Feed Me Weird Things

While it's not up to the unbelievably high standards of later Squarepusher albums, Feed Me Weird Things is one hell of a full-length debut. "Squarepusher Theme", the leadoff track, lays down the foundation of Tom Jenkinson's brilliant career: inspired improvisational jazz immaculately married to the wacked-out stop and go of drum 'n' bass. "Tundra" is alternately haunting and comforting. "Dimotane Co" is an Aphex-inspired horror. But in the end, it's stunning tracks like the beautiful, acidic "Theme From Ernest Borgnine" and the mournful, plodding "U.F.O.'s Over Leytonstone" which make Squarepusher's debut so interesting.

Unlike many of today's jazz junglists, sampling old records is of minimal value to Squarepusher. Jenkinson grew up eating and breathing jazz, and has enough skill on the bass and drum kit to create his own compositions. He simply feels more at home with this kind of music than other folks, even putting the great DJ Food and Amon Tobin to shame. He doesn't need trumpet blasts or beat poems to explicitly connect himself with the past; if anything, his electronica is more clichéd than his jazz. That being said, the man clearly knows his way around a 303. Even way back in the era of Feed Me, there were no gimmicks or fancy noodling. Every instrument and passage has a wonderful purpose, and it's really a pleasure to listen to Jenkinson's confidence and supreme musicianship. Feed Me is the blueprint. From here on out, his writing would only get stronger and stronger with every release.

Squarepusher
Feed Me Weird Things
Rephlex
1996

1. Squarepusher Theme
2. Tundra
3. The Swifty
4. Dimotane Co
5. Smedleys Melody
6. Windscale 2
7. North Circular
8. Goodnight Jade
9. Theme From Ernest Borgnine
10. U.F.O.'s Over Leytonstone
11. Kodack
12. Future Gibbon