
Following the release of his album “Be Up A Hello” at the end of January, and the follow-up “Lamental” EP last Friday, UK born electronic act Squarepusher now releases the video for “Detroit People Mover”. The video handles the neglected mass transit system in the US city from which the track takes its name.
In the video for his new track ‘Detroit People Mover’, Squarepusher captures the loneliness of the empty tram of the same name in downtown Detroit. The footage included in the video was captured last month, and is an arresting image of life during a global pandemic. This portrait serves as a drastic contrast to Squarepusher’s last visual representation for “Terminal Slam”, which with its bustling street scenes was shot just three months before, including at the busiest crossing in the world in Shibuya.
Tom Jenkinson (Squarepusher) says: “I like the way both of these videos articulate salient points about our urban environments – in Terminal Slam about the prevalence of advertising and possibilities for its subversion, and here regarding our zombie cities that despite the lack of everyday human contact continue marching on. The track itself is part of a series begun in 1993 inspired by the music of Detroit.”
In the meantime Squarepusher’s postponed worldwide tour has now been rescheduled for October onwards.
Be Up a Hello is Jenkinson’s strongest album for a decade and is easily up there with his best work. After the initial euphoric bounce of ‘Oberlove’ and ‘Hitsonu’, the album delves into classic territories. Wonky jazz and acid breakdowns all feature, making Be Up a Hello feel like a greatest hits album. And in a sense it is. In a perverse way, by using the same equipment he started out with, Be Up a Hello feels like his debut 2.0. He’s taking everything he’s learned over his twenty-four-year career and putting it to use with his original gear, making for an album that has hints of nostalgia, but none of the awkwardness.
The video for “Detroit People Mover” was shot by director Jacob Hurwitz-Goodman and director of photography Zachary Elwart and was produced by Nick George.
