Editing Ultravisitor

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Ultravisitor
| type       = [[Album]]
| artist     = [[Squarepusher]]
| cover      = Squarepusher.ultravisitor.gif
| alt        =
| released   = 8 March 2004
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = 
*[[Drum and bass]]<ref name="exclaimultravisitor">{{cite news |last1=Ostroff |first1=Joshua |title=Squarepusher - Ultravisitor |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/squarepusher-ultravisitor |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=Exclaim! |date=1 January 2006}}</ref>
*[[musique concrète]]<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |last1=Bush |first1=John |title=Ultravisitor - Squarepusher |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ultravisitor-mw0000328244 |website=AllMusic |access-date=6 November 2024}}</ref>
*[[nu jazz]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Jack |title=Squarepusher Ultravisitor Review |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xf3n/ |website=BBC Music |access-date=6 November 2024 |date=2002}}</ref>
| length     = 79:41
| label      = [[Warp Records|Warp]]
| producer   = Tom Jenkinson
| prev_title = [[Do You Know Squarepusher]]
| prev_year  = 2002
| next_title = [[Venus No. 17]]
| next_year  = 2004
}}

'''''Ultravisitor''''' is the seventh [[studio album]] by English [[electronic musician]] Tom Jenkinson, under the alias of [[Squarepusher]]. It was released on 8 March 2004 through [[Warp Records]]. In September 2024, Jenkinson announced a remaster of the album to commemorate its 20th anniversary, as well as an expanded and remastered edition of ''[[Venus No. 17]]'', which was released on 25 October 2024.<ref name="quietus20th">{{Cite web |last=Eede |first=Christian |date=2024-09-19 |title=Squarepusher Details 20th Anniversary Edition of 'Ultravisitor' |url=https://thequietus.com/news/squarepusher-details-20th-anniversary-edition-of-ultravisitor/ |access-date=2024-09-20 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Background ==
The album incorporates many of the various musical styles exhibited by Jenkinson on his previous albums, including [[drum and bass]], [[acid techno]], [[jazz fusion]], and [[noise music|electronic noise]]. A few of the tracks feature layered, modulated, or filtered [[bass guitar]].{{citation needed|date=November 2024|reason=No source for this text}}

In an interview with [[I-D]], Jenkinson confirmed that most of the tracks on ''Ultravisitor'' were recorded from shows in the UK, US and Canada. "The point of using live versions of the tracks is that they show stupid people that, though their own stubbornness prevents them from being able to engage with my music, they hear other people cheering in the background, and realise that although this music is obscure, it cannot be totally inaccessible because other people like it."<ref>{{cite news |title=Squarepusher Interview |url=http://www.hijackbristol.co.uk/board/the-forum/squarepusher-interview/?wap2 |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=I-D |date=1 March 2004|archive-date=12 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112154424/http://www.hijackbristol.co.uk/board/the-forum/squarepusher-interview/?wap2|url-status=live}}</ref>

Jenkinson has stated that the track "50 Cycles" took over a month to complete; "I think the most time-consuming was 50 Cycles on ''Ultravisitor''. Roughly speaking it took a month to make. This was the last piece to be completed on ''Ultravisitor'', which contains several other pieces that also took unprecedentedly long to complete."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A16411187 |title=Ask Squarepusher! |date=20 October 2006 |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=2 November 2011|archive-date=15 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315095416/https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A16411187|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Release ==
''Ultravisitor'' was released on 8 March 2004. It was released on standard and special edition [[Compact disc|CDs]], as well as on [[Phonograph record|2xLP]]. The special edition of the album came with a hardbound case and six page booklet. Jenkinson has stated that "Ultravisitor is my spectacle of beauty and of terror. It is unknowable, and will never be understood by anybody, least of all its creator.<ref name="quietus20th2">{{cite news |last1=Kane |first1=Siobhan |title=Reissue of the Week: Squarepusher's Ultravisitor |url=https://thequietus.com/quietus-reviews/reissue-of-the-week/reissue-of-the-week-squarepushers-ultravisitor/ |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=The Quietus |date=25 October 2024}}</ref>

== Anniversary Edition ==
On 19 September 2024, Warp Records announced that the album would be [[remastered]] and [[reissued]] to coincide with its 20th anniversary.<ref name="quietus20th" /> The reissue also included a bonus album, ''Venus No. 17 Maximised''. This album consisted of material derived from the promo-only [[EP]], ''[[Square Window]]'', which was given out with original [[Bleep (store)|WarpMart]] pre-orders of ''Ultravisitor'', as well as the ''[[Venus No. 17]]'' EP.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Flynn |first1=Mike |title=Video of the Day: Squarepusher shares 'Tetra-Sync (Live in Tokyo, 2004)' ahead of Ultravisitor (20th Anniversary Deluxe Expanded Edition) LP/CD release |url=https://www.jazzwise.com/news/article/video-of-the-day-squarepusher-shares-tetra-sync-live-in-tokyo-2004-ahead-of-ultravisitor-20th-anniversary-deluxe-expanded-edition-lp-cd-release |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=Jazzwise |date=11 October 2024}}</ref> The reissue was released on 20 October 2024, on [[Compact disc|2xCD]], [[Phonograph record|2xLP]] and [[streaming services]].

