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

ok so i just listened a couple times, and i like it.

in some ways it is similar to his earlier stuff. i like the clarity of the sound, everything seems recorded really well, nice mixing too imo. a good depth. things harmonize in nice ways. i like how the piano and guitar notes blend together sometimes to create a nice wall of sound. the parts when things get really fast are sometimes pretty good. i like at the one point where it sounds almost like those really fast arps that were in the c64 games, but its acoustic instruments.

it could've been something else, and i was probably wanting/imagining something else, but this is actually pretty good if not better than i expected. might even grow on me more.

received yesterday my copy of it! ;-) yeah thanks bleep! ;-)

You Endless is so great. Been missing his sad/warm/distant feeling tracks for a while and finally got one again.

The background stuff the keys are playing are so nice.

i feel like its a bit of a shame that this seems to be going a bit overlooked here. the CWLP might be a bit to blame for that, but i think this ep is great. i like it more every time i hear it

  On 4/13/2014 at 3:14 PM, MisterE said:

i feel like its a bit of a shame that this seems to be going a bit overlooked here. the CWLP might be a bit to blame for that, but i think this ep is great. i like it more every time i hear it

Agreed. I don't think it's getting as much attention as it should. I'm happy he kept the release to 5 tracks instead of going for an album full though. Dissolver is my favorite track.

sad that some people are dismissing it as gimmicky because of the partnership with z machines but I think the tunes are solid.

You Endless just keeps getting replays after replays, sad tom is best tom.

didn't know what to expect, but i really like it. extra props to the sound engineering.

  On 4/15/2014 at 4:42 AM, noise said:

didn't know what to expect, but i really like it. extra props to the sound engineering.

agreed! My only hate for toms most recent releases is the mastering, most of them are super tinny, etc. But this!!! It reminds me of ultravisitor, the mastering is great.

I posted this in another thread, but anyway

I've listened to this EP about 10 times in a row. It's so short and not very challenging. I enjoyed it, though. I do think Sad Robot Goes Funny and Dissolver are amazing. However, I would have hoped for something less guitar-based and more insane and electronic. I feel like he had the opportunity to show "the mainstream" (since he's getting mainstream coverage) why he's The Fucking Daddy, but opted to give us another dose of Just a Souvenir or make Tetra-Sync parts 2-6. Which is fine.

  On 4/15/2014 at 4:59 AM, flim said:

I posted this in another thread, but anyway

 

I've listened to this EP about 10 times in a row. It's so short and not very challenging. I enjoyed it, though. I do think Sad Robot Goes Funny and Dissolver are amazing. However, I would have hoped for something less guitar-based and more insane and electronic. I feel like he had the opportunity to show "the mainstream" (since he's getting mainstream coverage) why he's The Fucking Daddy, but opted to give us another dose of Just a Souvenir or make Tetra-Sync parts 2-6. Which is fine.

I disagree. Remember he has always stated that he's at the mercy of the medium. In this instance, his medium is/are the robots. Thus, he can only express himself through z machines and based on their limitations, produce music they're capable of.

I don't hear this a a re-hash of JAS, or anything. I think this is incredibly unique and quite frankly, what other artists are continually pressing the envelope when it comes to that chosen medium? Squarepusher.

  On 4/15/2014 at 5:02 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 4/15/2014 at 4:59 AM, flim said:

I posted this in another thread, but anyway

 

I've listened to this EP about 10 times in a row. It's so short and not very challenging. I enjoyed it, though. I do think Sad Robot Goes Funny and Dissolver are amazing. However, I would have hoped for something less guitar-based and more insane and electronic. I feel like he had the opportunity to show "the mainstream" (since he's getting mainstream coverage) why he's The Fucking Daddy, but opted to give us another dose of Just a Souvenir or make Tetra-Sync parts 2-6. Which is fine.

I disagree. Remember he has always stated that he's at the mercy of the medium. In this instance, his medium is/are the robots. Thus, he can only express himself through z machines and based on their limitations, produce music they're capable of.

