Squarepusher is the principal pseudonym of Thomas Russell Jenkinson (born 17 January 1975), an English electronic musician, bassist, and composer based in Chelmsford, Essex, celebrated for his intricate fusion of drum and bass, jazz, and experimental electronic genres, often featuring virtuosic bass guitar performances and innovative sound manipulation techniques.[1][2]A self-taught expert on fretless and fretted bass as well as drums, Jenkinson debuted in 1996 with the album Feed Me Weird Things on Rephlex Records, which showcased his early blend of hyper-speed jungle breaks, synth textures, and offbeat melodies, establishing him as a key figure in the intelligent dance music (IDM) scene.[3][4] He soon signed with Warp Records, releasing critically acclaimed works such as Hard Normal Daddy (1997), Music Is Rotted One Note (1998), and Go Plastic (2001), which expanded his sound to incorporate progressive jazz influences, musique concrète elements, and acid house aesthetics, while pushing boundaries with complex rhythms and live instrumentation.[1][5][6]Throughout his career, Jenkinson has maintained a prolific output, with over a dozen studio albums under the Squarepusher moniker, alongside collaborations and side projects like Shobaleader One, and performances blending pre-composed computer music with live bass improvisation.[7] His work has drawn influences from artists like Aphex Twin— a longtime friend—and Jimi Hendrix, whom he paid tribute to in a 2005 Royal Festival Hall performance.[1] In October 2025, Warp Records reissued his "lost" 1994 debut EP Stereotype, a rare early recording remastered and expanded to highlight his foundational raw, genre-defying electronic experiments.[8][9]
Early life
Childhood and family
Thomas Russell Jenkinson was born on 17 January 1975 in Chelmsford, Essex, England.[10]Raised in Chelmsford, Jenkinson attended King Edward VI Grammar School during his formative years. His family provided no notable musical background or early exposure to instruments; in a 2011 interview, he admitted fabricating the widely repeated claim that his father was a jazz drummer, stating he invented the story at age 20 to explain his developing skills. Jenkinson grew up with a younger brother, Andy Jenkinson, who would later pursue a career in electronic music as Ceephax Acid Crew.[1][7][11]The suburban environment of Chelmsford, set within the broader rural landscapes of Essex, offered Jenkinson a relatively isolated upbringing that fostered self-reliance and experimentation with available technology from a young age. This setting contributed to his independent development before transitioning to more structured musical explorations in adolescence.[7]
Musical beginnings
Tom Jenkinson, known professionally as Squarepusher, began his musical journey as a self-taught bassist, picking up the instrument around age 11 without any formal training.[7] He practiced obsessively, often at the expense of a social life, drawing initial inspiration from rock records like Led Zeppelin's II, which he credits with teaching him basic bass rudiments through repeated listening and imitation.[12] This intuitive approach extended to jazz techniques, where he absorbed phrasing and note choices from records by artists such as Jaco Pastorius and Miles Davis, honing his skills independently by analyzing basslines from radio plays and secondhand vinyl collections.[7][12]During his teenage years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jenkinson applied his growing proficiency on bass by joining local rock and jazz bands around age 14, motivated partly by the social allure of gigs and peer recognition.[7][13] These experiences exposed him to live rhythm sections, including drum kits, which influenced his understanding of complex grooves despite lacking formal drum lessons himself.[7]At around age 16 or 17, Jenkinson discovered electronic music amid the UK's burgeoning rave scene, captivated by imported records from artists like Aphex Twin that blended breakbeats with innovative sound design.[13] This sparked his transition from traditional band playing to electronic experimentation, using affordable gear such as early Akai samplers like the S950 and drum machines to create home recordings that fused his bass techniques with sampled rhythms.[7][13] By the early 1990s, these self-directed efforts marked his entry into producing original electronic tracks, relying on trial-and-error with limited equipment rather than structured education.[7][13]
Career
1993–1999: Early releases and Warp signing
