Squarepusher - Big Loada EP (Warp/Nothing) by Chris Asbestos

This is my personal favorite of Squarepusher's often strange, scattershot boundary-pushing releases, which have ranged from the brisk, melodic jungle-and-live-bass of "Feed Me Weird Things" to the dense, electric-piano-heavy "Music is Rotted One Note," composed entirely on live instruments and highly reminiscent of Miles Davis' late-'60s work. Though I've lost track of Squarepusher with his past few albums, it seems to me that he hit his pinnacle on this album (which, for once, benefits from several extra tracks on its US release, which I don't have). Still fresh today, this headstrong mix of ridiculously up-tempo beats, complex synth patterns -- as heard on "A Journey to Reedham (7 AM Mix)," which starts out deceptively simple before exploding to life and the amazing, layered "Massif" -- always reveals something new with each listen. Sometimes almost punishingly fast, and at others more subtle and multi-faceted, this is a must for intelligent dance music and jungle fans.

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