XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

well fuck me, really hope am not responsible for them stupid comments about complexity etc. I wasn’t really talking about that as such but more meant when I listen to Confield now even after listening to it countless times I still hear something new or sometimes it even feels like am listening to it for the first time! I love Exai but am not sure I will get that feeling with it in ten years times.

I dont think this effect really has much to do with Complexity as you can get the same effect from really minimal music it’s something much harder to define and like pretty much everything it is subjective

  On 9/28/2013 at 10:27 AM, kirm said:

well fuck me, really hope am not responsible for them stupid comments about complexity etc. I wasn’t really talking about that as such but more meant when I listen to Confield now even after listening to it countless times I still hear something new or sometimes it even feels like am listening to it for the first time! I love Exai but am not sure I will get that feeling with it in ten years times.

 

I dont think this effect really has much to do with Complexity as you can get the same effect from really minimal music it’s something much harder to define and like pretty much everything it is subjective

Don't worry -- I think WATMM still accepts you even though you partially caused all them stupid comments.

At least you clarified that you too believe that how densely layered a track is is just "subjective" and "hard to define".

  On 9/29/2013 at 12:04 AM, Joseph said:

 

  On 9/28/2013 at 10:27 AM, kirm said:

well fuck me, really hope am not responsible for them stupid comments about complexity etc. I wasn’t really talking about that as such but more meant when I listen to Confield now even after listening to it countless times I still hear something new or sometimes it even feels like am listening to it for the first time! I love Exai but am not sure I will get that feeling with it in ten years times.

 

I dont think this effect really has much to do with Complexity as you can get the same effect from really minimal music it’s something much harder to define and like pretty much everything it is subjective

Don't worry -- I think WATMM still accepts you even though you partially caused all them stupid comments.

 

At least you clarified that you too believe that how densely layered a track is is just "subjective" and "hard to define".

 

But wait... you've turned full circle? Before you were saying that it's simply fact that confield was more dense and intricate. I was saying it was subjective the whole time?

Or are you saying something else here =/

lol

No, I'm being sarcastic in that last post.

Or something like sarcasm, I don't know :)

Ohhhhhh lol ok that makes more sense. I didn't think you would turn full circle in just one post BAM just like that!

Have a good Saturday mr!

I agree that Confield tracks are typically more densely layered, but don't see why it matters. Any classically produced pop music song with big name producer on it is more densely layered than anything on Confield or even in previous music history, often being meticulously recorded on high-end stuff, multi-multi-multi-tracked etc. In terms of intricacy it also doesn't compare with most of the academic avant-garde of 20th century excluding minimalist composers. It simply means nothing in my ears. "More going on" isn't an advantage to seek for, for electronic music as for any fresh type of music it was typically the contrary.

I prefer to think of subtlety rather than complexity. There's a lot of "complex" stuff that I find really boring.

I think Confield probably has more subtlety than Exai. But Exai has more generosity of spirit.

I do think that Ae used to have a kind of "fucking with the audience" mentality (as Sean said in an interview), something they shared with RDJ, but that sort of cold reserve and standoffishness is almost completely absent now. It's clear they still want to experiment and surprise the audience, but I don't think there are as many unpleasant, atonal, cold and psychotic elements as there used to be, for sure. They seem like they're having quite a bit of fun.

344 pages to this thread. One day, a hundred years from now, someone is going to research internet archives of what the reaction to this album was at the time, and they're gonna have a hell of a time digging through all this. This is just me, saying hi to the future.

Also, Ae rules.

  On 9/29/2013 at 5:48 AM, auxien said:

344 pages to this thread. One day, a hundred years from now, someone is going to research internet archives of what the reaction to this album was at the time, and they're gonna have a hell of a time digging through all this. This is just me, saying hi to the future.

 

Also, Ae rules.

In the future (read:now) researchers will use mining techniques hunting for key words. So, you're essentially saying "hi" to a computer algorithm which would only need a couple of seconds, if not less, to scan this thread.

Which is perfectly IDM, of course. ;D

  On 9/29/2013 at 4:59 AM, lumpenprol said:

I prefer to think of subtlety rather than complexity. There's a lot of "complex" stuff that I find really boring.

 

I think Confield probably has more subtlety than Exai. But Exai has more generosity of spirit.

