Be Up a Hello

Be Up a Hello marks a significant pivot in Squarepusher's discography, arriving after a five-year hiatus from the moniker. While previous albums like Damogen Furies pushed into the realm of custom-built software and extreme digital processing, this 2020 release saw Jenkinson return to the analog hardware and trackers he used in the mid-90s. This 'back to basics' approach resulted in his most direct and accessible work in over a decade. The album was recorded following the death of a close friend, which Jenkinson noted influenced the reflective yet celebratory tone of the music. Critics across AllMusic and Pitchfork praised the record for its vitality, noting that it successfully recaptured the '90s spirit' without feeling like a mere exercise in nostalgia. It stands as a bridge between his early jungle-influenced roots and his later experimentalism, cementing its place as a late-career highlight.