- The Regent is not a gorgeous old theater in downtown Los Angeles. You'd be forgiven for thinking so, though, given the proximity of newly restored venues like the United Artists (as well as the majestic implications of its name). In reality, it's a venue with all the intimacy of an airline hanger, with a few Edison bulbs savagely wired to appeal to downtown's arrivistes. But for what Tom Jenkinson, AKA Squarepusher, had in store, these spartan surroundings would prove an ideal arena.
But first, people of all kinds (nerds in Aphex Twin T-shirts, a spandex-clad couple with his and her LED flashing hula hoops) filed in, ignoring opener SFV Acid's recontextualization of golden-era IDM-isms. SFV Acid's live sets of late have been full of unreleased gems, and this was no exception, but as he was situated next to the lighting tech in the back and not onstage, most of the crowd remained ignorant of his presence.
Second-billed opener Lydia Ainsworth proved the antithesis, taking to the stage with a cello, a violin and a laptop to answer the burning question no one's ever asked—"What would Enya have sounded like if she grew up listening to Sigur Rós and idolized The Knife?" It was a plodding set of bellowing indie electro, which by the end had the audience lit-up from the glare of their iPhones.
The out-of-place chamber instruments were soon removed from the stage, revealing Squarepusher's live set-up. Always the most conceptually rigorous of the IDM superstars, Jenkinson's live shows typically flesh out every part of the record supported by the tour. This show took place prior to the release of Damogen Furies, with the first single, "Stor Eiglas," the only indicator of what the record sounded like. Would this be bearded prog-loving Squarepusher of Hello Everything? Or the bass noodler Squarepusher of Solo Electric Bass 1?
When the house lights dimmed, the now-packed room crowd cheered and Tom Jenkinson emerged onstage in what looked like a fencing outfit, complete with mesh mask. "Stor Eiglass" served as exuberant, if misleading, foreplay before it became clear that this was Jenkinson posturing as the Francis Bacon of EDM. All sinewy amen breaks and splattering sax melodies, Jenkinson's hands were raised repeatedly as if to taunt the audience, his face devoid of expression as bursts of red lasers hit his mask.
Sometimes too much is just too much, though. Squarepusher's glory lies in the melodic beauty he's capable of, and this was nowhere to be found tonight, with BPMs pushed towards warp speed. That said, the crowd loved every second of it, despite little familiarity with the setlist and lights so aggressive they made strobes seem like a soothing Planetarium show.
By the time the show ended (and with it, the sweat-soaked mosh pit), Jenkinson left the stage to ringing ears and applause. Throughout the set, an electric bass had sat ominously untouched. For the encore, without his mask, Squarepusher strapped on the instrument for an extended solo, followed by a wanky, bass-led closer. There couldn't have been a more dramatically different and brilliant send-off from the maverick Brit.
Photo credit: Carl Pocket