Similar to the way that I can’t relinquish an attachment to old school Nickelodeon shows, Tom Jenkinson — a.k.a. Squarepusher — can only go so long before the vintage equipment that he used on his most seminal albums figuratively barges into his kitchen and demands an ornamented head seat at the dinner table.
Squarepusher’s prior album Damogen Furies was notable for the glitchiness conveyed by software that Jenkinson had been working on for more than a decade; and though software-only seems to be the recourse of many contemporary producers (not that there’s anything wrong with that), there’s definitely a certain skill that comes with wrangling cables and using hardware that’s accrued the brown hue of plastic age. Who’s gonna argue that personal, as opposed to cultural, nostalgia isn’t a thing?
Hence, Squarepusher’s next album on Warp, out January 31, is called Be Up A Hello, and it marks a Jenkinson return to vintage tradition after spending some time away from his lovelies. I’m talking a re-utilization of classic synths and effects processors; whereas, in his recent collaboration with James McVinnie, the crux of what they had at their disposal was a huge ass organ. (No no, I don’t mean that kind of vintage.)
All of the tracks on Be Up A Hello were recorded in a single take — and that includes “Vortrack,” which is coming out as a 12-inch single on December 6. Listen to “Votrack” and the Fracture remix below, and pre-order the full-length here.
Oh, and Squarepusher’s touring North America in April next year.
Be Up A Hello tracklisting:
01. Oberlove
02. Hitsonu
03. Nervelevers
04. Speedcrank
05. Detroit People Mover
06. Vortrack
07. Terminal Slam
08. Mekrev Bass
09. 80 Ondula