== Reception ==
{{Music ratings
| MC = 74/100<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/ultravisitor/squarepusher |title= Ultravisitor – Squarepusher  |publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=8 February 2020}}</ref>
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic" />
|rev2 = ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''
|rev2score = (favourable)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wolfson |first1=Richard |title=CD reviews: Squarepusher, Harry Connick Jr, Lionel Richie and more |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3613500/CD-reviews-Squarepusher-Harry-Connick-Jr-Lionel-Richie-and-more.html |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=The Telegraph |date=8 March 2004}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
|rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/05/popandrock.shopping5|title=Squarepusher, Ultravisitor|first=Dorian|last=Lynskey|date=4 March 2004|access-date=1 October 2016|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[The Independent]]''
|rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-squarepusher-572073.html|title=US|website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |access-date=1 October 2016}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[The Observer]]''
|rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="observerultravisitor">{{cite news |last1=Warren |first1=Emma |title=Squarepusher: Ultravisitor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/omm/10bestcds/story/0,12102,1151049,00.html |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=The Observer |date=22 February 2004}}</ref>
|rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
|rev6score = 7.9/10<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite news |last1=Leone |first1=Dominique |title=Squarepusher: Ultravisitor Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/7450-ultravisitor/ |access-date=6 November 2024 |work=Pitchfork |date=29 February 2004}}</ref>
}}

At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, ''Ultravisitor'' received an average score of 74, based on 21 reviews, indicating a score of "generally favorable".<ref name="metacritic"/>

''Ultravisitor'' was generally well received by critics. Reviewing the album for ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', Dominique Leone of gave the album a positive review, stating "In some ways, ''Ultravisitor'' is the only Squarepusher album you need to know about. It contains instances of every idea, texture or beat he's presented until now, and unlike recent releases [[Do You Know Squarepusher]] or [[Go Plastic]], little of it sounds stale."<ref name="pitchfork" /> Writing for ''[[AllMusic]]'', John Bush called the album "vastly more impressive than anyone could've expected from Squarepusher".<ref name="allmusic" /> Joshua Ostroff of ''[[Exclaim!]]'' said it was "an album of surprising heart and laid-back calm, albeit still boasting bursts of mayhem."<ref name="exclaimultravisitor" />

Other critics were not so positive, however; reviewing the album for ''[[The Observer]]'', Emma Warren said "There will be people who think of Squarepusher's music as the kind of clever and very important racket they should like - but never actually want to listen to. And if one fast-forwarded to the middle of 29-year-old Tom Jenkinson's ninth album, you'd be forgiven for thinking they were right."<ref name="observerultravisitor" /> Additionally, Leone also commented that "At almost 80 minutes, ''Ultravisitor'' contains too much music to really hold together as a cohesive statement."<ref name="pitchfork" /> Dorian Lynskey of ''[[The Guardian]]'' gave the album three stars, saying that "''Ultravisitor'' is yet another scattershot Squarepusher album [...] that infuriates as often as it delights."

==Track listing==
All tracks written and produced by Tom Jenkinson.<ref name="allmusic" />

{{Track listing
| headline      = ''Ultravisitor'' track listing{{efn|the anniversary edition includes the same tracklist, however all songs are remastered.}}
| title1        = Ultravisitor 
| length1       = 8:32
| title2        = I Fulcrum 
| length2       = 3:31
| title3        = Iambic 9 Poetry 
| length3       = 6:55
| title4        = Andrei 
| length4       = 2:00
| title5        = 50 Cycles 
| length5       = 8:33
| title6        = Menelec 
| length6       = 5:43
| title7        = C-Town Smash 
| length7       = 1:29
| title8        = Steinbolt 
| length8       = 7:44
| title9        = An Arched Pathway 
| length9       = 4:06
| title10       = Telluric Piece 
| length10      = 1:53
| title11       = District Line II 
| length11      = 8:33
| title12       = Circlewave 
| length12      = 6:28
| title13       = Tetra-Sync 
| length13      = 9:27
| title14       = Tommib Help Buss 
| length14      = 2:10
| title15       = Every Day I Love 
| length15      = 2:39
| total_length  = 79:41
}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://warp.net/records/releases/squarepusher/ultravisitor ''Ultravisitor''] at the official [[Warp Records]] website
*{{MusicBrainz release|mbid=426f0e00-b541-461d-9747-9d861ed75141|name        =Ultravisitor}}
*[http://www.warprecords.com/artists/news.php?ti_id=791 Tom Jenkinson interview] from ''[[i-D]]'', at the Warp Records site.
*{{Metacritic album|title=Ultravisitor}}

{{Squarepusher}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Squarepusher albums]]
[[Category:2004 albums]]
[[Category:Warp Records albums]]
[[Category:Musique concrète albums]]
[[Category:Nu jazz albums]]