XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

  On 12/25/2012 at 5:35 PM, oscillik said:

you've heard six minutes of a two hour body of work. and you're philosophising?

But it's a track, a separated body by it self, part of the album that's part of their opus...that's part of their life...right?

Sean said once that every single sample of kick has it's own life and emotions that evokes...

  On 12/25/2012 at 5:41 PM, xox said:

  On 12/25/2012 at 5:35 PM, oscillik said:

you've heard six minutes of a two hour body of work. and you're philosophising?

But it's a track, a separated body by it self, part of the album that's part of their opus...that's part of their life...right?

 

Sean said once that every single sample of kick has it's own life and emotions that evokes...

ok, well let us know when you've written the screenplay for the life story arc of spl9, because what you've written above doesn't quite cut the mustard.

nobody is gonna greenlight that script. except maybe Pitchfork.

  On 12/25/2012 at 5:44 PM, oscillik said:

  On 12/25/2012 at 5:41 PM, xox said:

  On 12/25/2012 at 5:35 PM, oscillik said:

you've heard six minutes of a two hour body of work. and you're philosophising?

But it's a track, a separated body by it self, part of the album that's part of their opus...that's part of their life...right?

 

Sean said once that every single sample of kick has it's own life and emotions that evokes...

ok, well let us know when you've written the screenplay for the life story arc of spl9, because what you've written above doesn't quite cut the mustard.

 

nobody is gonna greenlight that script. except maybe Pitchfork.

It's hard to be objective but I'm trying, i really do.

For what its worth I think your post was entertaining xox but I don't have much clue what you are talking about haha. But describing music like Autechre is a task few can pull off so by all means, everyone, give it your all. Certainly looking forward to Alcofribas's review.

lush

xox, can you explain again why you think it's underdeveloped and where the conflict is?

I was listening to it on repeat yesterday for a long time and it really opened up. I do think it hails back to things like quari, untilted and move of ten even, but I just love the energy and sounds from the middle to end and like how it switches up.

  On 12/25/2012 at 6:50 PM, coax said:

xox, can you explain again why you think it's underdeveloped and where the conflict is?

 

I was listening to it on repeat yesterday for a long time and it really opened up. I do think it hails back to things like quari, untilted and move of ten even, but I just love the energy and sounds from the middle to end and like how it switches up.

I'll try. ...i'm so ashamed. Don't like being a smart ass.

Let's say that the thing you're liking about the track (the same thing we all do, i guess) is the reason of track's existence...hence that reason is equal to will of track's creator and we can cognise their thoughts and feelings directly. It's just power of music. Here will = energy.

Now, that kinetic energy lays on gradient, movement from low energy stage (sole lame loop in the first part) to higher one (the great last part) and that's the switch you're talking about. I just think that the energy wouldn't be lost if that first part wasn't that ugly cause they could compensate the lost of momentum which could happened with 'better' (???) 'nicer' loop by more developing that gorgeous last part we all love. I think they're capable to do that. Who else if not Ae...? They've done it before and I'm expecting more every time...mea culpa.

Sounds like a lethargic The Plc to me, mixed with chenc, very Quadrange/Move of Ten-ish. A good indication of whether you really like it is if you immediately after listening to it you find another Autechre track from years ago that you've never really cared for much, like, say Drane, and see how it compares. spl9 is bilge, Drane was alluring, suggestive from the beginning and actually builds, it has that authentic Autechre gravitas to it that sets them apart from other electronic acts.

This track doesn't feel composed, it's full-on, but not distinctive, it doesn't breathe, it's bitty and sludgey, rather than searing. I think the same of a lot of the move of ten tracks. The longer version of the plc changes, you notice it change, it's dramatic, it's composed so that it builds, you wait for it and the more you wait, the better it feels when it happens. All of Untilted is composed the same, sections of repetitiveness, you have to listen to the track whole. You could take any segment of spl9 and it'd work on its own.

What's happened to Autechre's directness, they just sound like someone trying to do Autechre and failing. I think i can get through it, feel nothing, and then never want to listen to it again. I don't think anything I've heard Oversteps onwards comes close to anything they did before. Texturally, compositionally, having that metallic gravitas that all Autechre has.

What happened? It's not a taste thing, 'I want more beats'. (i don't, and it has beats, they're simplistic). It just sounds sub-par autechre, Listening to maphive now, it's majestic, poetic, captivating, dynamic, minimal. Actual Autechre fans who've been listening to them for years and years can't notice a difference in quality, really?

  On 12/25/2012 at 8:22 PM, Suffocate Peon said:

What's happened to Autechre's directness, they just sound like someone trying to do Autechre and failing.

Yeah, that might even be the case here...

I've felt that way since quaristice. I like most of that album, and I enjoy all but 3 tracks in the oversteps/MoT series, but even still they didn't quite have that sharp/crisp focus of earlier material.

I'm still exaited by this upcoming monster of new material, but this one track seems more meandering than I'd like. That style worked for me on oversteps since i just happen to like meandering synths. But you take that idea and put it into the context if busy rhythms, and I'm not so sure.

Still, 6 minutes out of over 2 hours is not enough to judge the whole albums 'direction'

  StocKo said:

  Suffocate Peon said:

What's happened to Autechre's directness, they just sound like someone trying to do Autechre and failing.

Yeah, that might even be the case here...

