Squarepusher

Composer Tom Jenkinson has made a career of his experimental electronic/jazz/drum and bass forays into the world of music with a variety styles, albeit within the realm of electronic music. Rather than an exercise in abstract experimentation though, Just a Souvenir has a bounce in its step and a grin on its electro-face that makes for some incredibly funky moments. There are actual songs here that get that toe tapping.

As a complete listening experience, one never gets lost in his spacey world and can easily appreciate the creativity. In addition to some beautiful jazz guitar instrumental work (e.g. “Yes Sequitur” and “Aqueduct)” and the incredibly funky slap-bass histrionics (“The Coathanger”), Jenkinson brings rock/pop-based gems with vocoder vocals that are downright catchy. Even for those not particularly enamored with the style, there is a lot of meat on the bone here, and the most fickle music fan would be hard pressed to ignore Jenkinson’s ability to pen a memorable song. Just a Souvenir is further proof that in Tom Jenkinson’s Squarepusher domain, the musical possibilities are endless. In a word: refreshing.

—Scott Alisoglu
02.09.09

From the fevered imagination of Squarepusher's Tom Jenkinson, Just a Souvenir attempts to soundtrack a vivid dream where Jenkinson experienced a live concert like none other. Surprisingly, the album succeeds despite the dream's inclusion of portions where a river appears on-stage (forcing bandmembers to begin kayaking) and all the drums in the Eskimo's drumkit repeatedly changing places with each other. Obviously, the fact that a piece of art springs from a dream isn't very rare, nor is the fact that dreams are usually surreal, but this tale becomes important because it's a key way to describe the sound of the music -- kinetic, hyperactive, quickly changing from one previously unimaginable piece of music-making to another. Of all artists, Jenkinson continues to have one of the most active musical imaginations (another nod to dreaming). Granted, his ideas wouldn't sound half as astonishing if they were slowed to normal speed, but they'd still sound at least half-crazy. Of the entire Squarepusher discography, Just a Souvenir most resembles Hard Normal Daddy with its hyper-speed drums and bass, sounding more and more like a scattered but fascinating Weather Report with each passing minute. Jenkinson's work on electric bass is as good as it's ever been, and when he puts the bass down, he's reaching for all manner of played or programmed equipment to express his ideas. Still sounding like no other artist on the planet -- whether because of talent or intent -- Squarepusher succeeds again with a radical, challenging piece of music. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide