Squarepusher’s new EP “Stereotype” is anything but

When I think about Squarepusher, I usually associate him with being one of the pioneering acts of the frantic and intricately programmed electronic music subgenre drill and bass.

When I think about Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) from the early 90s, I think about ambient sounding tracks and slow, but mellow and dark house or techno music. Squarepusher has been making drill and bass since the mid 90s.  

In my opinion, he is a great example of the jazzier side of the subgenre. His music often mixes both genres very seamlessly, which makes for an exciting listen. His new EP, though, lets us listen to a time before the steady jazz influence and pure drill and bass sound. It also defies the conventions set by other IDM artists of the early 90s. 

Squarepusher’s new EP isn’t new at all, though. It is a reissue of his 1994 EP, “Stereotype E.P.,” under his previous pseudonym, Stereotype. This is the first version of his new EP that’s remastered as well as on streaming. He previously self-released the EP, and it’s a very good example of a precursor to his pioneering work on the drill and bass genre.  

“Stereotype” mainly consists of long, fast-paced acid techno songs that are perfect for dancing. Although Squarepusher released this EP in 1994, it doesn’t sound of its time at all. It flows nicely, the tracks’ biggest moments are rewarding, and the tracks don’t feel nearly as long as they are, which is a huge plus in my book. 

My favorite aspects of the EP tend to be when the songs themselves are on the more aggressive side. In particular, “1994” has more aggressive beats with a darker ambient backdrop behind it. The beats remind me of a precursor to drill and bass, especially in areas where Squarepusher places beats in extremely fast succession for a short time. The dark ambient backdrop within the song, while repetitive, complements the beats very well. 

Another song, “O’Brien,” also is more on the aggressive side at points. To me, it kind of bounces off of the ideas of “1994” but adds a tense-sounding synth backdrop. This song is more obviously breakbeat sounding, and it works entirely to its favor. This was the EP’s lead single, and it blew my mind when I heard it initially.  

Its nine minutes of fast breakbeats and restless-sounding synths made for a wonderfully danceable experience that brought itself to the forefront of my mind. Upon finding out that the first version was recorded in 1993, and the version present on “Stereotype” was recorded the following year, my mind was blown. Maybe it’s because most of the electronic music albums I've listened to from 1993 were more ambient and house based, but I couldn’t imagine a song that sounded like that being recorded then. It feels a couple of years ahead of its time, and it’s a sound that was underrepresented in the early 90s. 

On the Warp Records website, it lists “Stereotype” as a companion to Squarepusher’s debut album, “Feed Me Weird Things.” While the comparison could be apt, since both were recorded around the same time and have a similar aesthetic sound wise, “Feed Me Weird Things” is undoubtedly more jazz-focused than “Stereotype,” which doesn’t have much jazz influence at all. Some songs still shine through, sounding like “Stereotype” though, such as “Theme From Ernest Borgnine,” an almost eight-minute-long song that has similar synths and sounds present on “Stereotype.” 

Squarepusher also talks about the creation process of the album on Warp Records’s website. He talks about how the initial run of “Stereotype E.P.” was somewhat of a failure, and most people didn’t give it any mind. AlthoughI believe it’s a shame that no one decided to give it the time of day, I am happy that he persisted despite the failure and eventually became one of the most forward-thinking electronic musicians of the 90s and beyond. 

Stereotype’s page on Warp Records: https://warp.net/squarepusher-stereotype 

The Story of Stereotype: https://warp.net/stereotype-txt