Tom Jenkinson adopted the Squarepusher pseudonym for his initial forays into electronic music production around 1993, creating demo tapes that captured his budding interest in manipulating breakbeats and bass elements on rudimentary home setups. These early experiments culminated in self-released works on the independent Spymania label, beginning with the Conumber EP in 1995, followed by the Alroy Road Tracks EP—credited to his alias The Duke of Harringay—later that year and the Squarepusher Plays... EP in 1996. These releases highlighted his raw, innovative approach to fusing jungle rhythms with acidic synth lines, marking the genesis of his distinctive style amid the burgeoning UK electronic scene.[14][15][16]A pivotal connection with Richard D. James, known as Aphex Twin, led to Jenkinson's signing with Warp Records in late 1995, securing a five-album contract that propelled his career forward. Although his debut full-length, Feed Me Weird Things, appeared in June 1996 via James's Rephlex label—featuring a promo version that circulated through Rephlex networks—Squarepusher's first official Warp output was the Port Rhombus EP that July. This EP, along with subsequent 1997 releases like the Big Loada EP, solidified his role in pioneering drill 'n' bass, a subgenre defined by hyper-accelerated, polyrhythmic breakbeats layered over live bass performances.[17][18][14]Throughout the mid-1990s, Squarepusher cultivated an underground following through live sets at UK raves and clubs, where he often integrated real-time bass guitar improvisation into his DJ performances, blending electronic precision with organic flair. Critics lauded these efforts for their technicalcomplexity and rhythmic innovation, positioning Squarepusher as a trailblazer in intelligent dance music (IDM) during the era's IDM boom, with outlets praising the cerebral intensity of tracks like those on Port Rhombus for pushing the boundaries of drum 'n' bass beyond conventional dancefloor expectations.[19][20][15]
2000–2013: Go Plastic to Ufabulum
Following the release of Music Is Rotted One Note in 1998, Squarepusher, the alias of Tom Jenkinson, entered a phase of intensified experimentation with synthetic and live elements in his electronic compositions. His 2001 album Go Plastic, released on Warp Records, marked a shift toward more confrontational, non-melodic structures, incorporating rapid breakbeats and acid influences while emphasizing digital sequencing techniques.[7] This was followed by the double album Do You Know Squarepusher in 2002, also on Warp, which highlighted live bass performances recorded during a 2001 Japanese tour, blending frenetic drum programming with acoustic instrumentation to underscore Jenkinson's virtuosic playing.[21] These works reflected a refinement of his drill 'n' bass roots into denser, clinical soundscapes, prioritizing aggression over accessibility.[22]By the mid-2000s, Jenkinson's output evolved toward greater melodic integration and jazz-rock fusion, as evident in Ultravisitor (2004) and Hello Everything (2006), both issued by Warp Records. Ultravisitor delved into intricate, synthetic textures with tracks like "50 Cycles," which demanded exhaustive production to achieve its layered, immersive quality, signaling a move away from raw breakcore toward detailed electronic-jazz hybrids.[22]Hello Everything further embraced accessibility, introducing warmer, more varied rhythms that balanced his signature complexity with broader appeal.[7] During this period, Jenkinson toured extensively across the US and Europe, including performances at Coachella in 2001 and various European festivals, which informed his growing emphasis on live dynamics amid solo studio work.[23]The late 2000s saw Jenkinson experimenting with band formats and pop-inflected sounds, culminating in Just a Souvenir (2008) on Warp, a collection of improvisational tracks that bridged his electronic foundations with organicimprovisation. In 2010, he formed the project Shobaleader One, enlisting pseudonymous collaborators for the albumd'Demonstrator, which infused R&B and funk elements into his jazz-electronic palette, representing a deliberate pivot toward collaborative, live-band aesthetics while maintaining Warp as his primary outlet.[7] This balanced his solo endeavors with group experiments, allowing for onstage replication of complex arrangements. Ufabulum (2012), his final major release of the era on Warp, returned to pure electronic aggression with modular-inspired synth melodies and high-energy rhythms, encapsulating the analog-digital tensions that defined his mid-career peaks.[24] These developments highlighted Jenkinson's ongoing fusion of breakbeat intensity with jazz improvisation, supported by consistent international touring that reinforced his experimental ethos.[23]
