XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

I think of their post-confield tracks the single one that had the biggest WTF for me was definitely krylon. I just could not get a handle on that track when I first heard it, seemed totally noodly and random. Of course it eventually became on of my favourites.

I'd point to that track for anyone who thinks they're 'not innovating' over the last ten years. Melodically and structurally, it's unlike anything I've ever heard before or since.

I absolutely adore krYlon, easily my favourite on oversteps but everyone else seemed to hate on it. I feel like there are losds of tracks as structurally interesting on Exai. Practically the whole of the second disc but especially nodezsh and runrepik. Cloudlined as well

Bass has never played a more prominent role in an Autechre album.

Has any of you listened to the Atoms for Peace album ?

Pretty good album, there's even a track that sounds a lot like one of these awesome unreleased track from the Quaristice Live sets, listen to it and tell me if you hear the same thing, track is called 'unless'

this record is pretty suite

i lov r ess .. love that epic ambient build up.

yeah I listened to oversteps again last night and was reminded how much I liked it. More than Exai I think. BUT. There is something very unique about Exai, it sounds like one big long song almost. Oversteps still has the very traditional song-song-song structure. But Exai feels more like a living organic beast that flows along. Imo. Still if I was going to make an "Ae best mixtape" I think several tracks from Oversteps would make it on, but maybe none from Exai (possibly irlite I guess). I'm not sure it holds up on a track-by-track analysis.

nodezsh

is a trap - i am stuck in the nodezsh. I'd pay all Exai money only for nodezsh. I was asking myself why. It has a simple drum pattern.At a first look the drums have no "flow" in a way. But it has perfectly done out-of-sync moments. Well it simply works. I DUNNO!!!! BTW In german we'd say "verhaspeln". So why is it a trap? It's probably the perfect mood. No it's because it is perfect.

BTW, when I first listened to it I decided: "if this track now does not end on the right note, then I'll jump down this building!" - fortunately the guys are musicians and let it end on the "right" note. Right in a traditional sense, like the baroque musicians ended often on the same finishing note (C? have to look. Also, as a clarinet player, my clarinet notes are transpoosed... The one that makes you feel like "everything is well and finished, no questions open").

Listened to recks on on the way home from work tonight. I must admit, when you're driving alone at night on a road with no traffic and no street lamps in the immediate vicinity, it's perfect.

And I'm thinking again: the old musicke world is full of fantastic melodies.It would be great to see the more complex ones in Ae tracks. The way Ae do it, you wouldn't probably be aware of this... OK one day if I have more time, I'll turn on all my audio Hosts and VSTs and my clarinet, and I give it a try

spl9 is the dopest dope I've ever smoked

  On 2/19/2013 at 7:28 AM, ambermonk said:

Listened to recks on on the way home from work tonight. I must admit, when you're driving alone at night on a road with no traffic and no street lamps in the immediate vicinity, it's perfect.

I love this setting... Also YJY UX and nodezsh are good for this. BTW if you're open minded: I can assure you, if there's also fog on your way home, Dmitri Shostakovich's

  On 2/19/2013 at 7:23 AM, Wurstwasser said:

nodezsh

is a trap - i am stuck in the nodezsh. I'd pay all Exai money only for nodezsh. I was asking myself why. It has a simple drum pattern.At a first look the drums have no "flow" in a way. But it has perfectly done out-of-sync moments. Well it simply works. I DUNNO!!!! BTW In german we'd say "verhaspeln". So why is it a trap? It's probably the perfect mood. No it's because it is perfect.

BTW, when I first listened to it I decided: "if this track now does not end on the right note, then I'll jump down this building!" - fortunately the guys are musicians and let it end on the "right" note. Right in a traditional sense, like the baroque musicians ended often on the same finishing note (C? have to look. Also, as a clarinet player, my clarinet notes are transpoosed... The one that makes you feel like "everything is well and finished, no questions open").

i really love the drums right after the almost total kill of the volume of the drums. You can hear them in the back, still pressing the stabs down...that rythmic section is awesome!

re: "i really love the drums right after the almost total kill of the volume of the drums." (I have problems with quoting and the editor here).

Yes, and it reminded me of Gantz Graf, where you can already hear the track starting before it actually started. That also was a problem for us tape users back in the days, when a layer of loud sound laid on a layer with almost silence. Then you could hear through what would follow because of the copying of magnetism.

  On 2/19/2013 at 5:08 AM, lumpenprol said:

yeah I listened to oversteps again last night and was reminded how much I liked it. More than Exai I think. BUT. There is something very unique about Exai, it sounds like one big long song almost. Oversteps still has the very traditional song-song-song structure. But Exai feels more like a living organic beast that flows along. Imo. Still if I was going to make an "Ae best mixtape" I think several tracks from Oversteps would make it on, but maybe none from Exai (possibly irlite I guess). I'm not sure it holds up on a track-by-track analysis.

Largely agree with this post.

Exai to me feels 'genuine' and real, despite its alien atmospheres. It has a similar soul to Confield actually. Oversteps is beautiful, but does have that traditional structure which makes it feel comparitively plastic.

But as for standalone tracks that work outside Exai, that is where the side effects of such an approach are felt.

  On 2/19/2013 at 7:56 AM, Wurstwasser said:

re: "i really love the drums right after the almost total kill of the volume of the drums." (I have problems with quoting and the editor here).

 

Yes, and it reminded me of Gantz Graf, where you can already hear the track starting before it actually started. That also was a problem for us tape users back in the days, when a layer of loud sound laid on a layer with almost silence. Then you could hear through what would follow because of the copying of magnetism.

hehehe...i know! these days it is different ;) ... however, when i play the 24 bit wavs on my phone using mx player, i get the same kind of noise in quiet parts. kinda funny. Reminds me of the "tape-era"

Hopped in to say that after like 10 listens, i think they delivered us just another tits Autechre album, it's like alien drugs taking you on a trip trough hell. And man, those sickening basssounds! Great fucking musick that has to be played loud

Ya know, it's the oldest thing we've heard from Exai, but the flying saucers at the end of spl9 are just the best.

I'm digging it too, there's enough tracks that on the surface are deceptively simple or groovy to keep me coming back, and that makes me sit through the more random stuff as well.

And in terms of sheer sound it's probably the best thing they've done, Confield era is almost starting to sound dated compared to this.

I am looking forward to hearing this on vinyl once it comes around. And I think the artwork will look much better in real life than on the photos.

Itching for the vinyl.

Not listened to Exai since last Thursday, trying not to overload.
Will probably get the older albums back on rotation soon and try and figure out exactly where Exai sits amongst them.

Yeah nodezsh is a funny, weird domain. It's the same old funky recurring twilight world of ae, traversin the tunnels of your mind and whacking about with iron bats

The first half hasn't properly clicked with me yet; it has some really great moments but like every other Ae album I still need to memorise some parts before I can truly appreciate it. Part two, however, oh boy. So fucking good. I have a feeling I'm gonna wear the third and fourth records out from frequent playing.. as long as the packaging isn't excessive like with Oversteps, zole.

trying to tell if there is digital noise in 1 1 is or if my copy is fucked up. I don't remember hearing it for a long time but now it's all I can hear.

Oh? Any specific point? It sounds pretty perfect to me.