XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

I wish I had something super intelligent to say or could give a full track by track review after my listening session yesterday but I have to admit, I was a bit blasted on the zooms and some phenylethylamines... I don't really have the technical knowledge of the equipment or techniques to explain myself fully...

I can definitely say that vekoS, Jatevee C, 1 1 is, and runrepik were massive highlights of the trip.

I had extremely strong visuals (especially closed eye from the 2C-I) and had some notable moments with the album. When vekoS hit the 1:51 mark, the percussion was forming columns and and the rest of the synthwork was melting in and out and in between the columns in grid patterns. Visualized a lot of pink and green and yellows; colours I would associate with acidity.

Jatevee C gave me warm feelings and I definitely felt like I was on another planet.

The last 2 minutes of prac-f simply did not sound like it came from our planet. With closed eyes I felt as if I was intercepting some sort of alien communication, I could not decipher their intentions.

Runrepik as the name suggests felt like a chase, like I was running from something. Massive waves of bass coming out of my subs washing over me quite strongly, made me feel claustrophobic (maybe like I was closed in, a jungle maybe?). Lots of deep green and brown visuals (closed and open eye).

Reckson felt like gangster mob hip hop from the future. Like a robotic al-capone was about to put a hit out on me for intercepting his e-juice or whatever the year 3094 equivalent is for Rum....

Bladelores was refreshing at the end of the 1st disc, though it was my least favourite. I felt like it was put there simply to cleanse my brain-ear-palette... "hey we can still make pretty noises"....

1 1 is... holy fuck. That is all.

I realize this is not insightful at all but this is only my first real experience with the album. Maybe I will make more sense of it the 234th time around. Best trip music for me since Music Is Rotted One Note (don't laugh)..

Cheers

  On 2/10/2013 at 5:44 PM, StephenG said:

 

The last 2 minutes of prac-f simply did not sound like it came from our planet.

flol

finally had a full listen at full volume on speakers with some extra bass.

...yeeeeeah :D

it's sad that there's no mind-controlled 3d visualizer yet developed. so we could all stream or visual perception of tracks into some .mp4 files and compare them :D

e- juice!

1 1 is basically the sound of psilocybin

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again? Some of the first disc (tracks 1-3 especially) and spl9 are really dark and alien, but overall this one is seeming even more poppy than Oversteps in a way. Sure, that was softer and had a lot more melody, but the b-boy like, hip-hoppish, 'funky', super polished edge and the pretty straightforward beats (to me) on this one make it seem much more accessible than ever Oversteps, what with its more more unusual, 'stately', composed, soft sound.

  On 2/10/2013 at 7:14 PM, pixelives said:

e- juice!

 

1 1 is basically the sound of psilocybin

1 1 was græt!

  On 2/10/2013 at 4:36 PM, Candiru said:

But when you order the vinyl, you get the files anyway. And if you already paid for it, you wouldn't be stealing it.

 

And stop cutting.

OK, price for the CD + shipping from Bleep was fair enough this time that I went that route. Downloading now. Hope my CD doesn't arrive looking like a truck ran over it again.

  On 2/10/2013 at 7:28 PM, Lianne said:

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again? Some of the first disc (tracks 1-3 especially) and spl9 are really dark and alien, but overall this one is seeming even more poppy than Oversteps in a way. Sure, that was softer and had a lot more melody, but the b-boy like, hip-hoppish, 'funky', super polished edge and the pretty straightforward beats (to me) on this one make it seem much more accessible than ever Oversteps, what with its more more unusual, 'stately', composed, soft sound.

I keep asking myself whether this is truly an accessible album or not. I've shown this album to tons of people, folks that tend to be pretty into electronic music although they have never really liked Autechre and this album does not seem to change any feelings there. Perhaps we're all just conditioned to expect this sort of stuff out of them and it's actually starting to sound normal to us.

Has anyone here showed someone who previously didn't enjoy Autechre's music and had them actually say hey that's not too bad? If so we can call this album more accessible. If not, it's still quite a challenging album. Didn't people say similar things about Quaristice when it was first launched? In retrospect it's still quite a challenging album although I seem to remember it jumped out at me for the most part as being pretty normal comparatively.

Sure we aren't getting Untilted levels of opaqueness here but I still think by most people's standards this is going to sound like "noise", or "random" or "oh my god turn it off" which is how I like my Ae.

