Squarepusher
At this time, Tom was becoming obsessed with bringing a "dark psychedelia" to Drum and Bass (which would eventually reach its zenith with "Go Plastic" from 2001).
During this period Tom also made a remix for Ninja Tune's DJ Food, which featured on the e.p. "Refried Food". The remix led Ninja Tune to offer Jenkinson a record contract, which along with an offer from Belgium's R&S records he declined in favour of a contract offered by Warp Records, which was partially instigated by Richard D. James.
Correspondence between Richard D. James and Tom Jenkinson sprung up after meeting at The George Robey. The resulting meeting led to Tom's first hearing of the "Hangable Auto Bulb" e.p. which Richard had brought with him. But the meeting also facilitated Richard's initial selection of Tom's tracks that went on to form the "Feed Me Weird Things" album released on Rephlex Records in 1996.
Tom Waits
Waits released "Real Gone", his first nontheatrical studio album since "Mule Variations", in 2004. It is Waits's only album to date to feature absolutely no piano on any of its tracks. Waits beatboxes on the opening track, "Top of the Hill", and most of the album's songs begin with Waits's "vocal percussion" improvisations. It is also more rock-oriented, with less blues influence than he has previously demonstrated. The same year, Waits contributed backing vocals to the track "Go Tell It on the Mountain" on the Grammy Award (Best Traditional Gospel Album)-winning album of the same name by the Blind Boys of Alabama. He also contributed a version of Daniel Johnston's "King Kong" to the tribute album "", released on Gammon Records.