Autechre

Draft 7.30

★★★★½

I think it's really unfair to myself that I've been exploring and discovering all of these amazing, almost perfect albums recently. I feel like I won't be able to absorb everything. I've heard many people & critics claim that there's Autechre before Confield and Autechre after Confield. Basically implying that this seminal album is the point of inflection in their musical careers. After giving this a listen I don't think it's all that black and white. Sure if you listen to their earlier albums like Incunabula and Amber there's a lot that's different, but I believe there were perhaps several limitations to their sound at that time. 

This album doesn't necessarily continue down the Confield path, of course it borrows some aspects, but it sort of peels or shaves these away. Confield to me, is a shapeless morphing piece of music that is distant and serene, like looking at the formation of galaxies from the confines of your cold spaceship quarters. Now Autechre gives their sound a more defined shape, and a lot of this is thanks to the "beat" idea that is utilized throughout. This really begins with the song "6IE.CR", which channels some µ-Ziq type instrumentation with some sparse, but soaring strings in the background. But before that, the first two songs really seem like the transformation of pieces from Confield, perhaps a more fleshed out version of them. They are exceptionally good and don't really fit in with what else is to come. 

"TAPR" is the sort of tune for a ride on the subway as it gets darker and you notice all the people around you slowly disintegrating. Thankfully the light turns on in the form of "Surripere", a controlled chaos that is experimented on and eventually released, there's definitely a skittering aspect to it. And the sound of "Theme of Sudden Roundabout" is relatively bouncy and insect-like until these melodic keys and rumbling bass hit, making it one of the catchier songs on the whole album. 

The remaining songs take on an almost hip-hop beat approach that is unlike anything Autechre has really created up to this point. Except for "P.:NTIL", which is basically the sound of a 80 year old computer starting up, the rest are pretty accessible and pure fun. And ending with "Reniform Puls" was a great choice, as it displays a subdued but highly intricate Autechre at their best. Masters of their genre. 

Favorite Song: Theme of Sudden Roundabout