Rating:

Four seconds into Hard Normal Daddy, I laughed. I thought for sure Tom Jenkinson, a.k.a. Squarepusher, was going to do a note for note cover of the theme to The People’s Court. Thankfully, that’s not the case. The first track, “Coopers World,” is essentially classic jazz fusion, sans the improvisation. A good portion of Squarepusher’s output has been influenced by jazz, especially the LP directly preceding Hard Normal Daddy, Music Is Rotted One Note. But Squarepusher is known for, and with good reason, his work within the electronica genre, and that’s what kind of music Hard Normal Daddy is rife with. The trademark skittering programmed beats and bass lines of drill ‘n’ bass, Jenkinson’s chosen sub-genre of electronica, are prevalent. What makes this album so superb, however, is not his skill in beat-making, but with what Jenkinson chooses to garnish his beats, from Chick Corea-style keyboards and clarinet to his own excellent fretless bass work. Another division between Hard Normal Daddy and a more typical drill ‘n’ bass album is that Squarepusher seems able to compose actual songs, each one distinct from the others. The bottom line is that Squarepusher has a unique talent for infusing his electronica with his other musical influences, seamlessly integrating manic jungle beats with 70s fusion and 80s television, and that is what makes Hard Normal Daddy brilliant.

1. Coopers World

2. Beep Street

3. Rustic Raver

4. Anirog D9

5. Chin Hippy

6. Papalon

7. E8 Boogie

8. Fat Controller

9. Vic Acid

10. Male Pill Part 13

11. Rat/P’s And Q’s

12. Rebus

Buy album

– Kevin

This 5-beetsreview was posted on March 21st, 2005. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.