2013–present: Music for Robots to Stereotype
In 2014, Tom Jenkinson, under his Squarepusher moniker, collaborated with the Japanese robotic ensemble Z-Machines to create Music for Robots, an EP composed entirely in MIDI and performed by the robots—a 78-fingered guitarist named Mach, a 22-armed drummer called Ashura, and a keyboardist known as Cosmo—during sessions in Tokyo.[25][26] The project explored the boundaries of automated performance, blending Jenkinson's intricate electronic rhythms with mechanical precision, and debuted live at Tokyo's Liquidroom in June 2013, marking an innovative fusion of human composition and robotic execution.[27] Released on Warp Records on April 7, 2014, the EP featured tracks like "Sad Robot Goes Funny" and "Dissolver," emphasizing themes of emotional expression through non-human instrumentation.Following this experimental venture, Jenkinson returned to solo production with Damogen Furies, his fourteenth studio album, released on April 20, 2015, via Warp Records. The album revived high-energy drill 'n' bass elements with distorted basslines and frenetic breaks, as heard in tracks such as "Baltang Ort" and "Rayc Fire 2," drawing praise for its bombastic intensity and festival-ready accessibility.[28][29] To promote the release, Jenkinson incorporated automated bass elements inspired by the Z-Machines into live shows, enhancing his performances with synchronized robotic visuals and sounds during tours across Europe and Japan.[30]In 2019, Jenkinson shifted toward acoustic territory with All Night Chroma, a collection of organ compositions performed by James McVinnie on the Harrison & Harrison instrument at London's Royal Festival Hall, recorded overnight in October 2016. Released on Warp Records on September 27, 2019, the album highlighted Jenkinson's versatility, using the organ's vast tonal palette for ethereal, contemporary pieces like "Voix Célestes" and "The Holy Well," evoking a meditative contrast to his electronic output.[31][32]Jenkinson's first full Squarepusher album in five years, Be Up a Hello, arrived on January 31, 2020, via Warp Records, utilizing vintage hardware from his early 1990s setup to revisit breakbeat and IDM roots in tracks like "Oberlove" and "Vortrack."[33][34]The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced Jenkinson's workflow, leading to remote collaborations and remix work in 2021. He composed "Xetaka 1" for the Attacca Quartet's album Real Life, an upbeat string arrangement blending his electronic sensibilities with classical instrumentation, released on Sony Classical on September 10, 2021.[35] Additionally, Jenkinson remixed Danny Elfman's "We Belong" from the latter's Big Mess album, infusing it with pulsating bass and glitchy textures for its September 10, 2021, single release on Anti- Records, and reworked GoGo Penguin's "F Maj Pixie" into a high-octane drum 'n' bass version for their remix album GGP/RMX, issued on Decca Records on May 7, 2021.[36][37] These projects underscored a period of archival reflection and virtual partnerships amid touring restrictions.As live performances resumed post-lockdown, Jenkinson toured Europe and the UK, incorporating advanced visual tech and live bass improvisation into sets that bridged his robotic experiments with organic energy.[38]Marking a return to his foundational sound, 2024 began with the enigmatic "XY.wav" file sent to Warp subscribers on January 21, decoding to reveal the single "Wendorlan," released February 22 on Warp Records with an oscilloscope-generated video visualizing audio waveforms.[39] This led to Dostrotime, his sixteenth studio album, issued on March 1, 2024, via Warp, featuring cinematic breakbeats and dexterous rhythms in pieces like "Enbounce" and "Kronmec," celebrated for its explosive intricacy and nod to 1990s rave influences.[40][41] Later that year, on October 25, Warp released the 20th-anniversary remaster of Ultravisitor (originally 2004), expanded with bonus tracks and remixed from original tapes for enhanced clarity in its IDM fury.[42]In October 2025, Jenkinson unearthed Stereotype, a "lost" 1994 album originally self-released under the alias Stereotype, remastered and reissued on Warp Records on October 24 as a double LP. Capturing raw, dancefloor-driven techno and acid house from his pre-Squarepusher days—tracks including "Whooshki" and "1994"—the release preserved nearly an hour of pirate radio-fueled productions from analog tapes, signaling a reflective homecoming to his origins.[43][44] Ongoing UK and EU tours in 2025, including dates at London's Roundhouse and Brighton Concorde 2, continued to showcase this archival revival alongside live renditions of recent material.[45]
