Damogen Furies

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.