Squarepusher - Damogen Furies (Japan Edition) (2015)

Prolific electronic extraordinaire Tom Jenkinson AKA Squarepusher returns with Damogen Furies, the latest in a long lineage of landmark LPs dating back to the classic Feed Me Weird Things in 1996. Advancing on the overwhelming, big-room theatrics of 2012 LP Ufabulum, Damogen Furies sees Jenkinson take it to the extreme; deploying harsh, exaggerated melodies woven into a perplexingly complex rhythmic tapestry of his trademarked scatter-gun drum breaks and twitchy IDM roots. Any hopes of being eased in gently are quickly abolished with the punishing wallops of opener ‘Stor Eiglass’, which are offset against stadium-ready, anthemic synth strings, whereas the darker ‘Baltang Ort’ retains a more sinister edge with its undercoating of foreboding ambient texture. ‘Rayc Fire 2’ and ‘Baltang Arg’ explore a more aggressive form; regularly exploding into fits of sonic spasm, yet it’s the lush melodic touches and eye-watering breakdowns that prevent the sound from becoming excessive. We’re also afforded the odd comic moment, such as the joyously hyped-up melodic ditty that sits in the mid-point of ‘Kontenjaz’, or the glitchy, mind warping aural detonations that underpin ‘Exjag Nives’. The menacing ‘Kwang Bass’ brandishes the obligatory razor-sharp 303 line, setting up the gargantuan finale of ‘D Frozent Aac’ which closes another visionary release from an artist intent on continually testing the possibilities of electronic music.