Musical style
Genres and influences
Squarepusher's music is primarily classified within the intelligent dance music (IDM) genre, a label popularized by Warp Records' 1992 compilation Artificial Intelligence, which grouped him alongside artists like Aphex Twin and Autechre for its emphasis on complex, non-dancefloor-oriented electronic compositions.[46] His work also prominently features drill 'n' bass, a hyper-speed variant of drum and bass characterized by rapid breakbeats and intricate basslines, as evident in early releases like Feed Me Weird Things (1996).[22] Other core genres include acid house, with its squelching bass synths, and breakcore, incorporating fragmented, high-energy rhythms, alongside fusions of jungle's rolling breaks, ambient textures, and funk-inflected grooves.[7][7]A defining element of his sound is its bass-centric approach, where electric bass guitar serves as both rhythmic anchor and melodic lead, often blended with electronic elements to create a hybrid of acoustic jazz improvisation and digital manipulation.[22] This fusion draws from jazz traditions, avoiding conventional "fusion" like Weather Report in favor of experimental interplay between live bass phrasing and synthesized abstraction.[22] Tom Jenkinson, Squarepusher's real name, has described his bass playing as self-taught and obsessive, prioritizing personal experimentation over formal technique to merge organic warmth with electronic precision.[7]Key influences include jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius, whose atonal passages and virtuosic lines shaped Jenkinson's melodic explorations, despite Jenkinson initially developing his style independently before encountering Pastorius' work.[12] Saxophonist John Coltrane's improvisational intensity informed his approach to free-form structures, while Miles Davis' albums like In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew inspired jazz-electronic integrations.[22] On the electronic side, Aphex Twin acted as a mentor figure, influencing rhythmic complexity and abstract sound design, much like Autechre's algorithmic beats.[22] Early rock exposure to Led Zeppelin, particularly John Paul Jones' relaxed yet intricate bass on Led Zeppelin II, provided foundational rudiments and rhythmic energy during Jenkinson's childhood.[47]His style evolved from the rave and jungle roots of the early 1990s, marked by high-BPM tracks and hardcore influences like LFO and 808 State, toward jazz fusion in the late 1990s, as seen in albums like Music Is Rotted One Note (1998) where acoustic elements bleed into electronic frameworks.[22] By the 2010s, this shifted to digital abstraction, emphasizing musique concrète and synthetic experimentation in works like Ultravisitor (2004), reflecting a move from confrontational, non-melodic intensity to more accessible, joyous compositions without abandoning complexity.[7][22] The 2025 reissue of his early EP Stereotype underscores the enduring influence of his foundational raw electronic experiments.[9]
Production techniques
Tom Jenkinson, known as Squarepusher, centers his production around the Fender Jazz Bass, utilizing both fretted and fretless models to deliver virtuoso performances that blend acoustic precision with electronic manipulation. He processes these bass lines through custom pedal chains, notably employing a vintage Morley Wah pedal to generate intense distortion and dynamic effects, as heard in tracks like "Megazine" where the bass achieves a gritty, overdriven texture via an Eventide Orville distortion patch. This approach allows for live overdubs directly onto electronic beats, creating a tactile contrast between organic bass phrasing and programmed rhythms.[7][48][47]Complementing the bass, Jenkinson's setup relies heavily on hardware synthesizers and samplers, including early Akai S950 samplers for breakbeat manipulation. He has historically avoided full dependence on digital audio workstations (DAWs), favoring hardware's immediacy and limitations to foster creativity, as evidenced by his use of the Akai S950 sampler and Boss DR-660 sequencer for single-pass recordings on albums like Big Loada (1997). Techniques such as polyrhythmic breakbeat programming—often incorporating the Amen break for intricate, overlapping rhythms—and acid line synthesis via the Roland TB-303 underscore his emphasis on rhythmic complexity and acidic basslines.[7][48][49]Jenkinson's methods evolved in the 2010s toward integrated digital elements while retaining an analog core. For Ufabulum (2012), he transitioned to laptop-based production using custom software to synchronize audio with live visuals, marking a departure from pure hardware workflows. This culminated in the Music for Robots EP (2014) with Z-Machines, where he composed MIDI data for robotic instruments—a 78-fingered guitarist, 22-armed drummer, and keyboardist—enabling automated performance of hyper-precise, beyond-human executions. His home studio in rural Essex, UK, supports this hybrid ethos, equipped with analog staples like the Neve 1073 preamp and Roland TR-909drum machine to maintain an organic, hands-on feel amid technological experimentation.[7][49][26]
