I

I was originally released in 2004 on an obscure label, supposedly as as one-off thing. It was the period between Nothing (which would, some years later, also receive a remaster) and Catch ThityThree. Since then, I has been a unique release by the band - perhaps close to "cornerstone". It would also run out of print much for the reason that you would have to pay an extortionate amount of money just to own it physically. However, in 2014 (which also marks its 10th Anniversary) the lovely folks at Nuclear Blast would remaster and reissue the EP with three bonus tracks.Just before the release of the remaster, I was heavily looking at getting the EP digitally from iTunes. It would cost me £7.99 which wasn't bad for a 20-minute piece of music, so you can expect my delight when the remaster was officially announced. It's a smart move both by parties. Meshuggah are releasing The Ophidian Trek ("Bleed" and "Dancers to a Discordant System" both are on this EP - smart promotion) so it would make sense that the band want to promote that release.Whether are you a fan who has already heard I many years ago, or a fan (like me) who has always wanted to own I, now is the time to pick it up. I didn't really care for the added tracks - something that always ticks me off with remasters and/or reissues - but I just paid to own the 20-minute piece of Meshuggah music.So here's how the EP lines up:1. I2. Bleed3. Dancers to a Discordant System4. Pitch Black (this was originally released by Scion AV for free).This EP is pretty good. A while ago I listened to the whole thing on YouTube so I would say that the remastering (because that's what It is...) is pretty good actually. The EP's overall sound reflects back to Nothing and the overall sound, thought it does have some hints at what the future material would sound like.I is also mind-boggling. The fact alone that there hasn't been another 20-minute piece of music released by Meshuggah goes to show why I sticks out like a sore-thumb. It's going to be difficult (not exactly impossible) to be try and explain a 20-minute pieceOverall: As explained above, it's a matter of choice whether to get this EP or not. If you've heard it before, it's probably not for you (although you might be interested to hear the remaster). but for people like myself who have never heard I then it's a worthwhile purchase.

An acquired taste this one. It is undeniably heavy and very technical with some extremely intense moments - notably the fast staccato 2 note erratic part with the piercing tremolo guitar noise over the top.This song is near impossible to follow in its entirety in that it is just so insanely complex, I can fully understand why a drum machine was used for this. There are seemingly incompatible parts between guitar and drums which will loop around on themselves and all come together in some impossible fashion.It is mostly heavy stuff but with some moments of eerie clean guitar, a few 'whispery' sections. It is mostly super fast and super complex with the usual wretching vocals over the top and discordant solos.I would certainly recommend this to meshuggah fans and fans of extreme metal or metal fans with an appreciation for musical maths! As an introduction, I would be tempted to refer new listeners to the more accessible Destroy, Erase, Improve or Nothing albums.I rate this product 4 rather than 5 because it takes a few listens to really get into it, and I think you need to have some appreciation for exactly how technical this is to really enjoy the music.

What an amazing band!

Just a short review:I listen to a lot of prog and other musical genres which regularly extend track lengths beyond the 20 minute mark. Meshuggah are a band who I assumed could never pull off such a thing, because their usual songs are about 6 minutes or so, and tend to be quite intense. Listening to their album 'Nothing'(which I truly love) on a high volume level does sometimes begin to bore due to the lack of variation between soft and heavy parts. 'Chaosphere' avoided that problem by being much more consise, and very much more chaotic (hence the title perhaps).So, I wondered how in the hell could they pull off a 20 minute number? The answer is fairly simple, in that the track is essentially an assortment of the many facets of Meshuggah's recent work. It blends the structured rhythms of Nothing with the faster intensity of 'Chaosphere', and a few nods back in the direction of 'Destroy Erase Improve'. They even include a few quieter moments to stop your ears hurting. The typcial Meshuggah lyrics about self-torture and such are adapted to what appears to be a personified black-hole. Solos are all excelent as usual, and in places utterly terrifying; one in particular stands out early on. The various parts of the track are straightforward enough Meshuggah moments, but taken together as this twisted beast of a song, we have a very interesting mix.OK, so this review is longer than it was intended to be. In summary: This EP is an experiment by Meshuggah in fusing all the things they do, into one structured entity. Does it work? Yes it does. Their next release 'Catch 33' promises to be another one-track experiment (33 minutes perhaps?), and judging by 'I', they certainly could pull it off.

