Ufabulum marks the start of another new chapter in the Squarepusher discography, as Tom moved away once again, from live instruments, which had contributed much to his previous outing, Just a Souvenir, and went back to the digital world. Ufabulum was created with the help of a bespoke piece of music production and performance software, which Tom developed and coded himself. Not to mention a new look, with the LED helmet he donned for the album cover and the accompanying live shows. The result was a shiny new sound, and twinkling monochrome aesthetic, which many people seemed to think at the time was influenced by, or in some way a response to the EDM sound which had become massive by this point.
For some reason, I don’t think I listened much to Ufabulum when it came out, despite the fact I went to see Squarepusher live as part of the promotional tour. I would’ve checked it out a bit ahead of that gig just to make sure I recognised the tracks but I don’t remember ever spending a decent amount of time with the album. I dunno if it’s just because that was not my area of interest at the time, 2012 I was listening to a lot of techno, minimal techno so maybe I just didn’t fancy a new ‘pusher album at the time
So I never had particularly strong opinions on Ufabulum when it came out, and it’s only in subsequent years that I’ve become more familiar with it, though even now it’s definitely not a record I can say I know back to front (like several of Squarepusher’s albums). I do remember some of the reaction at the time was that Squarepusher had “gone EDM” or was parodying the “brostep” sound, of overly exaggerated drops, plasticky synths and cartoonish bass whomp.
Obviously I avoid that kind of music but some of it inevitably filters through, so I could see why the comparison was made. But listening now, thankfully at a point where nothing you might call brostep penetrates my ears, it feels like a bit of a tenuous link. I’m not saying Squarepusher wasn’t influenced by contemporary styles, or even that he didn’t want to have a little jab at EDM producers, much like he did with UK Garage a decade before with My Red Hot Car, but I don’t think it’s the most helpful context in which to view Ufabulum.
Despite the aesthetic change from the bright colours of Hello Everything and the overly zany, Just a Souvenir, at the end of the day, it’s archetypal Squarepusher: screwball jazzy melodies, that stay just the acceptable side of whacky, basslines that writhe and twist like barely controlled beasts and dizzying feats of rhythmic complexity and technical wizardry. Yeah sure he gave his sound a glow-up so everything lives in this 8-bit LED Tron-style world, but it’s very much the Tom Jenkinson we know and love.
Ufabulum is very much an album of two halves, with the first being more accessible (relatively speaking) with more straightforward song structures, more emphasis on melody and tracks that don’t make you work as hard for the payoff. The latter half, from The Metallurgist onwards, is harder, darker, more impenetrable, with less focus on melody but is perhaps a fuller execution of the change in sound that Jenkinson was attempting with Ufabulum.
Opening track 4001 lays out the manifesto for Ufabulum pretty well with a shiny robotic sounding beat that builds to what you might be tempted to call a euphoric breakdown. Glistening synths pave the way for a pretty resounding and triumphant ‘chorus’. There’s a hint of trance about it, which is probably partly where the EDM comparison comes in, just in the treatment of the synths rather than the physical sensation of the music. The beat is very much Squarepusher – fidgety, restless and well north of 160bpm. Around 3:12 we get a little bass solo – in case we weren’t sure we were listening to Squarepusher – but I think it’s completely synth-based rather than played on the usual bass guitar. The track begins to deconstruct in the second half, again in typical Squarepusher fashion, as if his machines are turning against him and strafing the studio with laser fire.
The jokily basic-sounding chiptune riff on Unreal Square, coupled with a barreling snare drum and bass whomp is probably responsible for most of the EDM references to Ufabulum. In a tone that sounds like a relic from mobile phone ringtone circa 2001, Tom lays down a riff that’s almost obnoxiously simple. Again this gives way to soaring synth pads that reach for the elevated energy of trance or old school rave music, without the ecstatic euphoria. Midway through the track, Tom accidentally steps on the fast-forward button and it morphs into Super Mario on speed – or some other predictable analogy. Once again the track begins to tear itself apart during the final segment as aggressive bleeps, bloops and blasts of noise overpower the mix.
The following pair of tracks, Stadium Ice and Energy Wizard take the energy down a notch and repurpose some of the tweeness found on Just a Souvenir. Both contain exceptionally pleasing tactile sounds and robo synth noises – think Squarepusher plays Daft Punk – and have a strong computer game soundtrack aesthetic. I’ve talked at length in previous videos about Squarepusher’s penchant for cosmic melodies, that combined with the heavily nostalgic video game vibes and synth pop chords (especially in Energy Wizard) make these feel like the soundtrack to Jenkinson’s cosmic journeyman returning to Earth after a long stint battling aliens in some galactic archipelago.
Ufabulum is bifurcated by Red and Blue – a sombre passage of heavy synth chords and organ notes. It doesn’t bear resemblance to much in the pusher catalogue to date – except maybe Orient Orange off Hello Everything and is certainly far more fully formed than any of the synth noodling on Music is Rotted One. A handy palette cleanser between the lighter first half and more intense second, it also further embeds the latent sci-fi atmosphere of Ufabulum.
But sci-fi turns to horror on The Metallurgist, where for the first time you feel Tom unleashing the dark side of his Ufabulum set-up. With endlessly rising horror movie strings casting an uneasy backdrop as a squelching acid bass line comes to life to battle against bolts of laser beams, I feel The Metallurgist could tell the story of an ambitious inventor, who unwittingly releases forces of chaos and malevolence into the world in his quest to craft a mechanical minion, who then turns on his creator.
But much of this is just prelude as Ufabulum continues to raise the stakes, with the brooding and foreboding Drax 2, a sound Tom has returned to recently on Dostrotime. Again like something from a sci-fi/horror movie soundtrack, the track builds gradually to a crushing climax. The Metallurgist and Drax 2 maybe lack much of what many fans probably dig about Squarepusher, i.e. jazzy melodies, funky rhythm, that sense of screwball fun etc, which is possibly why this album wasn’t so well received. If I’m right that it wasn’t well received?
After that hard stint – honestly listening to the final portion of Drax 2 on decent equipment feels if nothing else like you’ve absorbed a shit ton of data, Tom gives us something a little more propulsive in the shape of Dark Steering. Judging by the number of streams, it’s easily the most popular cut on Ufabulum. And from the elasticated bass and skank-inducing rhythm of the opening you can hear a little of the Skrillex comparison. As the title not so subtly suggests, it’s a piece to evoke the feeling of driving, though I’d hesitate to encourage listening to it while in charge of a motor vehicle.
The more I’ve listened to Ufabulum in recent years, and especially in preparation for this video, the more sympathetic I’ve become to it. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts as I always assumed this was a somewhat unpopular leftfield step for Squarepusher but maybe many fans have come to the same realisation I have. When you think this came out after the – let’s be honest, deeply flawed Just a Souvenir, and before that the compendium style highlights box that was Hello Everything, it feels like a bold, ambitious and damn well-executed step forward.
You have to acknowledge the artistic bravery in putting aside the comforts of his beloved bass guitar and familiar breakbeats and embracing a new sound. I can understand why some diehard pusher fans might’ve been turned off by the shiny synths and yes there is a palpable hint of EDM about the production. But listening to it long after that zeitgeist has died away, it’s easy to hear the hallmarks of classic Squarepusher.
I’d always rated Damogen Furies more highly and just found that record easier to get along with than Ufabulum but now I’d say they’re even and I’d happily peg them as very solid mid-tier Squarepusher albums.
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