Is Autechre relevant anymore?

:'(

LOL!

''LOL''

- Arthur Schopenhauer

  On 6/19/2013 at 1:01 PM, Candiru said:

It's probably just too hard to translate what Ae do into a place in pop culture. Their approach is very different and comes from being masters of the process, which is not something many people can do, especially the way they do it. Each album is shaped by the limitations they impose on themselves with the equipment they choose and methods like generative music, etc. etc. Probably too many other things to mention that I'm not aware of. It's clearly an abstraction and blend of many other types of music like dub, electro, hip hop, drum and bass, ambient, etc into something that resembles wild style graffiti in the form of music. I'm pretty sure they even said to think of their music as wildstyle graffiti, where you can recognize that there are words written on a wall (hints at certain genres). But what's more interesting than the actual words are the otherworldly abstractions made from those words. The words are the frame, the anchor that lets you know it's not just a very interesting scribble. Not just noise, it's music.

 

But how many people can be bothered to investigate this, or keep coming back for more? To respond to your original question, I think that when music journalists use the word "relevant", they really mean the current style that's hot right now, or topical lyrics. Nothing more than that. So I guess they are not relevant in that way, but their approach to music comes from the drive of pure exploration, mastery, and control of sound for its own sake. The pioneers doing the real dirty work. Undeniably relevant.

- Roger Ebert and Anthony Fantano

"Shut up and listen to my album"

- Mike Paradinas

Too many great answers to qoute! Too many great gifs!

Well this thread turn out to be quite the rollercoaster.

Candiru probably hit the nail on the head in that Autechre will always and should always be relevant because of the punk attitude they bring to electronic music. Being musical graffiti is the best conceptualisation I could think of.

Yes I wanna throw the word "punk" in here and see where it goes. I mean by punk a certain attitude towards creativity and music that totally upsets the status quo. They did it in the 90s, in the 00s (perhaps not as influential as the previous decade) and they continue to do it today.

I haven't read through all of the Oversteps discussions here, but one of my initial reactions to that album and to the title is that is a comment on dubstep. Viewing that way, autechre seems to be very much aware of what's going on and trying to create an antidote for what the percieve to be a culture in desperate need of one. And that's totally a punk way of doing things. I also think that is why Oversteps sounds they way it does, like the complete antithesis of Skrillex and the likes. Then there's another question of Oversteps actually being influential and accomplishing the task it sets out for itself, bringing the antidote to market.

Exai though I'm having a harder time pinning down in a similar sense.

  On 6/19/2013 at 6:24 PM, xpr said:

Viewing that way, autechre seems to be very much aware of what's going on and trying to create an antidote for what the percieve to be a culture in desperate need of one. And that's totally a punk way of doing things. I also think that is why Oversteps sounds they way it does, like the complete antithesis of Skrillex and the likes.

I think you're totally over thinking this.

  On 6/19/2013 at 6:26 PM, Obel said:

 

  On 6/19/2013 at 6:24 PM, xpr said:

Viewing that way, autechre seems to be very much aware of what's going on and trying to create an antidote for what the percieve to be a culture in desperate need of one. And that's totally a punk way of doing things. I also think that is why Oversteps sounds they way it does, like the complete antithesis of Skrillex and the likes.

 

I think you're totally over thinking this.

 

aye

Holy shit this is a great thread

AE Subforum still the best subforum. All the other subforums can suck a dick.

*stands on tip-toes and spies over fence at boc subforum*

Pretty much

  On 6/19/2013 at 6:24 PM, xpr said:

autechre seems to be very much aware of what's going on and trying to create an antidote for what the percieve to be a culture in desperate need of one.

"aye sean makin beats its cool n all but u no why dont we take it a bit furtha and like become cultural messiahs and save culture for all mankind n shit"

"fockin a"

  On 6/19/2013 at 7:39 PM, hello spiral said:

*stands on tip-toes and spies over fence at boc subforum*

 

Pretty much

heheh

hey check out this punk rock cover of skrillex, its better than autechre

https://soundcloud.com/ketek/skrillex-scary-monsters-nice

  On 6/19/2013 at 6:48 PM, Obel said:

AE Subforum still the best subforum. All the other subforums can suck a dick.

Right, right!

  On 6/19/2013 at 9:33 PM, xox said:

 

  On 6/19/2013 at 6:48 PM, Obel said:

AE Subforum still the best subforum. All the other subforums can suck a dick.

 

"Right, right!"

 

-Arthur Schopenhauer

 

 

.

OP:

Autechre are two dudes who have a passion for composing music with electronic means. That's all there is really - we could stop here, in this very abstract and stupendously obvious fact, yet we'd be 100% correct about it. Everything else is unimportant - if the listener enjoys, that's fine; if they don't, that's fine they can must go f*ck themselves. I mean, when you say 'put your personal opinion aside', what's left is just this 'fact'.

If we put some more of this thing called 'personal opinion/judgement' to the mix, I would immediately say that Autechre's musical output is extraordinarily 'rich' (i.e., 'varying'), described by innovation, a tendency for not repeating themselves, a focus on music-making and sound-exploration as opposed to gimmicky/patended sound or relying to one-trick-pony music techniques or cliches, immense sonic craftsmanship and a high degree of originality. Booth and Brown have inspired many composers from various genres as well as musical instrument manufacturers; they are also known to receive a) massive praise as well as b) mixed feelings from the Receptors (press, fans, etc.). This latter point (b) proves once again the band's ingenuity (i.e., composers like Xenakis, John Cage are known for having caused such mixed reactions).

Whether Autechre are considered 'relevant anymore' to a 'larger cultural context' (i.e., whether they are still 'worthy of attention/respect' or not) is a problematic question that asks for an even more problematic range of answers. As I said in the previous post, the question is whether the receiving end is mature enough to postpone unnecessary criticism and appreciate the band's music. When you have magazines like Bitchdork in the year 2013 giving records a grade as if we're in primary school, it is very logical to assume that some part of this 'larger cultural context' is still highly immature and promotes immature critical thinking.

Anyway, I could go on. Nice topic.

"pissing blood and pieces of meat, how will i rid myself of these filthy scum guppies"

- Arthur Schopenhauer

Autechre have always been where relevance eventually catches up to.

  On 6/19/2013 at 4:01 PM, Rulohead32 said:

"Shut up and listen to my album"

 

- Mike Paradinas

"Hey!" *fist pumps* "I'm in a Euro Club!"

-Rob Brown

"Hey!" *fist pumps* "I'm in your punani!"

-Mike Paradinas

this thread is kawaii

*self-fisting b/c of this thread*

PLOT TWIST: Autechre splits up

PLOT TWIST, TWIST: Autechre splits up your genitals. And you beg for more.