For a decidedly different perspective on many of idm's favorites, go to
http://members.aol.com/blissout/sr2.htm
Simon Reynolds writes for various decent papers, etc, and has been behind
techstep for quite a while. He's a relatively intelligent, or at least
thoughtful guy. Check his view on Squarepusher. I don't agree with Mr.
Reynolds, but we seem to get stuck in a rut on this list from time to
time(except for the Black Dog Droid, who likes to piss on the party on
occasion).
"This weirdy-beardy has done a few genuinely startling tracks, and is
generally quite amusing. What galls is the sheer arrogance and temerity
of Squarepusher and other similar "drill and bass" dilettantes --they
actually believe they are improving on jungle!!! All that Squarepusher
has brought to drum & bass is some Jaco Pastorius bass-frills, a
dys-funk-tional rhythmic convolution, and a quirked-out daftness that
recalls nobody so much as Primus. On a purely technical level, nothing
that Squarepusher does with breakbeats surpasses engineer-poets like
Hype, Aphrodite, Dillinja, 4 Hero or Danny Breaks, to mention only the
most obvious leaders-in-the-field. It is only Squarepusher/Plug etc's
distance from the scene that allows them to convolute the breakbeats
beyond any use-value to DJ or dancer; the wilful incongruity of the
samples is all well and good, but if junglists use the same old
gangsta/cyberpunk soundbites and apocalyptic textures, it's because
they're trying to create and sustain a vibe, a feeling-full and
meaningful mood that crystallises a certain kind of worldview and
life-stance. By comparison, drill and bass is vibe-less non-sense. The
drill and bass/"fungle" concept seems to exist to make a certain sort of
"margin-walker" feel okay about not really having engaged with jungle as
a subculture. And of course, as with most soi disant progressive
iniatives, drill and bass is utterly parasitic on its populist
counterpart--do you really think the idea of chopping up breakbeats
would have independently occurred to the weirdy-beardy technoids in a
million years?"
The rest of his page contains rants about Mo' Wax, Bukem, FSOL (which I agree
with, having only heard Dead Cities), plus Mike P., RDJ, Orbital, etc. Keep
an open mind.
Sam