The Nation's Favourite

We all love Squarepusher. Some bint said so on the telly the other day. Therefore it must be true.

Because we all love Squarepusher, we’ve probably all got Hello Everything. And if we haven’t, no doubt we can find it dotted around this merry futureweb of ours. So, not being one to regurgitate without good reason, let’s leave the new album alone.

The secret special surprise bonus Vacuum Tracks 3-incher is worth a moment of our reflection though. It consists of five versions of Vacuum Garden, a gently building, gradually shifting synthetic sound-track of concurrent waves, moving over six or so distorted minutes, appearing midway through Hello Everything.

The five alternate versions, entitled 4026 Melt 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are entirely similar to the version included on the album, differing in length and pace, but using the same base sounds and technique.

The inclusion of the 3-incher seems to suggest that whilst one particular version of the track was definitely preferable in respect of the album, there was thought to be some value in the other five versions, to warrant including them alongside the album in such close proximity to each other.

Whether the value lies within the merits of the individual versions themselves, a demonstration of the artistic development process, an attempt to coax more out of the listener, or maybe to fulfil an obligation, we don’t know. That’s up to you.

Squarepusher - 4026 Melt 3

Squarepusher - 4026 Melt 5