Quelle claque que ce "I" de Meshuggah.Enregistré entre Nothing et Catch 33 (un morceau de près de 50 min), "I" est une expérimentation studio de Meshuggah des plus intéressante.Morceau impossible à reproduire sur scène de par sa complexité, "I" est une expérience sonore d'une technicité incroyable à laquelle le remastering apporte un réel plus de par la qualité du son revue et corrigée.A essayer absolument.Les bonus n'apporte pas grand chose : deux live extrait de the Ophidian Trek + Pitch Black, un morceau jusqu'à présent uniquement disponible en téléchargement.Mais qu'importe car "I" se suffit à lui-même.

Me gusta todo de el vinilo.Sobre todo por la edición limitada a 700 copias y de color azul.no puedo pedir mas.

Was just a remix of previously issued works all of which I had. I couldn't find out anything about what was in it prior to issue so assumed it was all new (never assume)ie. I took a chance when offered a presale at a decent price - I won't do that again!

Remastered and expanded. Awesome!

Bought as a gift. The recipient really liked it - his genre of music.

Un très bon album

Also zunächst mal zur Einordnung: Es gab Phasen meines Lebens, in denen ich monatelang nichts anderes als Meshuggah gehört habe, obwohl mir "Metal"-Veröffentlichungen ansonsten zu 95+% nicht zusagen - der Metal-Jazz von Meshuggah war hier schon immer eine Ausnahme.Da es sich hier primär um einen Remix der bekannten EP "I" handelt, hätte ich an und für sich doch eher 4 bis 5 Sterne vergeben sollen, denn ich halte das Original für brilliant, einzelne Teile davon eignen sich nach wie vor hervorragend als Anhörungsmaterial, um denkbare Grenzen menschengemachter Musik zu verdeutlichen. Daß ein Remix tatsächlich stattgefunden hat, ist deutlich hörbar, ohne jedoch krampfhaft von der bisherigen Veröffentlichung abweichen zu wollen. Alles sauber. Fans sind glücklich. (Oder vielleicht auch nicht. Ich persönlich konnte mit der Neufassung von "Nothing" nie etwas anfangen, aber da war mir schon das Original etc.pp. ...das führt zu weit.)Was nun die Vermarktung als Special Edition mit Bonussongs und entsprechender Preisgestaltung angeht: Meiner unterwürfig bescheidenen Meinung nach sind Meshuggah Live-Aufnahmen leider dysfunktional. Ich habe bisher leider alle Gelegenheiten verpaßt, die Band live zu erleben, stelle mir aber vor, daß das schon ganz gut sein muß im ganzen Menschenmassen-Schweiß-und-Lärm-Kontext. Die notwendigen musikalischen Vereinfachungen eines solchen Auftritts aber aufzunehmen, aus dem Zusammenhang der Unmittelbarkeit eines Konzerterlebnisses herauszulösen und dann - übrigens lieblos abgemischt - auf Platte zu veröffentlichen: Das ist der Punkt, an dem Meshuggah nicht mehr funktioniert.Meshuggah ist immer auch Produktionsbrillianz. Neben ihrer musikalischen Einzigartigkeit, technischen Überlegenheit und letzltich allumfassenden Unwahrscheinlichkeit, zeigte die Band bisher immer, daß sie einen klaren Plan beim Mastern der einzelnen Songs sowie der Platten im Ganzen verfolgt. Bei Live-Aufnahmen bricht dieser wesentliche Bestandteil ersatzlos weg.Eine letzte Bemerkung zu "Pitch Black": Seid gewarnt, m.E. ist dies nichts anderes als die Zusammenstückelung von mehreren wahrscheinlich improvisierten Demo-Aufnahmen. Unter anderem ist da auch ein recht unausgegoren gezupftes Solo zu hören, daß es - wesentlich selbstbewußter dargebracht - in ein anderes Studiostück gebracht hat. Ich bin jetzt zu faul zu recherchieren welches.Ich gestehe, auch ich habe schon Musik unentgeltlich meinem Konsum zugeführt. Selbst von Bands, die ich schätze. Für mich persönlich ist der Erwerb dieser Platte im Nachhinein eine Spende an die Band, da ich im konkreten Fall für das, was ich diesmal wirklich bezahlt habe, keinen musikalischen Mehrwert erhalten habe. Fürs Archiv, mehr nicht.Auf Meshuggah, die unwahrscheinlichste Band aller Zeiten.

