Autechre - classic or dud

is this your first go with the group Raymond? always interested to hear what those who come in completely blind think.

there's a web reviewer named George Starostin who used to have one of those sites where he'd just try to review every album ever made (I think he may be still at it, actually). anyway he's a pretty hardcore "Beatles are the greatest of all time/No worthwhile music was made after '83" kinda guy and for some reason he decided to start reviewing Autechre. he liked some of their early stuff - first 3 albums, mostly - but after Confield he was just completely lost. he still decided to commit to the bit and review everything up to at least NTS 1, pretty much writing the same "are we sure they know what they're doing" review every time out. I felt a little bad for him by the end honestly.

I’ve heard pretty much everything they’ve done (with the exception of the ocean of recent live records) at least three times.

The pre-1998 material I don’t know as well as the stuff beyond that point because I just don’t play it much - early AE is like a totally different enterprise to these ears! - so it’s almost like experiencing it for the first time, if that makes sense.

A real trooper, George was, from the sound of things!

To clarify further: LP5 is where I got onboard (as it came out). I went back and bought and/or heard what came before that but it’s never done much for me, tbh.

there's a web reviewer named George Starostin who used to have one of those sites where he'd just try to review every album ever made (I think he may be still at it, actually). anyway he's a pretty hardcore "Beatles are the greatest of all time/No worthwhile music was made after '83" kinda guy and for some reason he decided to start reviewing Autechre. he liked some of their early stuff - first 3 albums, mostly - but after Confield he was just completely lost. he still decided to commit to the bit and review everything up to at least NTS 1, pretty much writing the same "are we sure they know what they're doing" review every time out. I felt a little bad for him by the end honestly.

I just looked at this guy's blog and while he really seems to hate a lot of their stuff (especially Exai/elseq/NTS) he did like Oversteps and Move of Ten. Seems like he would probably like SIGN/PLUS if he ever deciedes to review them.

Basscadet Basscadoublemx 4:26 <- added
I had no idea about this. Searching now.

Basscadet Basscadoublemx 4:26 <- added
I had no idea about this. Searching now.

i think the bascadet 10"s were the first autechre things i saw, in the virgin megastore on oxford street (first i bought was the envane cd, although i probably had the artificial intelligence cds first)

The CD version of the EP box has the untitled hidden pregap track from EP7 at the start of Cichlisuite too, btw. (the download version doesn't have it, if discogs is correct)

The CD version of the EP box has the untitled hidden pregap track from EP7 at the start of Cichlisuite too, btw. (the download version doesn't have it, if discogs is correct)

The EPs box is a cool object, but it is some work to figure out which EP you're actually listening to, especially if you aren't really familiar with the track titles. The Gonkcast guys admit their lack of familiarity with the individual EPs as such when covering them (but then they lack direct experience with the physical releases in general). I've been working through most of the discography and Gonkcast in tandem, currently up through Oversteps. It takes a while for their "takes" to emerge, but it's thoughtful, convivial and nice to listen to while chopping up vegetables or whatever.

Not sure if I ever listened to that pre-gap track althogh I have owned EP7 on CD as well as vinyl (promos - an especially good pressing.) The EPs collection is remastered so the levels match nicely and it's easy to let it play through. One other thing missing from it is the alt version of Laughing Quarter.

Checked out my spotify wrapped thing for 2021 and according to it I am in the top 0.05% of autechre listeners for 2021. I guess with still listening to SIGN/PLUS a bunch and also going through the whole gonkcast podcast this was going to happen.

Damn, this is a magical set.

https://autechre.bandcamp.com/track/ae-live-oslo-171116

was just reminded that in 1997 they produced a track for an artpop album by some Japanese singer named Mari Hamada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB0BY0EqijM

which I think is the only time you get to hear what Ae would sound like with vocals. it's really nice. they aren't on the rest of the album obviously but it's really worth checking out

Never heard (of) that before, thanks.

