Autechre Live in Chicago @ The Abbey

The bass was up way too loud until Autechre hit the stage. And then everything was perfect.

This was one of the best sounding shows I've ever been to. The treble might have been a touch harsh in places, but that's splitting hairs.

This was also Autechre at perhaps their most accessible, really playing to the crowd, but keeping it fascinating and technically precise all the while. I didn't notice any major deviations from the LA set, but I only listened through it once. One exception was what might have been a glitch about a third of the way into the set. A whole section dropped out - maybe one of the machines died? - and all that was left were weird muted noises and an off-beat snare. Still, they kept it going and gradually built it back up again, all pretty seamlessly.

Three recognizable bits from Quaristice: the vaguely flute-sounding thing from The Plc, the largely-unchanged live version of lO from the Untilted tour, and beautifully but all-too-briefly, hints of Steels peeking through two-thirds into the set. Very interesting to hear those sounds over a steady beat.

My biggest complaint (because I tend to emphasize the flaws, it's the easiest thing to do when everything else is unassailable) was the length of the set. It felt like less than an hour, which I was prepared for, given accounts of previous shows this tour. In the end, I'll have to trust their judgement. If they felt this was the best length and the best material, then I guess "quality, not quantity" is the prevailing rule.

All in all, it was well worth the hassle. Maybe I didn't have to drive eighteen hours, but I lost my place in line twice (due purely to my own stupidity) when I realized I parked on a permit-only street (there was only the one fucking sign on the entrance to the pub, none on the street itself) and again when my ticket dropped out of my pocket - I had to retrace my steps back to the original place I'd parked. Thankfully, it was still there.

I know, I have no right to complain - I've seen them three times now. At least I wasn't one of those who showed up ticket-less only to find the show had sold out!

No beatdown from angry internet teenagers then? What a surprise

I was there. I had on a hooded white with black stripped adidas jacket. The show was cool, though it happened too fast... just under 55 minutes. I think they definetely could've played for another 30 minutes easily. Massonix was interesting, but I was happy to see him get off the stage. Rob Hall had some really nice DJ sets that were better than the last time he came around.

Funny story though... I was standing there under the covered part outside standing in line, and Rob Brown walked right out the front door. No one noticed except me...! He even coughed alittle as he walked by like a "ah hem" looking all shifty eyed. Sneaked right into the tour bus sitting right out front.

All and all, it was a good time... but the Untilted set was better.

I was there. Tired as fuck, but really liked the end of the Autechre set. Massonix was interesting with the instruments he'd pull out every once in a while Rob Hall was spinning a bunch of 90s electronic music classics at first, but he dropped a bitchin' dubstep/IDMish tune near the end of his second set.

EDIT: Oh yeah, no stabbings and/or swords that I saw.

I didn't care for Massonix much. I liked the first bit, he made nice use of the soprano sax (?) he was playing. But his set didn't have much of a flow, it lurched clumsily back and forth between ambient bits and breakbeats. Twice he pulled out a guitar, and by the second time I was laughing. He just seemed to use it to drone both times. I could've sworn at one point I heard an error beep come from his computer when the music stopped!

The sound was increasingly oppressive during his set, and it gradually gave me a headache. At first I wasn't sure whether or not it was just me - the individual tracks themselves weren't bad, it was mainly the complete lack of flow that bothered me - but as soon as Rob Hall got back on stage, I sort of woke up again.

I agree, Hall was notably better this time around. He played a lot of Aphex Twin (and aliases) and I was impressed by how amazingly well that stuff plays in a concert environment - clearly the space it was designed for. I also noticed Gescom - A2, and that track Autechre sampled on Sublimit.

Before I had to leave to move my car, I met in line the guy who introduced me to Autechre in the first place, years ago! We worked together briefly in a small used CD store. He also got me into Squarepusher. Too bad I didn't talk to him more. I had plenty to say, but crowds tend to make me nervous.

  Zoinkers Hammyshammy said:

I had plenty to say, but crowds tend to make me nervous.

yes i would have to agree with that statement...i dont know what it is

  Zoinkers Hammyshammy said:

I didn't care for Massonix much. I liked the first bit, he made nice use of the soprano sax (?) he was playing. But his set didn't have much of a flow, it lurched clumsily back and forth between ambient bits and breakbeats. Twice he pulled out a guitar, and by the second time I was laughing. He just seemed to use it to drone both times. I could've sworn at one point I heard an error beep come from his computer when the music stopped!

 

The sound was increasingly oppressive during his set, and it gradually gave me a headache. At first I wasn't sure whether or not it was just me - the individual tracks themselves weren't bad, it was mainly the complete lack of flow that bothered me - but as soon as Rob Hall got back on stage, I sort of woke up again.

 

I agree, Hall was notably better this time around. He played a lot of Aphex Twin (and aliases) and I was impressed by how amazingly well that stuff plays in a concert environment - clearly the space it was designed for. I also noticed Gescom - A2, and that track Autechre sampled on Sublimit.

 

Before I had to leave to move my car, I met in line the guy who introduced me to Autechre in the first place, years ago! We worked together briefly in a small used CD store. He also got me into Squarepusher. Too bad I didn't talk to him more. I had plenty to say, but crowds tend to make me nervous.

yeah whats the deal with grahama massey? he seems to not have his live show hammered out at all. his computer also gave those error beeps off when i saw him and during one entire song it skipped about every 5-15 seconds from some sort audio drop out computer glitch. Im pretty surprised autechre decided to bring him along this time instead of SND or even someone like OST/dalgish from their 2001 tour. I also dont find MAssonix music that interesting on cd, besaides the guy being in 808 state which i really respect his solo output is kind of boring.

