Kent,
Thanks for your thoughts on Squarepusher. I think you're right on point
(though I've heard only the LP, not the single). What I think is interesting
is that with the album, he is moving more toward the "sincere" music you
speak of -- it's much darker, less about genre-for-genre's-sake (one
potential avenue for irony), and more like using drum'n'bass (or breaks,
more broadly) as a lingua franca in which to pursue a more personal
investigation of mass, texture, and the limits of the step-time sequencer. A
number of tracks on the new album almost venture into electro-acoustic
territory - certainly a notable change of pace for him.
Cheers
Philip