Sean was a bit down on that track in the recent chat - it was basically a demo that got taken for the final mix iirc - but I've always liked it.

i was shocked to find out it is a cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMYiRsoUKBw

I did not know that either. the whole Mari Hamada album is a mystery, would love to read a track by track breakdown on how it came to be. how did Autechre even get involved? I know they've done some remixes of stuff with vocals but nothing else like this

just scanning the credits of the album, some of the production team were members of soft ballet, who had recently done a remix album (soft ballet forms) with a number of warp artists

including autechre, actually

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63ztC74ODRI

another producer had been a member of nav katze who ALSO did a well known remix album feat a number of warp affiliates

mystery solved i’d say

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWury9zukkM

that soft ballet remix is in my top 5 ae remixes.

just scanning the credits of the album, some of the production team were members of soft ballet, who had recently done a remix album (soft ballet forms) with a number of warp artists

― the late great, Tuesday, June 28, 2022 12:52 PM (six minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

okay yeah the dots are connecting a bit now, funny enough I had just recently listened to the Plaid remix they had done and wondered how the hell that came to be

always wondered if there were any Soft Ballet fans on here :)

Autechre really really really need a remix anthology

There was a big unofficial comp of their remixes that was doing the rounds online a few years ago - ‘Laxir’ or similar..

Ah someone’s been so good as to bung it on SoundCloud

…hmm maybe ignore that link, not the entire thing - but the Laxir comp covered up to about the last 5-10 years…

those nav katze comps with all those big 90s names rule. love the global communication one.

did sean talk about it on that twitch chat? kinda curious how the producer got in with all of those heavy hitters.

this record is a favorite as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKqUQ9srNGk

frustratingly, the other records seem to be, uh, like alt rock? which makes this all even weirder

also frustratingly, the laxir fan comp, while absolutely filled with gems, is not everything. it actually leaves out a decent chunk of stuff, despite being long as hell. i think some completionists have compiled even longer ones…

Have they done any in the last 15 or so years?

yeah, tho they’ve slowed it down.

stuff like russell haswell one sounds like modern autechre.

the sophie one isn’t as far out as you might think (want?), kinda like the earth remix.

the earth remix is masterful and amazing

they took a near-perfect song, probably decided not to fuck with it too much because it's already near perfect, then tweaked the production just enough that i can't really listen to the original now if i have a choice because theirs sounds so much better. and i don't really know if i could put into words what they did to it, besides edit a bit to add a refrain, tweak the eq, and add a weird drum sample (brushed cymbal or hi hat played backward?)

actually i'm not even sure if they reversed the drum sample

oh yeah, it’s great! but the first time i put it on, i was def like “wait, huh? this is an autechre remix??”

my fave is the Neu! remix on the splitrmx promo - speed isn't marked so I prefer it at 45, but 33 is good too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xr1OT6u7oI

(that title should be "Autechre play Weissensee against Im Glück" btw)

oh and frogbs they did release a remic of SOPHIE's "bipp" last year

Would love to make a list of "surely this is mislabeled, can't be" Autechre remixes

Earth is on there
so is Anodyne

anything else?

https://autechre.mixlr.com/recordings/1977679

xp probably the Tortoise remixes too

xp was that streamed live today? how did you hear about it?

^^ mixlr link is "a dj set of some old stuff for a bit of streaming" said sean_ae on Mastodon

https://www.reddit.com/r/autechre/comments/zz2ub6/anybody_here_excited_about_this_link_below/

Well, that’s tonight’s listening sorted.

5pm GMT tomorrow, https://t.co/UW6sG0bGqg pic.twitter.com/F9YgsDq7lU

— NTS Radio (@NTSlive) February 4, 2023

I remember the shock of the first one … “I think this might be an unreleased track!” “wait this is another unreleased track!” ”oh my god”

Lol yeah and “surely the next 3 will be DJ sets”