast and precise. One of my close friends, who is also a guitarist, was disgusted by this because it takes away the human element completely (from the dynamics standpoint), saying that it was no different than using software to program the whole piece.

I think it's a great personal experiment for him, and I enjoy his compositions aside from the 'controversial' robotic and technical aspects.