Squarepusher is Tom Jenkinson, the Chelmsford, England-born electronic musician and bass virtuoso who helped define IDM and drum and bass on Warp Records alongside Aphex Twin and Autechre. Hard Normal Daddy (1997) and Go Plastic (2001) are the classic ways in — jazz fusion chops colliding with breakneck programming. Dig into Squarepusher vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Tom Jenkinson, performing as Squarepusher, was born in Chelmsford, Essex, England on January 17, 1975. He launched his recording career in the mid-1990s with Spymania releases before signing with Warp Records in 1996. He is widely cited as one of the foundational figures of contemporary IDM (intelligent dance music) and drum and bass alongside Aphex Twin, Autechre, and others - Warp Records founding era. His distinctive integration of virtuosic bass guitar performance (bass virtuoso live performance approach) and jazz fusion influences alongside IDM and drum and bass electronic production has distinguished him from his Warp contemporaries. His parallel work as Shobaleader One (2010-present band project performing his material live with band lineup) has been. He has continued releasing material across multiple decades with international touring presence.
Squarepusher's sound combines IDM, drum and bass, jungle, electronic, jazz fusion, breakcore, electronica, and experimental electronic with his distinctive virtuosic bass guitar work, virtuosic production approaches, and varied compositional approaches drawing on classic 1970s jazz fusion alongside contemporary IDM and electronic music influences.
Spymania, Rephlex, and Warp Records pressings of the Squarepusher catalog are foundational items in IDM collecting, with collector premiums on rare pressings.
Listeners new to Squarepusher typically start with Hard Normal Daddy (1997) or Go Plastic (2001).
