elseq 1-5

mesh cinereal and pendula hv moda alone would be a very good album

Yeah my version is hacked to pieces. It’s where Spotify The Evil One comes into its own. There it is in one big juicy chunk, all the pieces of the puzzle arranged in my perfect playlist. The sound is like having binoculars attached to my ears, so much range, scope and UFOs flying over isolated forests, and tracks being beamed into my pipsqueak brain. 
 

Moonshine but true. Goodnight Earthlings.

c7b2 !!!!!!

So, I've incrementally listened to this one all the way through a couple of times recently (in car, multiple sittings), and it's definitely grown on me. I've typically found the pieces populating elseq 2 & 3 to be pretty challenging in feeling a bit too sketch-ish for my tastes. (I still find TBM2 to be one of my least favorite Autechre tracks, probably, of all time. The relative sameness of the shuffling clap just marches on and on gets really grating after a while.) But, overall, I'm digging the release more. A lot of their recent work seems to sonically exist parallel to modular synth work, and I suspect that a lot of the principles are also similar (in terms of how various Max objects that they've created are informing one another), and that seems to be taken to its logical conclusion on elseq. It feels like a lot of the tracks and their extended lengths are almost created in the interest of observing what will happen, and that's a vibe that I don't get with the NTS or the live material of the last decade, which feel more deliberate or piloted. Anyway, growing on me.

  On 5/24/2022 at 4:23 PM, mTesc said:

So, I've incrementally listened to this one all the way through a couple of times recently (in car, multiple sittings), and it's definitely grown on me. I've typically found the pieces populating elseq 2 & 3 to be pretty challenging in feeling a bit too sketch-ish for my tastes. (I still find TBM2 to be one of my least favorite Autechre tracks, probably, of all time. The relative sameness of the shuffling clap just marches on and on gets really grating after a while.) But, overall, I'm digging the release more. A lot of their recent work seems to sonically exist parallel to modular synth work, and I suspect that a lot of the principles are also similar (in terms of how various Max objects that they've created are informing one another), and that seems to be taken to its logical conclusion on elseq. It feels like a lot of the tracks and their extended lengths are almost created in the interest of observing what will happen, and that's a vibe that I don't get with the NTS or the live material of the last decade, which feel more deliberate or piloted. Anyway, growing on me.

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I think they mentioned that elseq (edited live sequences) was made together with the Live 14-15, as well with the same Max setup as the live set. They are basically extended versions of the live patches and "leftover" materials. I almost consider the Live 14-15 to be part of elseq in terms of sound palette. But I disagree with that you cant feel it in their live sets, I´d say ever since they went full Max that approach is all over their stuff.

  On 5/24/2022 at 7:38 PM, Iwanttobefree said:

I think they mentioned that elseq (edited live sequences) was made together with the Live 14-15, as well with the same Max setup as the live set. They are basically extended versions of the live patches and "leftover" materials. I almost consider the Live 14-15 to be part of elseq in terms of sound palette. But I disagree with that you cant feel it in their live sets, I´d say ever since they went full Max that approach is all over their stuff.

It's not so much that we don't notice that the live sets or NTS (or exai or, to a lesser extent, oversteps) share the same DNA as elseq. I agree that you can hear similar processes at work (and, as you've mentioned, some overlapping pieces or versions of pieces). I think it's that elseq sounds the least carefully harvested and the most unabashedly experimental (not to be confused with "challenging," I mean it literally - the pieces sound like experiments intentionally created in the interest of seeing what will unfold). I can be dead wrong about the thought process behind elseq vs. the others, though. It's just an impression that I'm getting, and what S & R were actually doing and seeking may be very different from my interpretation, obviously.

I had difficulty getting into elseq initially - I was put off by the dominant sound it being sort of claustrophobic, dense and compressed. It's still not my favorite and I prefer NTS but it has grown on me a ton, and I love most of it by now. Lots of tracks on there that would be among my all time favorites. elyc6 0nset has really skyrocketed to the top over the past couple of years, I've found more to love about it every time I've heard it. That track alone is practically a full album's worth of amazing sonic moments.

There are still some tracks that don't do much for me too, like c7b2. I know a lot of people love that one but it gets tiring to me, so many cool noises rigidly jammed together that it just starts to feel monotonous. I actually like TBM2 a lot though, it has such a light, breezy atmosphere and makes a nice reprieve from the heaviness of a lot of elseq. It is very simple and repetitive, but I enjoy zoning out and focusing on the subtle reverb changes.

  On 5/27/2022 at 2:47 AM, toaoaoad said:

I love elseq more and more all the time. Didn't really get into it until a couple years ago and I consider myself a diehard fan. The more I listen to it, the more the earlier perception of "these are just jams" dissipates.  If anything the NTS stuff feels way more like jams to me, almost all of it. Fewer layers and less development/progression over the course of a track. Nothing wrong with that. But I don't perceive elseq that way anymore (apart from obvious examples like tbm2, pendulu casual and eastre, which are still awesome in their own right but did not interest me at all for a long time for that reason). Different listening experiences and the passage of time helped with that.

The volume of material, familiarity of AE_LIVE elements, and confusion/annoyance over those more repetitive, stripped down tracks, create a sort of fog for a lot of fans where the whole thing seems that way, but it's actually got a lot of tracks that are fully developed and "tell a story" and have shitloads of detail etc etc. 13x0 step, foldfree casual, the mighty elyc6 0nset, spaces how v, pendulu hv moda, etc etc... these stand up with their best material.

