“Hello world!”
Much like Gorillaz’s recent re-introduction to the pantheon of live music at the end of last summer, Squarepusher’s entrance tonight signified a reignition of London’s emphatic rave and IDM culture. With the translucent welcoming words illuminated at the backdrop of Tom Jenkinson’s helm on-stage, the Camden crowd embarked upon a rave-fuelled journey inspired by the past 30 years.
Granted, we may not have found ourselves in the apex of our 90’s rave culture beholding this country, however, if this evening was to prove anything, it’d be our still-insatiable appetite for IDM and drum n bass music. With the latter consuming much of Squarepusher’s latest material, harking back to the glory days when acts such as Aphex Twin and The Prodigy dominated much of the realm, Jenkinson utilised his dexterous hands in a frenzy of colourised strobe lights and psychedelic background images.
Fuelled by the sporadic, jittery, hyper-focused, unpredictable, and scattered drum n bass rhythms, ‘Vortrack’ saw Jenkinson furiously gesticulating and finger pointing at the Friday night crowd in an attempt for them to latch onto the sporadically thumping beats. A wave and flick-back of the hair every once in a while, and Jenkinson resumed straight back to the management of his trustworthy bass guitar and mixing decks on-stage, as the hardened drill n bass tropes within ‘Vortrack’ gave way to the glistening, microtonal whirrings in ‘Oberlove’.
Yet something went amiss tonight, within this chaotic frenzy, excavating our very own culture from the past few decades - a mark that was missed throughout without sticking the landing. Perhaps it was the true lack of convincing experimentalism, or tying narrative constructing much of these beats and refrains coherently together, or even the lack of constructive transitions between tracks which gave a slightly unnerving feeling to Squarepusher’s set.
Whichever of these reasons may have been true, Jenkinson seemed determined to conclude on the stuttery, upbeat riff within ‘Nervelevers’, marking more of a true-blue homage to the drum n bass culture of 25 years prior. The trashy beats and inevitable beatbreak midway through the track, gave a more convincing conclusion to a frustrating night reciting the U.K.'s rave culture that once was. Squarepusher may not have proven himself as convincing as his contemporaries, however, his lust and insatiable recital of IDM music warranted a frenzied applause from the Friday night crowd readying themselves for the weekend thanks to a scene which is alive and kicking.
6/10
Squarepusher's latest LP, Be Up a Hello, is out now and can be found here.
Photos are courtesy of Jess Rose and Nicholas O'Donnell whose work can be found here.
Comments