 

I do think that Ae used to have a kind of "fucking with the audience" mentality (as Sean said in an interview), something they shared with RDJ, but that sort of cold reserve and standoffishness is almost completely absent now. It's clear they still want to experiment and surprise the audience, but I don't think there are as many unpleasant, atonal, cold and psychotic elements as there used to be, for sure. They seem like they're having quite a bit of fun.

Good post I think that sums it up well. As you say some stuff that is complex is boring is fuck and likewise some really minimal stuff can have a real depth & subtely to it.

Also agree about Exai sounding like they had lots of fun making it.... I also have loads of fun listening to it! but think for me personaly I probably prefer them when they are a bit more unpleasant atonal and cold. Still Exai is awesome and cant wait to hear what the new EP will bring

holy shit, guys, complextro.

Complexity is not really an issue for me, but I do miss how on Confield/Draft the sounds were so abstract and alien. With Exai things are more identifiable, relatable. You hear pads, you hear crisp hats, tight snares, samples. They still process and structure everything in mind-blowing ways, and it's great. But I think they're at their best when they pull the rug out from under you and rip away all points of reference.

  On 9/29/2013 at 7:45 AM, goDel said:

 

  On 9/29/2013 at 5:48 AM, auxien said:

344 pages to this thread. One day, a hundred years from now, someone is going to research internet archives of what the reaction to this album was at the time, and they're gonna have a hell of a time digging through all this. This is just me, saying hi to the future.

 

Also, Ae rules.

In the future (read:now) researchers will use mining techniques hunting for key words. So, you're essentially saying "hi" to a computer algorithm which would only need a couple of seconds, if not less, to scan this thread.

 

Which is perfectly IDM, of course. ;D

Nah, the future is analog

I still think Fleure is the weakest track on this album. The ending is great but the rest of the track just sounds like the kind of FFT wanking I used to fuck around with in my early ae ripoff days.

  On 10/1/2013 at 3:23 PM, modey said:

I still think Fleure is the weakest track on this album. The ending is great but the rest of the track just sounds like the kind of FFT wanking I used to fuck around with in my early ae ripoff days.

It's one of the less interesting album openers. For example, I like r ess because it goes in crescendo, like if Oversteps comes to you; I like Altibzz cause you expect one album and in the second track you get a totally different album; I like AcroyearII cause the song is cool...

  On 9/29/2013 at 12:23 PM, kirm said:

 

  On 9/29/2013 at 4:59 AM, lumpenprol said:

I prefer to think of subtlety rather than complexity. There's a lot of "complex" stuff that I find really boring.

 

I think Confield probably has more subtlety than Exai. But Exai has more generosity of spirit.

 

I do think that Ae used to have a kind of "fucking with the audience" mentality (as Sean said in an interview), something they shared with RDJ, but that sort of cold reserve and standoffishness is almost completely absent now. It's clear they still want to experiment and surprise the audience, but I don't think there are as many unpleasant, atonal, cold and psychotic elements as there used to be, for sure. They seem like they're having quite a bit of fun.

 

Good post I think that sums it up well. As you say some stuff that is complex is boring is fuck and likewise some really minimal stuff can have a real depth & subtely to it.

 

Also agree about Exai sounding like they had lots of fun making it.... I also have loads of fun listening to it! but think for me personaly I probably prefer them when they are a bit more unpleasant atonal and cold. Still Exai is awesome and cant wait to hear what the new EP will bring

 

yeah, I mean if I'm going to get all "artistic merit"-y about it, some of their earlier albums are probably more distinctive and groundbreaking and alien. But I've grown older with the band, so am actually liking their more open, weirder, druggier, and just-slightly-sloppier recent albums. I'm married with a kid now, and no longer feel like I need to go on some twisted or soul-numbing journey. This doesn't mean I'll accept crappy leftovers - I think MoT was really forgettable and even kind of embarrassingly derivative (that BoCalike track with the flutes, lol), and I thought Quaristice was a real drop in quality. But both Oversteps and Exai are still musically fascinating to me, while feeling more "open" and "accessible" in some ways.