So I probably just need another 15 years or so with NTS.

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I am absolutely with you in finding elseq more and more engaging. That is definitely true. I find NTS, however, and found it from the very beginning, to be really accessible. There are some weird, abrupt endings that leave me scratching my head a bit. Like the tape just ran out or one of the guys hit stop (I understand that this isn't how it works at all) without notice. But, apart from that, I find NTS to sound either carefully constructed or carefully edited. elseq feels like rolling the dice to me as an observer. I don't know what weird thing is going to come at me next. It's a bit like Quaristice in that sense. It feels intentionally haphazard (not the individual pieces but as a collection of pieces) unified by unexpected turns. And then, the pieces, themselves, do also have a kind of rusticity in general. There are a lot of tenuous, challenging harmonics. There is also a willingness to meander that I don't find present in the NTS pieces. Again, I'm coming around to it, but it's not because my impression of what it is has evolved; it's more just that I appreciate it increasingly for what it appears to be.

Also, 13x0 is one of my favorite Ae tracks of all time. A lot of elseq 1 resonates quite hard with me.

that staticky feel to alot of the sounds on elseq, as if some of feed1's density leaked out and left a dry black/grey trace throughout the release. 

mesh cinereaL is still king though

To me, Elseq is to Autechre what Inland Empire is to David Lynch.
And I love both...

  On 5/31/2022 at 10:03 AM, misuta Go said:

To me, Elseq is to Autechre what Inland Empire is to David Lynch.
And I love both...

And by extension, NTS is to Autechre what Twin Peaks Season 3 is to David Lynch

  On 5/31/2022 at 10:03 AM, misuta Go said:

To me, Elseq is to Autechre what Inland Empire is to David Lynch.
And I love both...

Sean mentioned in the AMA today that Inland Empire is his favourite Lynch movie.  

Also noted that Sean pronounces the name of this album as 'El-seek'

seeequences

  On 6/7/2022 at 8:11 PM, Key said:

Also noted that Sean pronounces the name of this album as 'El-seek'

jazz (extended live sequences etc., was mentioned in interviews).

liccflii being pronounced 'lickfly' tho...

  On 6/7/2022 at 8:45 PM, jaderpansen said:

jazz (extended live sequences etc., was mentioned in interviews).

liccflii being pronounced 'lickfly' tho...

plural of liccflange

  On 6/7/2022 at 8:45 PM, jaderpansen said:

liccflii being pronounced 'lickfly' tho...

Yeah lick"fly" was a surprise for me too lol. Always thought of it as lick"flea"

I think he pronounced elyc6 like "elsick six" or "L66" which was kinda weird, there's no s or c in it there. I'd have to go back and listen again tho and have no idea where that bit was. Anyone catch it?

He was confirming that yes it was made in one day but he didn't recall telling anyone that in the first place iirc.

  On 6/8/2022 at 1:11 AM, toaoaoad said:

Yeah lick"fly" was a surprise for me too lol. Always thought of it as lick"flea"

I think he pronounced elyc6 like "elsick six" or "L66" which was kinda weird, there's no s or c in it there. I'd have to go back and listen again tho and have no idea where that bit was. Anyone catch it?

He was confirming that yes it was made in one day but he didn't recall telling anyone that in the first place iirc.

  On 6/8/2022 at 3:10 AM, Bodhidharma said:

 

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O hey he says it again at 4:12:44 in this video and pronounces it differently, the way it would sound phonetically. So maybe the first time was just a slip-up, or someone typo'd it in the chat and he read it out loud? Haven't looked at the chat transcripts.

The next AMA shall focus on asking him to pronounce track titles out loud

  On 5/27/2022 at 2:47 AM, toaoaoad said:

Didn't really get into it until a couple years ago and I consider myself a diehard fan.

Knowing that it might (/will almost certainly) take years to really get an autechre release might be the defining sign of being a diehard autechre fan.

Since I never know which part to pick when I want to listen to Elseq or NTS I just listened to all of them in random order (coincidentally NTS 4 ended up as the last one). I *think* I can now reliably identify at least elseq vs. nts lol. As someone mentioned upthread the use of (at first impression) quite simple static sounds is quite unique to these albums compared to their earlier ones (of course someone could prove me wrong with numerous examples ;)). Also noticed a lot of unapologetic aliasing sounds (like you would have a patch and then increase the tempo/speed 100x and basically everything you can hear is just aliasing effects of what the patch is doing way above 20khz).

And latentcall is such a banger, damn...

I've only just realized how great pendulu hv moda is

NTS finally clicked with me this year after many listens. it's a fantastic feeling, maybe better than liking something right away...

Elseq really clicked for me during the beginning of the pandemic, i would go for my daily walk with some good headphones. gr8 group, ae.

There are numerous tracks on elseq that I absolutely love, and enjoy more than the majority of NTS or SIGN/PLUS

however, to this day I still cannot shake the opinion that it is overall “less than” / weaker within the more recent material. 
it’s just not a cohesive document 
the highs are extremely high, but there is too much that makes me wish for tighter quality control. Meanwhile NTS is long as all hell and yet with rare exception nothing seems to overstay its welcome.

perhaps I am in the minority on this though 

  On 9/8/2022 at 8:28 PM, gnarlybog said:

i would go for my daily walk with some good headphones. gr8 group, ae.