Squarepusher: Ufabulum (Warp)

“Dark Steering”

Previously a ceaseless innovator, recent Squarepusher albums have followed a holding pattern: a strange departure that feints at a new direction (the strangely light-fusion-inflected pop of Just a Souvenir; the truly weird, limp lounge on the conceptual not-actually-a-full-band Shobaleader One: d’Demonstrator) is followed by an “okay, just kidding” return-to-form release (Numbers Lucent and Ufabulum, respectively).

Whereas Numbers Lucent retained Souvenir’s jazz/prog seventh chords, it grafted them to the harder-edged percussion that Squarepusher cut his teeth on. Ufabulum takes the wide-angle audiovisual glam of d’Demonstrator (light-up LED helmet and accompanying light show included) and adds the breaks, acid squelches, and stutters attendant to a more “traditional” Squarepusher sound.

The result is stunning in YouTube videos, where the audio syncs perfectly to the intricate monochrome light show. It’s all perfectly listenable, but it’s not inherently memorable as a Squarepusher album, as it bears many of the usual melodic hallmarks. Lots of scores and soundtracks get knocked for sounding “like a score” and missing something without the visual accompaniment, and one should think of Ufabulum as the soundtrack to a laser show. You can still lay down and chill out to it for an hour, but it won’t be the same without all the flashing lights.

Each week, editor-in-chief Chris Force and music editor Scott Morrow choose ALARM’s favorite new releases for This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic set of reviews presenting exceptional music.

Battles: Dross Glop (Warp, 4/17/12)

“Rolls Bayce (Hudson Mohawke Remix)”

As a companion to last year’s Gloss Drop, the inversely titled Dross Glop consists entirely of Battles’ Gloss Drop music reworked by the likes of Hudson Mohawke, The Alchemist, Kode9, Shabazz Palaces, Gang Gang Dance, Gui Boratto, and more. Given the band’s unpredictable creative trajectory to this point, it’s no surprise that the distinctive electro-rock trio has released something to induce head-scratching among existing fans and electronica fans alike.

Stacked with propulsive grooves, the highly rhythmic Gloss Drop surely would have made suitable fodder for breakbeats and a conventional dance-floor makeover. Indeed, the remix album (a collection of the four Dross Glop 12-inch releases) does contain some perversely appealing moments that illustrate what a “Battles in the club”-type culture clash would sound like.

As such, some of Dross Glop falls more closely within established boundaries than Battles fans may come to expect. Still, even in residual traces, the band’s oft-heralded oddness manages to shine through. More compellingly, some of the new interpretations bear no resemblance whatsoever to their original counterparts. Without a look at the track listing, listeners at times will be hard-pressed to match what they’re hearing with a specific tune from Gloss Drop.

Each week, editor-in-chief Chris Force and music editor Scott Morrow choose ALARM’s favorite new releases for This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic set of reviews presenting exceptional music.

Squarepusher: Ufabulum (Warp, 5/15/12)

Next month, English electronic artist / bass wizard Squarepusher (or Tom Jenkinson, if pseudonyms aren’t your thing) returns with a follow-up to his 2010 album on which he debuted his “space-pop band,” Shobaleader One. Ufabulum, out May 15, is a step in a different direction in more than one way.

Stepping back from the bass — Squarepusher’s métier — he lets electronics take the fore this time. Says Jenkinson of Ufabulum: “I’ve started thinking about pure electronic music again. Something very melodic, very aggressive.”

His intentions become clear in his exhilarating new video for “Dark Steering,” our first taste of the new album as well as his live show. Though there’s still some low, rumbling bass on this track, it takes a backseat to beeps, boops, blips, and driving beats.

An epileptic’s nightmare, this video will have you wondering whether Jenkinson is man or machine.

Clark: Iradelphic (Warp, 4/3/12)

English producer Chris Clark — otherwise simply known as Clark — is known for his colossal electronic compositions, more of which you can hear on his newest installment, Iradelphic. His video for “Black Stone,” however, showcases the album’s diversity. The two-minute track, set to a strange five-and-a-half-minute film directed by creative collective The Vikings, is a simple but stirring solo piano piece.

Check out rather unsettling production below.

Each week, editor-in-chief Chris Force and music editor Scott Morrow choose ALARM’s favorite new releases for This Week’s Best Albums, an eclectic set of reviews presenting exceptional music.

On May 15 via Warp, bass maestro and electronic musician Tom Jenkinson — better known as Squarepusher — is set to release Ufabulum, the full-length follow-up to d’Demonstrator, his 2010 album with his “space-pop band” Shobaleader One.

As Jenkinson comments: “I’ve started thinking about pure electronic music again. Something very melodic, very aggressive.” Sound good to you? Check out the album teaser below.