  Ghostbusters III said:

... besides the guy being in 808 state which i really respect his solo output is kind of boring.

Ahh, so that's why he's there! Must be a hero worship thing. It would've been more entertaining if the sound had been better during his set.

yeah massonix' live set sounded completely diff than his cd

which i had previously deleted

and then redownloaded thinking it was gonna have bits from the live set i may have missed

i dont think it did

I was there.

Autechre were really awesome, but right when the set really started to pick up(!), Rob Hall came back out and they left. Still a very great show, and worth the 3 hour drive.

Plus I got a sweet fanboy shirt.

A u techr e,

  Deepex said:

Plus a got a sweet fanboy shirt.

 

A u techr e,

Me too!

The comma is crucial to the whole concept.

sorry i didn't get to meet y'all!

i wish there was more room to dance to ae

and i felt disappointed their set was so short

so did anyone get a recording?

autechre was awesome. completely blew my fucking mind away.

night ended way too soon

great set

rob rocked it

gescom a2 on a proper system is wicked dope (first time hearing it out)

ae set was brilliant

not enough people dancing

fin

what time did they go on y'all ?

oh, and as rob was closing down (and the venue workers we're trying to clear out people), i yelled rob to play death fuck (to clear the place out) ... some nerds turned around and looked at me like "daft punk?? wtf ..."

i didn't even try to make myself clear........

  Velazquez said:

what time did they go on y'all ?

they went on at 11:50, and where off by about 12:40.

yeah, Massonix's set felt twice as long as autechre's; it was bollocks

(in the parlance of our times)

Yeah my GF said to me "Wow that guy really made us appreciate AE even more". And when he whipped out his guitar, yikes!

LOL we all wanted the Habs Hockey playoff game on the screen instead of his 4-times looped little film.

  Philip Glass said:

LOL we all wanted the Habs Hockey playoff game on the screen instead of his 4-times looped little film.

I could see that laptop displaying the Hockey game on the engineering gear near the bar, lol. Did you see me sitting at a table during Rob Hall's first set?? I was wearing a Merck shirt, had bit long hair and wore glasses. I recognized arbee at the venue and talked a bit with him, by the way. Could you please show me a pic of you, to know if I saw you yesterday night?

I didn't like Rob's first set at all. Way too fucking noisy. Graham's set, I just had to quote Mr. Show to my friend "I know my friends always charge me 20 bucks to listen to 'em dick around on guitar."

Second Hall set was definitely wicked, though. Autechre, I thought was damn tight, but I wish they played longer.

We ended up sitting at some tables on the balcony, and on the one hand it was nice, on the other, I really miss the energy from the crowd. Christ, I'm getting old.

So, ditto that request for any recording :laughing:

I definitely liked the small venue though. The Metro is nice, but a bit too impersonal. And which one of you was the guy up front trippin' on E absorbing the bass, come on... fess up!

  symbioid said:

I didn't like Rob's first set at all. Way too fucking noisy. Graham's set, I just had to quote Mr. Show to my friend "I know my friends always charge me 20 bucks to listen to 'em dick around on guitar."

 

Second Hall set was definitely wicked, though. Autechre, I thought was damn tight, but I wish they played longer.

 

We ended up sitting at some tables on the balcony, and on the one hand it was nice, on the other, I really miss the energy from the crowd. Christ, I'm getting old.

 

So, ditto that request for any recording :laughing:

 

I definitely liked the small venue though. The Metro is nice, but a bit too impersonal. And which one of you was the guy up front trippin' on E absorbing the bass, come on... fess up!

prob the same dood that was rubbing up on my girl, then started rubbing up on me

front/right of the floor?

The 'glitch' I reported earlier also appears on the Los Angeles mp3, so ... not a glitch. Though maybe they made that part longer in Chicago.

ha, i was there for a short period of time, but i got kicked out for no discernable reason.

i was the guy in the aphex twin shirt. and i ended up on orubasarot's video, which i cant seem to find.

basically, i was in there and it was so fucking packed that they wouldnt let me out to smoke for awhile.... and finally, like the third time i asked to go out and smoke one of the two d00ds at the door grabbed my shoulder and said "don't come back in, asshole, you can't come back in"

i was solidly buzzing and i had passed the time by smoking up cute girls in the crowd, and i know they hadnt caught me otherwise i would've been escorted out... but i was so offended that i was told not to come back in, i think cuz the line was endless, that i didnt try...

i mean, what the fuck... autechre is THAT packed?!@ is it trendy or something?! why isnt squarepusher selling out or that packed?! a hipster friend of mine told me some years back that autechre is THE name to drop to sound like you're knowledgeable about electronic music, even tho i still believe it's aphex twin, and like... eh fuck it. i saw aphex twin, i dont need more autechre... could they even chainsmoke like they did in 2000?!

i too got the fanboy shirt, and will fondly remember autechre 2000 and 2004 at a far superior venue: the metro.

and yeah, like everything in electronic music, old albums and shows are always vastly superior in the past.