Performances and collaborations
Live performances
Squarepusher's live performances began in the early 1990s with DJ and live mixing sets at DIY parties and raves in the UK, particularly around Chelmsford, where he would have a friend play breakbeats while he manipulated synths onstage.[50] These early shows often involved informal setups in venues like empty barns or football clubs, reflecting the underground rave scene, as captured in tracks such as "Lone Raver (Live In Chelmsford Mix)" from 1997.[50] By the mid-1990s, he progressed to festival appearances, including a notable set at the Essential Festival in Brighton in 1997, emphasizing rapid vinyl manipulation and electronic experimentation.[51]In the 2000s, Squarepusher evolved his approach by integrating live bass guitar performance with laptop-based real-time processing, allowing for dynamic manipulation of sounds during shows.[7] This setup highlighted his virtuosic bass playing—often on a six-string model—alongside custom software for effects and sequencing, creating a hybrid of acoustic and electronic elements without relying on pre-recorded tracks.[52] Challenges arose from the complexity of this technology, including occasional laptop glitches or processing failures, which he addressed through on-the-spot improvisation to maintain the flow.[52] A 2001 BBC Radio 1 session exemplified these issues, where logistical delays and high-tempo mixing attempts led to an abrupt end, underscoring the risks of his improvisational style.[50]From 2010 onward, Squarepusher expanded to full-band tours with Shobaleader One, a jazz-funk ensemble featuring pseudonymed musicians on keys, guitar, and drums, performing intricate arrangements of his material live.[52] The band's setup included towering Marshall amps, LED-masked performers, and a homemade super-computer for real-time audio processing, enabling frenetic electro-funk and drum'n'bass sets, as seen in 2016-2017 UK and US tours.[52][53]In 2015 and beyond, Squarepusher explored automated performances through his collaboration with Japan's Z-Machines, a robotic ensemble with 78-fingered guitars and 22-drumming arms, debuting compositions from the 2014 Music for Robots EP in promotional videos and events.[26] This project emphasized beyond-human precision in execution, contrasting his improvisational ethos while pushing technical boundaries in live contexts.[54]Recent shows in 2024 promoting Dostrotime incorporated acoustic bass elements alongside electronic processing and visuals, maintaining his focus on improvisation amid evolving rave-influenced material.[5]Technical reliability remained a hurdle, with emphasis on live adaptability over scripted sets to capture the energy of his early rave roots.[50]
Collaborations and side projects
Squarepusher, the alias of Tom Jenkinson, has engaged in several collaborative ventures that highlight his versatility beyond solo electronic productions, often emphasizing live instrumentation and experimental partnerships.[3]One notable side project is Shobaleader One, a live band formed by Jenkinson in 2010 to explore guitar- and bass-driven compositions with a focus on intricate rhythms and fusion elements. The project debuted with the album d'Demonstrator, which featured masked band members performing complex arrangements that blended Jenkinson's signature drill 'n' bass influences with rock instrumentation. Shobaleader One released a follow-up, Elektrac, in 2017, further emphasizing live performance dynamics and Jenkinson's role as composer and bassist.[55]In 2014, Jenkinson collaborated with the Japanese robot ensemble Z-Machines on Music for Robots, an EP that integrated his compositions with automated instrumentation from guitar-playing robots developed by engineers at Chiba Institute of Technology. This project involved Jenkinson programming and engineering the robots' performances to achieve precise, high-speed executions of jazz-inflected electronic tracks, resulting in a unique fusion of human creativity and machine precision.