Synopsis
A dark, abstract journey unfolds through rapidly accelerating corridors of light. Grids, dots, lines, and block-like patterns pulse and reorganize in sync with Squarepusher's fractured electronic rhythms, creating the impression of a spacecraft hurtling away from Earth and through an immense digital library. The stark black-and-white imagery grows increasingly intense as the track progresses, balancing exhilaration with a sense of danger and melancholy. Rather than presenting characters or a conventional narrative, the video turns the music's momentum into a fully audiovisual experience.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Dark Steering" was released as a single from Squarepusher's 2012 album "Ufabulum."
- Squarepusher, whose real name is Tom Jenkinson, created the music and the LED visuals used in the project.
- The video served as an early glimpse of the "Ufabulum" live show, which centered on a large LED display and additional LEDs incorporated into Jenkinson's stage costume.
- Jenkinson said the visual concept grew from apocalyptic nightmares involving trails of nuclear missiles in the night sky. He wanted the piece to combine exhilaration, terror, and sadness.
- The imagery was also influenced by the sensation of flying through a library, leading to the video's illusion of accelerating through huge corridors of books.
- Jenkinson considered the video a compromise for home viewing. He felt the LED visuals achieved their greatest intensity in the live environment, where a computer or television screen could not reproduce their full impact.