Dostrotime

Last updated
Dostrotime
Dostrotime album cover.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1 March 2024
Genre
Length59:14 (Standard)
60:28 (Japanese version)
Label Warp
Producer Tom Jenkinson
Squarepusher chronology
Be Up a Hello
(2020)
Dostrotime
(2024)
Singles from Dostrotime
  1. "Wendorlan"
    Released: 22 February 2024

Dostrotime is the sixteenth studio album by British electronic musician Tom Jenkinson, under the alias of Squarepusher. It was released through Warp Records on 1 March 2024. According to Jenkinson, Dostrotime was inspired by the "novel, eerie, sublime silence" of the COVID-19 lockdown. [1] While the album was originally released exclusively on physical formats (CD and LP), it was not officially released on streaming services until later in 2024. A single for the album, "Wendorlan", was released on 23 January 2024, coupled with a music video using an oscilloscope. [2]

Contents

Background

On 21 January 2024, those subscribed to Squarepusher's email newsletter received a download for a wav file, titled "XY.wav". When this file was placed into an oscilloscope and the signal properly plotted, the word "Dostrotime" was revealed. [3] On 23 January 2024, the music video for the lead single "Wendorlan" was released on YouTube. The visuals for the music video were made by Jenkinson himself, using an oscilloscope. It was filmed in one take and, according to Jenkinson, he used "custom processing to generate the XY signal from components of track audio and control data". [2] "Wendorlan" was released onto streaming services on 22 February 2024, with both a "Slamstep Remix" and a "XY Code S1575F7.VS050" version, which contained the same audio as "XY.wav".

Jenkinson revealed that the album was majorly inspired by the COVID-19 lockdown, saying "For me, the lockdown of 2020 will always stand out as a remarkable time partly for the viscerality of its terrors, but also because of its novel, eerie, sublime silence. It afforded me (and no doubt other fortunate loners) a respite from the incessant distractions that can get in the way of important things such as doing nothing – or recording music." [2] [4]

Jenkinson also revealed the title of the album itself was inspired by the lockdowns:

"The cancellation of all live commitments meant the prospect of a year's worth of itineraries, airport security, hotels and no sleep was erased, and for some time I experienced a simple happiness not familiar in my adulthood,"

"In a way it reminded me of being a child, where one knows big and awful stuff happens on the horizon but the current moment is a blissful sanctuary. Without customary interruptions, time elapsed differently: Dostrotime." [1]

Release

Dostrotime was released on 1 March 2024 on CD, 2xLP and digitally through Bleep and Bandcamp. The album was not initially released on streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music; Warp Records made a statement saying that "the album will not be available on streaming services initially, but is available on LP, CD and digitally via our store and good shops worldwide." [5] The album was eventually released on streaming services on 5 July 2024. [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Sputnik Music 4/5

Paul Simpson of AllMusic gave the album a good review, stating that "As a whole, Dostrotime is easily one of the most well-rounded Squarepusher albums, displaying his range as an artist while housing some of his nuttiest tracks." [7] John Doran of The Quietus also gave a good review, saying "The album is a pleasingly symmetrical trip through What Squarepusher Solo Can Do In 2024, and, to me at least, it feels like a palate-cleanser [...]" [8] Mark Nelson of Sputnik Music called the album "his best body of work in two decades". [9] Pseudonymous author "Benci" of Igloo Magazine said that Dostrotime "strikes with bold tracks that are not afraid to go all in, whether that’d be with their explosiveness, intricate live playing, or insane drum spasms". [10] Jordan Darville of The Fader also said that "All in all, Dostrotime is pure Squarepusher: even in its familiar moments, you could never really predict it." [11]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Tom Jenkinson.

Dostrotime track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Arkteon 1"3:00
2."Enbounce"6:30
3."Wendorlan" (Original Mix)6:19
4."Duneray"6:29
5."Kronmec"4:37
6."Arkteon 2"2:33
7."Holorform"4:44
8."Akkranen"5:29
9."Stromcor"5:01
10."Domelash"6:18
11."Heliobat"3:47
12."Arkteon 3"4:21
Total length:59:14
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
1."Heliobat" (Tokyo Nightfall)1:14
Total length:1:14

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References

  1. 1 2 Lawson, Michael (23 January 2024). "Squarepusher unveils Dostrotime, his first album in four years". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Doran, John (23 January 2024). "Squarepusher Details New Album, 'Dostrotime'". The Quietus. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  3. "Squarepusher announces details of forthcoming new album Dostrotime". 909originals. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  4. Ross, Gemma (31 January 2024). "Squarepusher announces first album in four years, 'Dostrotime'". Mixmag. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  5. "Squarepusher says no to streaming as new album Dostrotime released". Juno Daily. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  6. Warp Records [@WarpRecords] (July 5, 2024). "'DOSTROTIME' @SQUAREPUSHER. Available now across all formats, including streaming" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  7. Simpson, Paul. "Dostrotime - Squarepusher". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  8. Doran, John (16 March 2024). "Just Another IDM LP? Squarepusher's Dostrotime, Continuity & Modernism". The Quietus. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  9. Nelson, Mark (3 April 2024). "Squarepusher - Dostrotime". Spudnik Music. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  10. "Squarepusher :: Dostrotime (Warp)". Igloo Magazine. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  11. "New Music Friday: Stream new projects from Faye Webster, Squarepusher, Sheer Mag, and more". The Fader. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.