After releasing an album solely featuring programmable robots last year, Squarpusher is back featuring a completely new music making system that he invented himself to bring us Damogen Furies.
Tom Jenkinson has never been the kind of musician to make his music clean and clear cut, but this album sets a new level of dirty. Screeches, growls, distortion, and jittery acid layered synths fill every corner of the spectrogram; drilling down the cilia and leaving one with the feeling that they have been punched in the face.
There are some points where I wish the mix was less crowded, but with the unstable amount of sounds that Squarepusher is known to use one could argue that the crowded mix adds to the effect. For me, I couldn’t listen to the entire thing in one go due to exhaustion.
As always his drum programming on key. Every time I hear how well developed the drum tracks are it takes me aback. They are a testament to his talent and they never fail to be the interesting, but he hasn’t completely revived the jazz influenced electronic feeling that he built his career upon. Though I could hear echoes of his jazz influence in Damogen Furies, the album is evidence that Tom wants to keep pushing in new directions.
The most classic Squarpusher sounding track is “Kwang Bass”. It features an industrial and eerie feeling, including the standard drum and bass high-hat/snare pattern as well as wet, fat acidic arpeggios loved by fans of the genre. Other tunes—most notably “Baltang Ort”— showcase grimy and hardcore elements that make the song feel empowering; like when a metal fan head bangs to a fast muted guitar playing with a drummer destroying their bass drum with double kick pedals. It’s an exhilarating dubstep influenced sound.
All of this being said, the album was solid. I’d say it’s above his average work, but no-where near the pinnacle of his creations. There was no disappointment and no grand excitement when the final track faded, just a sort of emptiness. I wish more of Mr. Jenkinson’s jazz side would come out, but I cannot say that this new style of his is a move in the wrong direction. Is the trade-off worth it? I’ll leave that for you to decide.
Recommended If You Like: Aphex Twin, Plaid, Autechre
Recommended Tracks: 6 (Kwang Bass), 4 (Kontenjaz), 1 (Stor Eiglass), 8 (D Frozent AAC)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Shane Blair on 04/24/2015