スウェーデンの激烈超進化音楽集団（？）の新作は、２１分の大曲１曲という変則的なリリース。しかし、凡百のバンドのアルバム１枚分のアイデアをぎっちり詰め込み、内容たっぷり。しかも、音を詰め込みすぎず間で緊張感を演出していた'Nothing'とはやや異なり、ギターもドラムもひたすら音の粒を放射する。凄えうるさい（勿論、いい意味で）。フレドリック・トーデンダルの速弾きギターソロも強烈。強引な変則フレーズの執拗な反復＋突然の不穏な静寂によって醸し出されるのは、フレドリックのソロ作'Sol Niger Within'に通ずる黙示録的世界。これまでのファンは絶対必聴、加えてMagmaファン、Univers Zeroファン、This Heatファンにもお勧め（全部一緒か？）。

まるで 台風が街を飲み込む過程を描いてるかのような作品 前兆の静けさ 見たことの無い 雨霰が吹き荒れ そして不規則な 風が たたみかける! それを幾度となく繰り返し 去っていくそんな情景

期待を裏切らないMeshuggahの作品です。ただ前作のアルバムがマニアックすぎたので今回の作品は少しストレートに聞こえたかも。さすがのmeshuggahも煮詰まったか？とにかく最新作のアルバムに期待がかかるできです。

長年　メシュガーのファンですが　今回のも素晴らしい演奏を聴かせてくれます　さらに深みを増した内容になっています　必聴です！

I just recently started listening to Meshugga about 2 months ago. I own Destroy Erase Improve and I. I think "I" is way better. They eliminated the lame fusiony Holdsworth stuff and really came up with something extremely original. This is not something you'll be tapping your feet to. The rhythmic structures are complicated, and remind me more of Bartok than most metal you'll hear. I can't stop listening to this one! The coordination of the rhythm section is perplexing.This EP sounds like it was written by extraterrestrial cyborgs from the future. This is exactly where metal should be in 2015... Meshugga are truly avant-garde. This one is ten years ahead of it's time. It will take quite a while for this sound to be filtered down and co-opted by American metal bands.The sections that feature the frenetic interplay between the drums and bass are the best. The subtle time changes in each measure make for an understated complexity. Many people might miss this, and think this composition is simple. No. Listen to it. Count it out if you have to. I have no idea how they keep track of what to play!The sheer power and aggression of this composition is inspiring. This is music I would take to war with me (hopefully I won't be in that situation ever). "I" will pump you up!

This is like metal's version of a rock opera. Think. the Who's "A Quick one..." just done by Meshuggah. 20+ minutes of crushing bliss. All Meshuggah is very heavy, but it all sounds a little different. This one song covers all the bases. I won't dissect it minute by minute like some other reviewers. I'll just say this- If I was on a desert island, and not even picking a whole album- just one song, this would be the one. Unbelievable drumming from Thomas Haake, Insane guitar work, and brutal vocals. I love it! You will too.

I Meshuggah is simply THE BEST BAND EVER! similar to Catch Thirty Three in that it sounds like one song that just morphs into different tracks. These guys are Gods when it comes to metal! I

Meshuggah is on a different level than most bands. This is incredible!