 

I don't hear this a a re-hash of JAS, or anything. I think this is incredibly unique and quite frankly, what other artists are continually pressing the envelope when it comes to that chosen medium? Squarepusher.

 

Forgive me for not being clear. I don't think it's a rehash at all, I feel like it's a continuation of a style he's been working with for a number of years. Yes, he's definitely pushing the envelope on this record, and I'm far from disappointed. I know the robots were the limitation, but considering the capabilities of the machines (multiple fingers and arms and such), I guess I would have hoped to hear what he could make with them in a style like what he did on Ufabulum, or something like Exciton.

[youtubehd]7MluikyEQF4[/youtubehd]

this EP is prog as FUCK! World Three is insane! Like a fucking Rick Wakeman composition or something

edit: also, how can anyone think he's not using these machines to ridiculous lengths, especially with that crazy arpeggio section in Dissolver..?

  On 4/15/2014 at 5:08 AM, flim said:

 

  On 4/15/2014 at 5:02 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 4/15/2014 at 4:59 AM, flim said:

I posted this in another thread, but anyway

 

I've listened to this EP about 10 times in a row. It's so short and not very challenging. I enjoyed it, though. I do think Sad Robot Goes Funny and Dissolver are amazing. However, I would have hoped for something less guitar-based and more insane and electronic. I feel like he had the opportunity to show "the mainstream" (since he's getting mainstream coverage) why he's The Fucking Daddy, but opted to give us another dose of Just a Souvenir or make Tetra-Sync parts 2-6. Which is fine.

I disagree. Remember he has always stated that he's at the mercy of the medium. In this instance, his medium is/are the robots. Thus, he can only express himself through z machines and based on their limitations, produce music they're capable of.

 

I don't hear this a a re-hash of JAS, or anything. I think this is incredibly unique and quite frankly, what other artists are continually pressing the envelope when it comes to that chosen medium? Squarepusher.

 

 

Forgive me for not being clear. I don't think it's a rehash at all, I feel like it's a continuation of a style he's been working with for a number of years. Yes, he's definitely pushing the envelope on this record, and I'm far from disappointed. I know the robots were the limitation, but considering the capabilities of the machines (multiple fingers and arms and such), I guess I would have hoped to hear what he could make with them in a style like what he did on Ufabulum, or something like Exciton.

 

Ah, I see what you're saying.

  On 4/15/2014 at 12:54 PM, teetime said:

[youtubehd]7MluikyEQF4[/youtubehd]

excellent! ;-) thanks!

  On 4/15/2014 at 12:54 PM, teetime said:

[youtubehd]7MluikyEQF4[/youtubehd]

Z-Marked for later, ta

Dissolver just melted my fucking face off

  On 4/16/2014 at 6:16 AM, whylessness said:

Dissolver just melted dissolved my fucking face off

  On 4/16/2014 at 1:34 PM, StephenG said:

 

  On 4/16/2014 at 6:16 AM, whylessness said:

Dissolver just melted dissolved faced my fucking face dissolver off

 

This is nice. Not a big fan of the super fast jazz stuff but the melodies are nice. And it's got low end.

Dissolver <3

  On 4/17/2014 at 12:53 AM, Friendly Foil said:

This is nice. Not a big fan of the super fast jazz stuff but the melodies are nice. And it's got low end.

 

Dissolver <3

Yes, I was worried. I don't like the mastering on most of his recent releases (JAS, Shoobadooby, and Ufababoon). But this is mastered quite well. It has low end and isn't brickwalled or tinny.

I quite like the mastering of most of his recent stuff. Suits the genres he was going for, imo. But yeah, the mix is bangin' for this EP. The bass is spot on. So smooth without being overbearing.

btw, Ufabulum is about 1000x better on vinyl. I'm borrowing bitroast's copy and I'm seriously tempted to rip it so I can listen to that instead of the original digital files.

interesting. Maybe I'll check it out on vinyl then! I like that album a lot, just the mastering bothered me.

Yeah. The compression is still a bit jarring (well, only on Unreal Square) but it's nowhere near as harsh, imo.