I've really got my fingers crossed that Ae can age gracefully, and so far it seems like they are. And by gracefully I mean maybe getting a bit looser, jammier, and goofier, but still bringing a high level of craftsmanship. I thought they might be slipping with MoT, but Exai shows me they can still "bring it" when it comes to their full lengthers. Imo.

New official video for 'YJY UX'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUzYp7P2jKg

  On 10/1/2013 at 8:40 AM, Boxus said:

Complexity is not really an issue for me, but I do miss how on Confield/Draft the sounds were so abstract and alien. With Exai things are more identifiable, relatable. You hear pads, you hear crisp hats, tight snares, samples. They still process and structure everything in mind-blowing ways, and it's great. But I think they're at their best when they pull the rug out from under you and rip away all points of reference.

Exactly this. Exai sounds like Sean and Rob at the top of their game, this gives it a very brash, confident sound. But it also sounds less explorative and weird. I place Quaristice in this same box. I am surprised at how little there is to explore on Exai compared to Draft, Untilted or Confield.

This could differ with time of course, but as of yet Exai has not, beyond first listen, surprised me much. I have however been listening to much more Oversteps since Exai, which is a good thing. I'm really loving Oversteps more and more.

  On 10/2/2013 at 10:09 PM, AJW said:

 

  On 10/1/2013 at 8:40 AM, Boxus said:

Complexity is not really an issue for me, but I do miss how on Confield/Draft the sounds were so abstract and alien. With Exai things are more identifiable, relatable. You hear pads, you hear crisp hats, tight snares, samples. They still process and structure everything in mind-blowing ways, and it's great. But I think they're at their best when they pull the rug out from under you and rip away all points of reference.

 

Exactly this. Exai sounds like Sean and Rob at the top of their game, this gives it a very brash, confident sound. But it also sounds less explorative and weird. I place Quaristice in this same box.

 

I totally disagree here. Quaristice is exploratory almost to a fault ( - at least some people seem to think it's a fault. I love it). I think there's no comparing Exai to Quaristice in that department. Yes, it's largely "jams" but those are the best "jams" I've heard in my entire life. Every track is it's own little isolated universe. Somehow, though, they flow together really well and even paint a coherent picture (Versions and Quadrange help with seeing this).

I love Quaristice so damn much. It's better than all of Oversteps, Exai, L-Event, MoT, and maybe even Untilted.

I do see what you're saying though - in certain respects Quaristice is more rhythmically restrained than say Draft or Untilted, and Exai is also restrained in this respect. But Quaristice explored in so many other ways. Exai feels more cinematic and "album" oriented.

Yeah it's probably more the short track lengths on Quaristice that seem stifling to me than the actual sounds on each track, which are more explorative than Exai. Each track hits upon something but then seems to stop in its track and suddenly decides to quit exploring further, which I find a shame. it's ironic though how restrained they sound when they're actually "jamming" as opposed to when meticulously (I assume) working on an album (Confield, Untilted, Draft) and that coming off far weirder and unrestrained. I must say I enjoy the sprawling, fleshed out soundscapes of the quadranges far more than Quaristice proper. I read that the Quaristice tracks were cut down from far lengthier chunks? I'd love to hear those big chunks, bring on the chunks.

I'm slow on the draw like a horse named mcgraw, but finally got around to buying this - loving it. I can see this becoming one of my favorite autechre releases.

  On 10/3/2013 at 2:12 AM, chenGOD said:

I'm slow on the draw like a horse named mcgraw

hey! that rhymed.

i can dance to that

  On 9/28/2013 at 1:00 AM, Joseph said:

 

  On 9/27/2013 at 7:29 PM, Candiru said:

 

  On 9/27/2013 at 4:58 PM, Joseph said:

More going on than on Confield? Is that a joke?

 

 

 

Nope. Not only does it sound a lot busier, but it's just more funky, groovin' and melodic than Confield. A lot of the time, the sound of a new frontier isn't as exciting as its later incarnations. Or some shit.

 

Well you're just factually wrong. Confield is way more dense and intricate on average than Exai. Even superficially complicated tracks like Fleure are way easier to unravel than, say, Lentic or Pen Expers.

 

Draft beats them both by a mile.

 

Hey I'm with you on the whole 'music can be talked about in an objective sense' deal but If you thought FLuere was easier to unravel than Pen Expers then it took you way too long to understand Pen Expers.