Squarepusher

Thomas Russell Jenkinson, known professionally as Squarepusher, is an English electronic musician, record producer, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and DJ.

His music spans several genres including drum and bass, IDM, acid techno, jazz fusion, and electroacoustic music.

His recordings are often typified by a combination of complex drum programming, live instrumental playing, and digital signal processing.

In 1986, Jenkinson went to the King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford.

One of his formative musical experiences came from seeing guitarist Guthrie Govan playing in the school's inter-house music competition.

He developed a lasting friendship with Govan.

Jenkinson joined his first band at 12, a Metallica-influenced thrash metal group consisting of several other pupils from the school.

Over subsequent years Jenkinson played bass guitar in various local bands, playing numerous shows around East Anglia and London, and took part in some studio recordings.

In 1991, Jenkinson became interested in house music, hardcore, acid house and techno.

He cited hearing the track "LFO" by LFO as an early influence.

In August 1993, Jenkinson recorded a piece named "O'Brien"; with his friend, Hardy Finn, he raised enough money to release it with additional material on a vinyl 12". Jenkinson and his friends took the copies of the record to various local record shops but found reactions disappointing. By 1995 he was playing live sets, including a performance at Eurobeat 2000 at Turnmills in 1995, and "O'Brien" was part of his setlist.

In late 1994, Jenkinson began pursuing his fascination for integrating breakbeats into electronic music.

The first recordings using Jenkinson's new setup were released on the Spymania label.

Two EPs, Conumber and Alroy Road Tracks, were released under the pseudonym "The Duke of Harringay".

Jenkinson began receiving invitations from clubs to play regular sets, including The Sir George Robey in Finsbury Park.

He then placed two songs on Worm Interface releases, "Dragon Disc 2" and the "Bubble and Squeak" EPs.

Since 1995, he has recorded for Warp Records as well as smaller labels, including Rephlex Records.

He is the older brother of Ceephax Acid Crew (Andy Jenkinson).

Tom Jenkinson grew up in Chelmsford, Essex.

The first school he attended was affiliated with Chelmsford Cathedral, exposing him to organ music.

He took an interest in this, as well as music reproduction equipment.

Jenkinson accepted a five-album record contract with Warp Records in December 1995.

This led him to defer his studies at Chelsea Art College.

But the meeting also facilitated James' initial selection of Jenkinson's tracks that went on to form the Feed Me Weird Things album, released on Rephlex Records in 1996.

Early in 1996, James completed the compilation process for Feed Me Weird Things, which was made from over 50 tracks that Jenkinson had given him on DAT, which were recorded from late 1994 to 1995.

Frequencies'' compilation released on Worm Interface in 1996.

1996 saw Jenkinson starting to be offered performances both in the UK and in continental Europe.

Early that year Jenkinson made the acquaintance of Talvin Singh who offered him a slot at his club night "Anokha" held at the Blue Note Club in Hoxton Square, London.

Jenkinson and Singh went on to play together on several occasions during this period, including improvised sessions at the end of the night at Anokha, one of which featured guitarist Guthrie Govan, and also at the first Big Chill Festival in 1996.

Shortly after the release of Feed Me Weird Things came "Port Rhombus" which was Jenkinson's (by now known as Squarepusher) first release on Warp Records.

The title track was initially a remix of a track by Ken Ishii, commissioned by R&S Records in Belgium.

However, the remix was rejected on the basis of it having insufficient similarity to Ishii's piece.

"Significant Others" used the DR660 drum machine running through a spring reverb, that Squarepusher found at a jumble sale.

Around the same time James and Jenkinson recorded two tracks together, one of which was subsequently edited by Jenkinson and released as "Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid" on the We Are Reasonable People compilation album in 1998.

Jenkinson's contribution to the other track was reinterpreted and released as "Happy Little Wilberforce" on the ''Alt.

At this time, Jenkinson was becoming obsessed with bringing a "dark psychedelia" to drum and bass (which would eventually reach its zenith with Go Plastic from 2001).

During this period Jenkinson also made a remix for Ninja Tune's DJ Food, which featured on the EP "Refried Food".

The remix led Ninja Tune to offer Jenkinson a record contract, which along with an offer from Belgium's R&S records he declined in favor of a contract offered by Warp Records, which was partially instigated by Richard D. James, known professionally as Aphex Twin.

Correspondence between James and Jenkinson sprung up after meeting at The George Robey.

The resulting meeting led to Jenkinson's first hearing of the Hangable Auto Bulb EP which Richard had brought with him.