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.
“An epileptic’s nightmare.” ha.