What does this mean, that it might be fake? Or something else? It's similar to everything else they've released in the last few years, move of ten and one-off tracks that I'm willing to believe it's legit. It's only slightly better than an amateur attempt. There is enough energy in it for me for one moment try to convince myself it is good, but the denial only lasted until the track ended. It became boring by the second listen which is not good when you consider that most of their previous music will keep me fascinated into old age I suspect.

i just can't get enough of it, whenever i feel like listening to it i listen to it like 5 times in a row.

it's like they're in total control of it as opposed to random twinkly bullshit™ from oversteps, the sinister energy and the relentless repetitions and those abrupt transitions are just so fucking tasty, it just pounds and pounds and pounds like some heavy industry machine, no melody no fuckall, perfect.

Personally only listened to that track once to get an 'idea' of what the album might be like. As I find it hard to judge Autechre tracks without context of the atmosphere and space the entire albums create over multiple listens. From your previous posts it seems clear you have a cynical bias against their newer material, which is subjectively fine... but I have seen this kind of attitude far too often on WATMM. People determine their outlook on something from some samples or a movie trailer and then post long labored posts about how they already anticipate a 'disaster.' By the time they actually hear or watch the album/film they're subconsciously driven to observe from a negative point of view in order to give some kind of consistency or prophecy to themselves and their opinion. WATMM seems so opposed to marketing and advertising yet they seek it out all the time. It's become a new form of entertainment especially for art that is produced with lots of money and designed to be more broadly entertaining. If you want to gain something out of all of this stuff we consume perhaps a better route is to avoid publicity and marketing all together and to accept change. Autechre perhaps has become something worse to you than what they were, but that doesn't diminish the stuff you enjoyed in the past. Or at least it shouldn't. All things must pass ... and as we can see with older generations people generally oppose new things (our parents only diggin "their" music... etc).

edit: @ Suffocate Peon

Dudes, not every Autechre track will be epic and life changing. But I bet a couple on Exai will be.

bbbbbbllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllloooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssszzzzz

If that track doesn't sound like malfunctioning photek robots battling black dragons on saturn I will be disappoint.

I am all thumbs up for a return to Quaristice style jamming and variety, but it's a little too prem to make that call.

Have there been any good fakes yet? I guess it's a bit harder this time since a track and the playing times have been put out there already..

  On 12/25/2012 at 10:53 PM, compson said:

I find it hard to judge Autechre tracks without context of the atmosphere and space the entire albums create over multiple listens.

Re: the 'movement' that xox sees as lacking:

I know some people are looking forward to the prospect that this album will not be like Oversteps.. but.. In Oversteps the drama often shifts as you go from the 'harmonic climate' of one track to another. The sequencing is very important. I often listen to albums on random order but for Oversteps I find it essential to listen from start to finish, it becomes very filmic that way and the last piece Yuop is sooo much more goose-bump inducing as a climax rather than simply an independent track.

It = best ever; if yes = yes; verify...

;

  On 12/25/2012 at 8:22 PM, Suffocate Peon said:

Sounds like a lethargic The Plc to me, mixed with chenc, very Quadrange/Move of Ten-ish. A good indication of whether you really like it is if you immediately after listening to it you find another Autechre track from years ago that you've never really cared for much, like, say Drane, and see how it compares. spl9 is bilge, Drane was alluring, suggestive from the beginning and actually builds, it has that authentic Autechre gravitas to it that sets them apart from other electronic acts.

 

This track doesn't feel composed, it's full-on, but not distinctive, it doesn't breathe, it's bitty and sludgey, rather than searing. I think the same of a lot of the move of ten tracks. The longer version of the plc changes, you notice it change, it's dramatic, it's composed so that it builds, you wait for it and the more you wait, the better it feels when it happens. All of Untilted is composed the same, sections of repetitiveness, you have to listen to the track whole. You could take any segment of spl9 and it'd work on its own.

 

What's happened to Autechre's directness, they just sound like someone trying to do Autechre and failing. I think i can get through it, feel nothing, and then never want to listen to it again. I don't think anything I've heard Oversteps onwards comes close to anything they did before. Texturally, compositionally, having that metallic gravitas that all Autechre has.

 

What happened? It's not a taste thing, 'I want more beats'. (i don't, and it has beats, they're simplistic). It just sounds sub-par autechre, Listening to maphive now, it's majestic, poetic, captivating, dynamic, minimal. Actual Autechre fans who've been listening to them for years and years can't notice a difference in quality, really?

I basically agree, but they haven't gone totally shit yet for me. I liked Oversteps quite a bit and listened to it a ton, more than Draft in fact. I think their new period is less unique and purposeful than before, but still very engaging. As I said before they're getting older and you can't expect them to be a beacon of the IDM equivalent of "math metal" or something forever. They're not going to be a relentless "clenched fist" forever (as I saw in one LP5 review). Oversteps and MoT definitely feel looser, like they are more carefree and playful, and I don't mind that at all. As long as they still are sincere and put time and effort into their art. We shall see!

The track is balls-off-the-walls amazing for me. Shit, those synth lines make my day so completely. And that twinkly piano stuff was just psychotic.

  On 12/26/2012 at 9:23 AM, CurlyAngryman said:

twinkly piano stuff

whut?

the spinning jingle-bells wheel... which is (confirmedly?) not part of the track

so can this leak now pls

I also think the melodic transition about 2 minutes before the end is a bit weak, but as with other tracks I think in time it may manifest itself as far better than I originally thought. I'm already noticing little things in the track after my fifth listen or so that really start to make it absolutely awesome

I don't think this is just aleatoric melodic noodling as some imply, there's more structure than we think. Or at the very least this just happened to be a very good iteration of their patch that they chose well

I want to hear this album so bad that i am experiencing psychic distress from the lack of samples or new tracks/leak. Please help me

  On 12/27/2012 at 9:39 AM, Awepittance said:

I want to hear this album so bad that i am experiencing psychic distress from the lack of samples or new tracks/leak. Please help me

youre not alone