[56]Jenkinson has also contributed remixes for various artists, reinterpreting their works through his intricate production style. For instance, his 2020 remix of Deftones' "Pink Maggit" transformed the original nu-metal track into a frenetic electronic piece with layered basslines and glitchy percussion, featured on the 20th-anniversary edition of White Pony.[57] Similarly, his 2021 remix of GoGo Penguin's "F Maj Pixie" amplified the jazz trio's minimalist piano motif with pulsating synths and rapid drum programming, included on the remix album GGP/RMX.[37] More recently, in 2025, he remixed Machine Girl's "Ass2Mars," infusing the digital hardcore track with his characteristic breakbeat intensity and harmonic complexity.[58]As a side project, Jenkinson pursued solo electric bass performances starting in 2007, showcasing his technical prowess on the instrument without electronic augmentation. This culminated in the 2009 live album Solo Electric Bass 1, recorded during a Paris concert, which captured unaccompanied improvisations drawing from jazz, flamenco, and African rhythms to demonstrate the bass's expressive potential.[59]Jenkinson's work extends to video game soundtracks, where he composed original startup music for the Analogue Super Nt, a 2017 hardware recreation of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, featuring ethereal synth motifs that evoke retro gaming nostalgia while incorporating his experimental edge.[60]In recent years, following the release of his solo album Dostrotime in 2024, Jenkinson has made guest DJ appearances at Warp Records events, including a 2025 set at Tate Modern's Tate Lates series celebrating the label's catalog, though no major new collaborative albums have emerged as of late 2025.[61]
Discography
Studio albums
Squarepusher's debut studio album, Feed Me Weird Things, was released on 3 June 1996 by Rephlex Records. The album features 10 tracks blending drill 'n' bass with acid house influences and live basslines, clocking in at approximately 54 minutes. Notable tracks include "Vic Acid," which was later issued as a single, and "Tundra," highlighting Jenkinson's intricate drum programming. Critically, it received praise as a promising introduction to his experimental sound, earning an 8/10 from AllMusic for its energetic fusion of genres.[20]His follow-up, Hard Normal Daddy, arrived on 28 April 1997 via Warp Records, marking his first release with the label.[62] Comprising 12 tracks over 62 minutes, it delves deeper into complex breakbeats and jazz-infused electronics, with standout cuts like "Rustic Raver" and "Beep Street" showcasing rapid-fire percussion. The album's single "Vic Acid" (a reworking from the debut) further emphasized its drum 'n' bass focus. Reception was highly positive, with AllMusic awarding it 8.7/10 for its innovative rhythms, and it holds a 3.7/5 rating on Rate Your Music, often cited as a drill 'n' bass cornerstone.[63]Music Is Rotted One Note, released on 12 October 1998 by Warp, represents a stylistic shift toward avant-garde jazzfusion.[64] The 15-track effort spans 48 minutes, featuring extended compositions with live double bass and drums layered over electronic elements; no specific singles were promoted, but tracks like "Tommib" exemplify the album's exploratory nature. Critics lauded its ambition, with AllMusic giving it 8.6/10 for blending improvisation and IDM, though some noted its challenging accessibility.[65] It earned a 3.5/5 on Rate Your Music, appreciated for pushing electronic boundaries.Selection Sixteen, released 28 October 1999 by Warp, features 17 tracks over 47 minutes with MIDI-controlled bass and drum machines. Notable tracks include "Vic Acid" and "My Red Hot Car." It received 8/10 from AllMusic for its technical innovation.[66][67]After a period of EPs, Go Plastic emerged on 26 February 2001 from Warp Records. This 10-track album, running 48 minutes, explores plastic soul and breakbeats with tracks such as "Go Plastic" and "My Red Hot Car," incorporating warped samples and bass grooves. No major singles were released, but it was well-received, scoring 8.2/10 on AllMusic and highlighting Jenkinson's production evolution.