Squares Will Fall opens with a lovely collection of distant harmonies, fragmented sustained notes and shifting electronic textures. There’s an almost suspended quality to the opening, with sounds appearing and fading as the arrangement gradually takes shape.
A vocal emerges from within these layers, initially blending into the surrounding electronics before becoming more direct. There’s a soulful quality to the delivery, although the electronic processing gives it an unusual character, somewhere between a conventional vocal performance and another element of the sound design.
As the piece develops, the production becomes increasingly active. Rhythmic fragments and shifting electronic sounds gather around the vocal, pushing the groove forwards without settling into anything particularly predictable. The arrangement is slightly erratic, with abrupt changes and contrasting textures keeping things interesting.
Jan St. Werner, known for his work with Mouse on Mars, originally developed Squares Will Fall as a 30-minute electronic composition in 2012. The piece subsequently evolved through various performances and collaborations, including sessions with Justin Vernon, before being reworked into the version heard here.
It’s an engaging piece, balancing moments of delicate harmonic detail with a restless, occasionally unruly electronic production. The contrast between the soulful vocal and the more fragmented instrumental elements is particularly effective.
The track was released through Thrill Jockey in September 2026, ahead of the album Squares Will Fall, scheduled for November.
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