  On 2/10/2013 at 8:02 PM, thehauntingsoul said:

 

  On 2/10/2013 at 7:28 PM, Lianne said:

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again? Some of the first disc (tracks 1-3 especially) and spl9 are really dark and alien, but overall this one is seeming even more poppy than Oversteps in a way. Sure, that was softer and had a lot more melody, but the b-boy like, hip-hoppish, 'funky', super polished edge and the pretty straightforward beats (to me) on this one make it seem much more accessible than ever Oversteps, what with its more more unusual, 'stately', composed, soft sound.

 

Perhaps we're all just conditioned to expect this sort of stuff out of them and it's actually starting to sound normal to us.

I'm 99% sure this is it.

That's just a part of becoming an experienced listener. Ok; maybe Exai isn't SOUNDING as challenging to us as when we were first exposed to autechre. That doesn't mean in actuality it's any less challenging, absolutely. Just that it might be less challenging for those that know what to expect. It's a matter of perspective/relativity (like most things)..

I remember when I graduated from regular house to tech house and drum n bass. I thought shit this stuff is complex. Now I consider those to be "easy listening" lol.

  On 2/10/2013 at 7:28 PM, Lianne said:

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again? Some of the first disc (tracks 1-3 especially) and spl9 are really dark and alien, but overall this one is seeming even more poppy than Oversteps in a way. Sure, that was softer and had a lot more melody, but the b-boy like, hip-hoppish, 'funky', super polished edge and the pretty straightforward beats (to me) on this one make it seem much more accessible than ever Oversteps, what with its more more unusual, 'stately', composed, soft sound.

Not sure I agree. It seemed straightforward at first, but the more I listen the more complex it gets. There is a LOT of interplay that is not apparent at first. More so than the three so called difficult albums. The beats at the forefront are not as complex and thats why it seems more immediate, but those beats eventually meld into the other stuff to create something more impressive.

Autechre was a challenge even for experienced listener, even for the fans of previous album. It changed only with Quaristice. The thing isn't about complexity, though, but certain ideas of what is music. On Exai we are still on familiar ground, but worked out different than before.

runrepik sounds derived from some of the Oversteps tour

  On 2/10/2013 at 8:20 PM, Amen Lare said:

Autechre was a challenge even for experienced listener, even for the fans of previous album. It changed only with Quaristice. The thing isn't about complexity, though, but certain ideas of what is music. On Exai we are still on familiar ground, but worked out different than before.

I can agree with that for sure.

I just meant that a certain degree of the challenge does seem to diminish as you get used to the artist or the genre and it's conventions.

  On 2/10/2013 at 8:21 PM, StephenG said:

 

  On 2/10/2013 at 8:20 PM, Amen Lare said:

Autechre was a challenge even for experienced listener, even for the fans of previous album. It changed only with Quaristice. The thing isn't about complexity, though, but certain ideas of what is music. On Exai we are still on familiar ground, but worked out different than before.

 

I can agree with that for sure.

 

I just meant that a certain degree of the challenge does seem to diminish as you get used to the artist or the genre and it's conventions.

There is also an inverted situation on the artist's part - you can't go on pushing limits forever. What Autechre have done is already grandiose. Now it's time for something completely different in terms of evolution.

just started sitting down during a grading session with good speakers and listening....irlite is really cool methinks. and i love the straight up house pads on jatavee-c

Guys, guys...my dear friends, I can't explain to you how i like Exai so far. Helping me so much on my path.

I remember how in some video interview they (i think it was Rob talking) regret for not being able to say to their influencers(???) how much they mean(t) to them. I know how they feel. ...ah, yes it's pathetic but why should i lie?

How do you pronounce vekoS? Like wackos? :)

  On 2/10/2013 at 9:03 PM, xox said:

How do you pronounce vekoS? Like wackos? :)

I thought it might be pronounced: "brain melting experience"

lol

  On 2/10/2013 at 9:13 PM, StephenG said:

 

  On 2/10/2013 at 9:03 PM, xox said:

How do you pronounce vekoS? Like wackos? :)

 

I thought it might be pronounced: "brain melting experience"

 

lol

But it huddles our brains.

shame irlite is about pefect except for trhat horrendously annoying instrument at 6'40'' and 3'10''. and rarely happens with them but ther's nothing like being wacked out of the tune when you hear something that puts the image in your head of someone playing a instrument (hitting buttons to initiate sounds or physically playing a keybaord) like those sounds at 6'40'' i cant get image out of my head of a person making those sounds (playing live) instead of it being naturalyl part of the track with no humans involved. totally kicks me out i hate it. breaks all concentration and immersion. i dont think ill ever be able to listenpast those sounds =`,`=

  On 2/10/2013 at 7:28 PM, Lianne said:

