5 out of 5

Label: Rephlex

Produced by: Thom Jenkinson

Seeing as how Thom Jenkinson – as Squarepusher – has explored so many different variations of electronic music and IDM, it seem reductive to call anything the Squarepusher “sound,” exactly, and yet that’s what Feed Me Weird Things is to me.  Which could be logical, given that it was his first full album, and the first one I heard, and that the first track is called ‘Squarepusher Theme,’ but I know its illogical because I now own plenty of other SQ discs which sound far and away from this one, and several of those are fantastic works of art, not in need of any further Squarepusheryness.

The thought, as mentioned, still occurs: That this laidback jazz-funk cut-up jamming – segues into dance-happy jungle drum rushes – is the defining Squarepusher sound.  I’m sure there are precedents but no immediate ones come to mind, and to have carved out such a distinctive sound – not precocious, or overly experimental, but a precision attack – on a superstar-supporting label like Rephlex is a mighty accomplishment.  Because despite those later SQ discs fully standing on their own, they more freely take from the world around them, synthesized and energized to meet whatever Thom’s whims are at time of recording.  Feed me could be said to have been a whim as well, and maybe more music education would provide me with those precedents; all the same – its approach never ceases to sound fresh, years after its recording and with years more examples of possible references in my mental audio cabinet.  And I don’t fault Thom for abandoning this sound, as he pretty much nailed it on the first go.

Feed Me mashed a live bass funk with a grooving drum and jazzy keys; at points it switches to straight electro with epic buildups, intense jungle, or pop.  Like many of his equally awesome peers and influences, Thom’s sound can encompass many things; the best albums, though, are those that make a thematic point and stick to it, and Feed Me establishes its free-wheeling giddy sensibilities from that opening ‘theme’ and then circles around it for twelve distinctive tracks.  Its undeniably a landmark Rephlex release, a key IDM release, and a great way for an artist to sidle into his career, with something fully realized and confident but eminently approachable.