Squarepusher - Do you know Squarepusher (Warp)

To sum this up in one word: unimaginable. The title track opens proceedings as a nice downbeat number. Melodic tones and a fleeting, tinny rhythm juxtaposed with vocoder vocals and a plethora of electronic sounds. For all the world it could be R2-D2 on acid, playing Zelda on a Sega Mastersystem. 'F-train' is Aphex Twin jamming with The Streets. A spoken word piece over shimmering metallic and pulled apart sounds, stretched in such a way that no mere man-made instrument could ever dream of reproducing. How any fully functioning mind could create this is unthinkable. A total headfuck of a track.

Track three, 'Kill Robok' is the first let down by simply being a throwaway instrumental. Think hyper-fast robot fucking music, think track four, 'Anstromm-Feck 4'. A quirky bass-line is the only thing keeping the song in check, but it does go ballistic at times, as if touched by the madness that it is trying to enclose. Comes complete with laser noises and a running drumbeat. More memories of the Mastersystem come to mind. 'Mutilation Colony' brings things back into downbeat territory, but in a suspense film soundtrack kind of a way. Unhinged samples, gongs and startling crescendos abound. Utterly confusing and uneasy listening but a piece of work none the less.

Closing track, a cover of 'Love will tear us apart' finishes the headfuck off nicely by keeping in the style of the original. The riff is there untarnished and the vocals are respectfully whispered. Satisfying stuff. If that's not enough for you then there's an hour-long recording of a recent gig in Japan on the second disc. Needless to say senseless dissection does take place. Fantastic.

Ken McGrath