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again? Some of the first disc (tracks 1-3 especially) and spl9 are really dark and alien, but overall this one is seeming even more poppy than Oversteps in a way. Sure, that was softer and had a lot more melody, but the b-boy like, hip-hoppish, 'funky', super polished edge and the pretty straightforward beats (to me) on this one make it seem much more accessible than ever Oversteps, what with its more more unusual, 'stately', composed, soft sound.

so let me get this straight

Autechre get slammed for making stuff like Confield by a certain populace of listeners, to cries of "I wish they'd make stuff that sounded like LP5/Amber/EP7 again"

so Autechre make stuff that sounds 'familiar' (if you can even attribute such a quality to music by Autechre) and they get slammed again.

W A T M M

  On 2/10/2013 at 9:35 PM, elusive4 said:

shame irlite is about pefect except for trhat horrendously annoying instrument at 6'40'' and 3'10''. and rarely happens with them but ther's nothing like being wacked out of the tune when you hear something that puts the image in your head of someone playing a instrument (hitting buttons to initiate sounds or physically playing a keybaord) like those sounds at 6'40'' i cant get image out of my head of a person making those sounds (playing live) instead of it being naturalyl part of the track with no humans involved. totally kicks me out i hate it. breaks all concentration and immersion. i dont think ill ever be able to listenpast those sounds =`,`=

Just imagine an engine like a chip or something placed inside a monkey playing on a random synth reproduce human behavior...

That's doing it for me... .. .

  On 2/10/2013 at 9:35 PM, elusive4 said:

shame irlite is about pefect except for trhat horrendously annoying instrument at 6'40'' and 3'10''. and rarely happens with them but ther's nothing like being wacked out of the tune when you hear something that puts the image in your head of someone playing a instrument (hitting buttons to initiate sounds or physically playing a keybaord) like those sounds at 6'40'' i cant get image out of my head of a person making those sounds (playing live) instead of it being naturalyl part of the track with no humans involved. totally kicks me out i hate it. breaks all concentration and immersion. i dont think ill ever be able to listenpast those sounds =`,`=

are you picking up on any high-gain early arriving destructive indirect specular energies?

they've really brought the bass with this album. Lots of subsonic layers you can only access on a sound system.

I want entire albums in the style of the end section of FLeure.

  On 2/10/2013 at 9:46 PM, oscillik said:

 

  On 2/10/2013 at 7:28 PM, Lianne said:

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again? Some of the first disc (tracks 1-3 especially) and spl9 are really dark and alien, but overall this one is seeming even more poppy than Oversteps in a way. Sure, that was softer and had a lot more melody, but the b-boy like, hip-hoppish, 'funky', super polished edge and the pretty straightforward beats (to me) on this one make it seem much more accessible than ever Oversteps, what with its more more unusual, 'stately', composed, soft sound.

so let me get this straight

 

Autechre get slammed for making stuff like Confield by a certain populace of listeners, to cries of "I wish they'd make stuff that sounded like LP5/Amber/EP7 again"

 

so Autechre make stuff that sounds 'familiar' (if you can even attribute such a quality to music by Autechre) and they get slammed again.

 

W A T M M

Was I actually 'slamming' them, or this release? That wasn't my intention and I don't think the post reads that way now.

Really interesting responses otherwise, though. I think I agree we are more conditioned to their music, so it'll be easier for us and induce less "what the hell is going on here?" kinds of feelings (feelings which I enjoy). I'd love to hear more about the interplay of sounds, though? There seems less interplay going on to me, but I am keen to hear of how others are hearing it.

I can admit - the darker, the more bizarre and more alien, the more I like it when it comes to Autechre (not all music, obviously). So of course things like the overly cheery synths chords opening T ess xi and the happy house pads and swirly hip hop sounds that crop up more often here than on other releases don't do it so much for me. But that's just taste; I can see those tracks are still well produced and full of other interesting sonics (and even the 'cheesy' elements get a cool makeover.) It's obviously all quality music. But to my ears those quirky, lighthearted elements on this new one stand in contrast to, say, the totally straight horn stabs in Sublimit. The horn stabs in Sublimit were brilliant because of how shocking they were in context of everything else that had gone on in the album (and what they morphed into), whereas the more traditional elements on Exai sit in the tracks in a different way, if that makes any sense.

Also, maybe I'm just conscious that all the other 'IDM' big guns have got more and more relaxed and synthtastic. But it's hard for new blood to rise up, because it is often ignored. Thankfully Autechre are still pushing things, and Exai is a testament to that, despite my misgivings about how some of it makes me feel at times.