Squarepusher is a pseudonym of Chelmsford, Essex, England, electronic music… Read Full Bio ↴Squarepusher is a pseudonym of Chelmsford, Essex, England, electronic musician Tom Jenkinson (b. 1975), best known for his experimental drum and bass, with a heavy jazz fusion influence. A skilled bassist and multi-instrumentalist, Jenkinson's virtuoso playing is a staple of his music and one of the more obvious affiliations with jazz (although his formal arrangements are often as jazz-derived as his playing). His bass style includes melodic fretless playing, high-speed slap bass and intricate chordal work. The project débuted with Conumber E:P (1995, Spymania) and the latest is Be Up A Hello (January 2020, Warp).

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.

Unreleased Track 1
Squarepusher Lyrics

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sort out the record (?) break it down like this

Overall Meaning

The meaning behind Squarepusher's lyrics in "Schizm #1" is quite enigmatic and abstract, likely reflecting the experimental nature of the music. However, the phrase "sort out the record break it down like this" could be interpreted as a call to critically examine and deconstruct the societal conventions and structures that are often taken for granted. The use of the word "record" could refer to history, traditions, or even the music industry, all of which can be subject to scrutiny and recontextualization. By "breaking it down," Squarepusher suggests that we must dissect and analyze these constructs in order to fully understand and perhaps challenge them.

The use of the term "schizm" in the song's title and as part of the repeated vocal sample also adds to the idea of fragmentation and dissection. Schizm, which is likely a variation of the word "schism," implies a division or split between opposing forces. This could be interpreted in a number of ways, whether referring to societal polarization or even the inner conflicts within an individual's psyche. Overall, the lyrics of "Schizm #1" seem to encourage critical thinking and challenging the status quo.

Line by Line Meaning

sort out the record (?) break it down like this
Organize the music into individual pieces and examine them separately

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM JENKINSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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