The son of a jazz drummer, Jenkinson grew up listening to greats such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and Art Blakey, plus dub pioneers King Tubby and Augustus Pablo. He played bass and drums in high school but was frustrated by the limitations of playing with other musicians. Introduced to electronic music through experimental electro-techno artists such as LFO and Carl Craig as well as the local rave scene, Jenkinson soon began assembling these disparate influences into an amalgam of post-bop, avant-garde and progressive jazz with breakbeat techno, making heavy use of the Amen break.
Conumber E:P and another early EP, as Duke Of Haringey, Alroy Road Tracks (1995, Spymania), were initially disregarded as misplaced perversions of jungle's more obvious compositional principles. However, they found a ready audience in fans of post-acid house experimental listening music. Tracks from these EPs were later compiled onto the album Burningn'n tree.
His first album, Feed Me Weird Things (1996, Rephlex - Richard D. James' label) and from there he progressed to Warp Records for the Port Rhombus EP, classic second album Hard Normal Daddy (1997) and all subsequent releases to date - except, as Chaos A.D., an album of old acid techno tracks, Buzz Caner (1998, Rephlex).
For Music Is Rotted One Note (1998), he stopped using sampled drum breaks and instead multi-tracked himself playing drums, bass, and keyboards. The following year, he released two EPs: Budakhan Mindphone and Maximum Priest, plus album Selection Sixteen.
Go Plastic (summer 2001), marked a change of direction with entirely sampled and synthesized sounds. It includes the closest thing to a hit single Squarepusher had seen, "My Red Hot Car". His subsequent releases, e.g. Do You Know Squarepusher (2003) and Ultravisitor (2004), found him refining his fusion of composition, programming and musicianship.
More recently, Just A Souvenir (2008), with a more rock-influenced sound, was followed by Solo Electric Bass (2009), consisting of live recordings of Jenkinson on the titular instrument.
Into the Blue
Squarepusher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost in the place somewhere quite moving?
Hearing the (dark?)
Are you alive?
Where did you go that night?
The trace of memories winds me tight.
How could it be?
Vanish into clean air
Inside the (voice).???????????
Wake up my voice.??????
When will it be too late?
The search of you (my friend? afraid?) keeps me awake.
How could it be?
Vanish into clean air.
Disappear so gracefully, stranded somewhere.
Can the sky see you?
While you′re staring out to water never ending.
Into the blue.
The static place.
Devoid is now the day that's fading(failing).
Frozen estate.
The lyrics of Squarepusher's song "Into The Blue" seem to describe a person who is lost and searching desperately for someone or something in a park, or someplace quite moving. The darkness and the memories are taking over, making the person feel trapped and unable to escape the overwhelming emotions. The person's voice seems to be inside, and the lyrics are asking when it will be too late to wake it up. The search for this friend, or an unidentified entity, is keeping the person awake and anxious. The lyrics suggest that something or someone has vanished into thin air, disappearing gracefully and leaving the person stranded somewhere. The sky seems to be mocking the person, watching them as they gaze at the never-ending water, fading into a static, frozen state.
The lyrics are not very clear and leave room for interpretation, which is a common technique used by Squarepusher to spark the listener's imagination. The song is composed primarily of electronic sounds and drum beats, with distorted vocal samples peppered throughout. According to a Pitchfork review, the song has been described as "an elegy for a lost friend". The themes of loneliness, loss, and regret are present throughout the song. The music video for the song features footage of water and waves, further emphasizing the sense of longing and the desire to escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost in the (park?)
Feeling lost and unsure, wandering somewhere unfamiliar or uncomfortable, akin to being lost in a park.
Lost in the place somewhere quite moving?
Feeling lost and uncertain in a place that is evocative, stirring, and meaningful.
Hearing the (dark?)
Being acutely aware of the ominous, foreboding presence of darkness.
Are you alive?
Questioning one's own existence and sense of aliveness.
Where did you go that night?
Wondering about the whereabouts of someone who disappeared, possibly during a specific time period or event.
The trace of memories winds me tight.
Feeling overwhelmed and trapped by the powerful and persistent memories of someone or something.
How could it be?
Expressing disbelief and bewilderment about a situation or feeling.
Vanish into clean air
Suggesting a disappearance that is quick, clean, and seemingly without a trace.
Disappear so gracefully, stranded somewhere.
Describing a disappearance that has a certain elegance or beauty, but at the same time conveys lingering feelings of abandonment or isolation.
Inside the (voice).???????????
Uncertain or ambiguous reference to an inner voice that seems to be speaking or communicating something, but is not fully clear or comprehensible.
Wake up my voice.??????
Urging or pleading with oneself to speak up, assert oneself, or simply to become more present and engaged in the moment or situation.
When will it be too late?
Expressing a sense of urgency or anxiety about a situation that is reaching a critical or pivotal point.
The search of you (my friend? afraid?) keeps me awake.
Continuing the theme of a search or quest for someone or something that is elusive or missing, and which is having a detrimental effect on the singer's state of mind.
Can the sky see you?
A poetic, somewhat mystical question about the possibility of transcendence or being seen by a higher power.
While you′re staring out to water never ending.
Suggesting a state of contemplation, reflection, or longing, while gazing out at an expansive or infinite landscape (in this case, water).
Into the blue.
An invocation or invitation to enter a state of heightened awareness or emotion, perhaps one of serenity, mystery, or surrender.
The static place.
A description of a place that is lifeless, unchanging, and flat, without movement or energy.
Devoid is now the day that's fading(failing).
Reflecting on the passing of time, and the sense that each day is slipping away without leaving much of an impression or lasting impact.
Frozen estate.
A bleak and desolate description of a place that is lifeless, sterile, and unyielding, perhaps representing a state of mind or a challenge that seems insurmountable.
Writer(s): Tom Jenkinson
Contributed by Max O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.