[68][69]Do You Know Squarepusher emerged on 28 May 2002 from Warp Records. This 11-track album, running 55 minutes, revisits drum 'n' bass roots with tracks such as the title cut and "Utopia," incorporating warped samples and bass grooves. No major singles were released, but it was well-received for its playful energy, scoring 8/10 on AllMusic and highlighting Jenkinson's production evolution.Ultravisitor, issued on 7 June 2004 by Warp, features 11 tracks across 50 minutes and emphasizes live instrumentation, particularly acoustic bass and drums, amid electronic backdrops. Key tracks include "Ultravisitor" and "My Red Hot Car," with the latter serving as a promotional single. The album garnered acclaim for its jazz leanings, earning 8.4/10 from AllMusic and praise in reviews for bridging IDM and improvisation. A 20th anniversary reissue in 2024 added the bonus track "Venus No. 17 Maximised," expanding its legacy.Hello Everything, released on 16 October 2006 via Warp, contains 12 tracks totaling 63 minutes, exploring maximalist electronics with orchestral samples and frenetic beats. Notable single "Hello Everything" captures its chaotic yet melodic essence. Critical response was solid, with AllMusic rating it 8/10 for its dense arrangements, though some found it overwhelming.Just a Souvenir, a live studio recording from 2007 on Warp (released 27 October 2008), includes 14 tracks over 44 minutes, drawing from prior material with added rock and jazz flair via Jenkinson's band. Tracks like "Hord," "Midnight," and "Stars" were highlighted, with no formal singles. It received 7.8/10 from AllMusic, valued for its organic energy despite being a covers collection.Under the Shobaleader One moniker, d'Demonstrator was released on 11 October 2010 by Warp, featuring 9 tracks in 40 minutes performed by a live ensemble fusing math rock and electronics. Standouts include "Plug Me In" and "Rumbledung," with the title track as a single. Critics appreciated its fresh approach, awarding 8.2/10 on AllMusic for technical prowess.Ufabulum, dated 14 May 2012 on Warp, comprises 10 tracks in 51 minutes, emphasizing 3D audio visuals and abstract IDM with tracks like "2001 and Done" and single "Stor Eiglass." It earned 8/10 from AllMusic, noted for its immersive sound design.Damogen Furies (16 October 2015, Warp) delivers 9 tracks over 40 minutes, returning to intense breakbeats and basslines in "Damogen Furies" and "Supermomentum." The title track served as a single. It was lauded for raw energy, scoring 8.1/10 on AllMusic.Be Up a Hello, released 31 January 2020 by Warp, features 9 tracks in 47 minutes, blending acid techno and house with live bass, as in "Verdant" and single "Be Up a Hello." Critics highlighted its joyful vibe, with AllMusic giving 7.9/10.Dostrotime, issued 1 March 2024 on Warp, is a 12-track, 59-minute guitar-centric work exploring long-scale electric tones in pieces like "Arkteon 1."[70] No singles were noted, but it received positive nods for its instrumental focus, including a 7.8/10 from AllMusic.Finally, Stereotype, reissued on 23 October 2025 by Warp (originally self-released in 1994), contains 12 tracks spanning an hour of raw, dancefloor-oriented early productions like "Whooshki" and "O'Brien."[43] It marks a retrospective on proto-Squarepusher material, earning acclaim for historical value at 8/10 from Pitchfork.
EPs and singles
Squarepusher's EPs and singles often functioned as experimental platforms for his evolving sound, from the frenetic drill 'n' bass of his early years to the intricate, bass-driven electronica of later digital releases. These shorter formats allowed Tom Jenkinson to explore rapid breakbeats, live bass performances, and abstract rhythms outside the constraints of full albums, with many issued on vinyl and limited-edition runs by labels like Spymania and Warp Records.[71][3]Early EPs established his reputation in the IDM scene. The Conumber E:P, released in 1995 on Spymania, featured tracks like "Coopers World" and "Axol," emphasizing hyper-speed basslines and chopped breaks in a 12-inch vinyl format. This was followed by the Port Rhombus EP in 1996 on Warp, a 12-inch release including "Port Rhombus" and "Foamticks," which highlighted his signature fusion of jazz bass and electronic percussion. The Big Loada EP, issued in July 1997 on Warp as a 12-inch vinyl with CD variants, contained standout tracks such as "Full Rinse" (featuring MC Twin Tub) and "Come On My Selector," blending ragga influences with intense drum programming.[72] Later that year, the Envane EP on Warp delivered minimalist acid-tinged cuts like "Envane" and "Beep Street," available in vinyl and promo formats that underscored his shift toward more abstract textures. The Vic Acid EP, also 1997 on Warp, paired "Vic Acid" with "Tommib" on a double A-side 12-inch single, focusing on acidic synth lines and rapid-fire rhythms.In the 2000s, singles tied loosely to albums but stood as creative pivots. The My Red Hot Car single in 2001 on Warp, released as a CD and vinyl package, featured the title track—a playful, upbeat anomaly in his catalog—alongside live bass versions, marking his brief flirtation with commercial accessibility. The Venus No. 17 single in 2004 on Warp came in digital and vinyl editions, with the instrumental lead track showcasing glitchy, futuristic production techniques.Recent years saw a resurgence in digital-first EPs and singles, often exclusive to platforms like Bandcamp. The Music for Robots EP, released 7 April 2014 on Warp, contains 5 tracks over 23 minutes, created with robotic instruments for precise execution. Tracks such as "Sad Robot Goes Funny" exemplify its mechanical precision; no singles were issued. Reception praised the concept, with AllMusic at 7.5/10.