Squarepusher's Unrestrained Rave Recordings from 1994 Revealed

In July 1994, a teenage Tom Jenkinson, who would later become known as the acclaimed electronic musician Squarepusher, recorded an unpolished album called Stereotype at a friend's parents' house in deep Essex, England. For two weeks, Jenkinson immersed himself in a "continuum of rave onslaught," fueled by Stella beer, as teenagers came and went at all hours. During this time, Jenkinson kept the tape rolling, capturing his raw, unrestrained creative process as he made the album.

Stereotype is a curious, almost touchingly naive record in Jenkinson's catalogue, predating the dexterous, complex style he would later become known for. The album is dominated by the 16-minute acid-house sugar rush of "Whooshki," which builds up a four-to-the-floor techno rhythm piece by piece. While it lacks the ultra-processed breakbeats and jazzy elements of Jenkinson's later work, Stereotype is heavily influenced by the Analogue Bubblebath series by Aphex Twin and early Autechre records.

This previously unreleased 1994 recording offers a rare glimpse into the early, embryonic stages of Squarepusher's development as an artist. Stereotype serves as a testament to Jenkinson's raw talent and boundless creativity, even at a young age, and provides a fascinating window into the formative years of one of electronic music's most innovative and influential figures.