Kammerkonzert: Black Vinyl 2LP

Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher, presents Kammerkonzert, a riot of onyx-hard, hyperfast riffs, fiendish orchestral themes and handbrake turns through varieties of progressive, ambient, electronic and experimental music. Kammerkonzert displays Jenkinson’s strength not only as a producer but as a composer, shown by the album’s mercurial juxtapositions which can fleetingly remind the listener of the visionary French Zeuhl band Magma 9 (‘K1 Advance’), the liquid fusion of Weather Report in their Body Electric phase (‘K2 Central’), and the baroque blood-drenched giallo soundtracks of Ennio Morricone (‘K7 Museum’). Elsewhere the more contemporary north London jazz riffing of Sons of Kemet (‘K3 Diligence’), the ring-modulated piano of Stockhausen’s Mantra and even the atmosphere of Brian Eno’s ambient work with David Bowie (‘K11 Tideway’) all make themselves felt. Kammerkonzert – whose tough-sounding name reflects the sonic militancy of the music it presents, while literally meaning chamber concert in German – pushes mischievously inward at the extreme boundaries of music composition itself.