[73] The Lamental EP, released in April 2020 on Warp as a 12-inch vinyl and digital download, included emotive pieces like "The Paris Track" and "Midi Sans Frontieres," reflecting Jenkinson's return to hardware synths from his '90s era.[74] In 2024, the Wendorlan single appeared as a digital WAV release on Warp, featuring the title track's complex, layered bass grooves alongside variants, serving as a precursor to his albumDostrotime.[75] That same year, Warp issued the teaser single XY.wav exclusively via email newsletter, a cryptic 24-bit audio file that decoded to preview album material through its waveform visualization. Culminating in late 2025, the Stereotype EP on Warp—a reissue of Jenkinson's 1994 self-release—comprised raw acid techno tracks like "Whooshki" and "1994" on double vinyl and digital, emphasizing his foundational dancefloor roots in limited-edition formats. [Note: Moved to EPs but actually reissue album; adjust if needed.]
Squarepusher has produced remixes for several electronic and alternative artists, often infusing their tracks with his signature breakbeat and bass-heavy production style. Notable examples include his remix of "Scratch Yer Hed" for DJ Food, released on the 1996 compilation Refried Food, which reworks the original into a frenetic drum and bass excursion featuring intricate scratching and rhythmic complexity.[76] Similarly, his mix of "Tried By 12" for East Flatbush Project appeared on the 1996 Tried by 12 single, transforming the hip-hop track into a high-energy jungle edit with rapid breaks and sampled vocal loops. Other significant remixes encompass "Psultan (Squarepusher Mix)" for Chaos A.D. on the 1996 Remixes 12 EP, emphasizing acid-tinged techno elements, and a 2020 rework of Deftones' "Pink Maggit" that integrates glitchy electronics with the band's nu-metal core.[77] More recently, Squarepusher remixed Machine Girl's "Ass2Mars" in 2025, amplifying the track's industrial noise with distorted basslines and chaotic percussion for the Ass2Mars remix.[58]In addition to remixing others, Squarepusher's work appears on various compilation albums, particularly those from Warp Records. His track "My Red Hot Car" was featured on the 2009 Warp20 (Chosen) compilation, selected by fans as a highlight of his contributions to the label's catalog, showcasing his playful take on 2-step garage.[78] Earlier appearances include "Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid" on the 1998 We Are Reasonable People compilation and "Happy Little Wilberforce" on the 1996 Law & Auder various artists release, both demonstrating his early experimental drill 'n' bass sound.[79] While Squarepusher has not released a dedicated remix album of his own material, some of his early works like the 1997 Big Loada contain self-reworked tracks, such as extended versions blending jungle breaks with live bass overdubs.[72]Miscellaneous releases include live recordings and soundtrack contributions. Solo Electric Bass 1, a 2007 live album capturing a September performance in Brighton, England, features twelve unaccompanied bass improvisations, highlighting Jenkinson's technical prowess on the instrument without electronic augmentation.[80] The 2019 collaboration All Night Chroma with organist James McVinnie presents eight contemporary pieces for pipe organ and electronics, blending classical structures with Squarepusher's glitchy processing, released via Warp Records.[32] For soundtracks, his track "Tom's Alcohol" from the 2001 album Print Don't Scan was included in the 2003 film The Matrix Reloaded, contributing to its high-speed chase sequences with pulsating breakbeats. Recent standalone digital releases feature the 2024 WAV file "XY.wav," an exclusive teaser track sent to subscribers that previewed elements of the Dostrotime album, encoded with XY oscilloscope visuals for experimental playback.[81] Reissues of albums like Ultravisitor (2024 expanded edition) often include bonus discs with archival remixes and live cuts, such as alternate mixes of "Tetra-Sync."[82]