Autechre Chiastic Slide

[splesh]

People outside of the electronic music world often talk about other 1997 albums very reverentially, like OK Computer by Radiohead, Spiritualized's Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, Built to Spill's Perfect From Now On, Either/Or by Elliott Smith, and The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse. And there are classics within the electronic field from that year, like Biosphere's Substrata and Homogenic by Bjork. Some hip hop fans will also fondly remember Camp Lo's Uptown Saturday Night and Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus. But for whatever reason, people in general focus way more on the album immediately prior to this gem when pressed to name a single Autechre album, Tri Repetae. But I'd argue that Chiastic Slide was maybe their first full-length album to have the vibe and atmosphere we associate with Autechre today the whole way through, it was much more than merely a bridge between Tri Repetae and LP5. Seriously untouchable. The suite of Envane, Chiastic Slide, and Cichlisuite is phucking fenomenal, and oddly maligned by those who aren't Autechre obsessives. It's just absolutely great from start to end.

 

I'm even gonna get one of those custom-embroidery-on-a-baseball-cap things that says Chiastic Slide, and wear it in public to spread some public awareness of one of the most headfucking albums out there. Just need to decide on the colour scheme and typeface.

[modey]

pink wingdings i'd say

 

but yes great album. cichli and hub give me a prickly chub

[joseph]

I agree with you 100% vproc. Chiastic Slide has been and probably always will be my favorite Autechre album, so close to my heart.

[splesh]

pink wingdings i'd say

 

but yes great album. cichli and hub give me a prickly chub

Now I'm seeing that Wingdings isn't an option, and that "Chiastic Slide" is too many characters. Fie! For shame, Lids!

 

What I'm going to end up doing instead is simply buying one of their caps and buying a patch of a mushroom from elsewhere and buying some embroidery kits from still elsewhere and end up doing it as a much more DIY endeavour. On the plus side, it's more IDM that way.

[Boxus]

this one was a grower for me, it took a while for it to sink in. its sound is definitely more distinct than the preceding albums. tri rep was unique, but chiastic is a whole world of its own. nothing else has ever really sounded like it.

 

nuane is my favorite part, what a grand finale. one of their best tracks, and one of their most aggressive. I like to put it on when i'm angry and need to vent.

[zkom]

Was just listening to this last weekend. And now again. So much great stuff on this, but I think Nuane is my favorite track.

I remember when I bought the CD like 12 years ago or something and I was really stoked. I promptly went to play it at my friend's house and he was all . Couldn't really understand it at all. Oh, well..

[xyrofen]

The flow of the tracks on this album is nice both through the album and in each song. The ones that come to mind are Tewe and Hub.

[Dragon]

Chiastic Slide as a fucking bombshell of a crashing iceberg of an album. When asked to name a single favourite Ae album, I'll always say either this or Confield.

 

The texture is simply stunning. I think this was their first major innovation in sound design; the first three albums were good, but I think here it where they really stepped it up a notch. The grimy, industrial beats of tracks like Cipater and Cichli, combined with the looming, menacing synthpads of Tewe and Hub creating an experience too unique to ever be created again, perhaps even by Ae themselves...

 

This is also the first album that shows the balance that Ae have perfected over their discography: It creates a warm, organic feeling out of cold, mechanical sounds. While their previous two albums mainly focused on one or the other, this is where the overall feeling was put together, developed, and fully expressed. Albums like Confield, Untilted and Quaristice develop this even further, and IMO, this one of the greatest virtues Booth and Brown have to offer.

[Person90]

Its my favorite of all their albums. First track fucked my mind for good when the beat kicks in. Tri Repetae 's a close as fuck second, as are the two eps from Slide.

[Roo]

I had my first listen to Chiastic Slide tonight! Currently on my 2nd listen

 

I am finding this rather immediate for an Autechre album. Someone mentioned sound design earlier, I completely agree. It does merge the melody and beat very well, but there is also a lot of beauty and interesting things going on in the background that will keep me coming back

 

(OMG! Currently listening to the end of Cichli just after the beats drop out, BEAUTIFUL!)

 

This feels like the prototype for tight, later albums like Confield and Untilted. I also appreciate the mix of aggressive, flowing tracks, and more repetitive chill beats so far.

 

Whereas I never really warmed to LP5, my least favourite ae album.

 

Also, by the way, I listened to 'Overand' from Tri Repetae between listens, and I think that is one of my favourite ae tracks. So chill, and love it when the key melody comes back in around 5:10 in

 

I could see this being my 4th favourite ae album (behind Untilted, Confield & Amber), but requires a lot of further listens. But have loved the vibe of the album, it just is otherworldly, consistent, and even eastern in flavour (especially in the background of Hub and the beat in Pule)

[Roo]

I'll also add that Autechre's evolution is clearly apparent here.

 

Also, it's use of hip-hop beats and song progression reminded me particularly of Untilted. But whereas that is an album to play loud and drive to, Chiastic Slide is a headphone album foremost.

 

FYI, still on 2nd listen, so could be wrong.

[Soloman Tump]

I love this album. It is the perfect balancing point between the organic and the industrial sounds. The computers are just about to take over but nature is fighting back.

 

Cichli gives me tingles every time.

 

The first autechre I purchased on vinyl (got everything first on CD), and it sounds amazing.

[cern]

The first track on this album is their best intro track they got!

 

Love this album!

[sweepstakes]

It's fucking classic. But I listened to it too much and now it's lodged deep, deep in my brain forever.

Why does "Cipater" always sound French to me?

[Bertolt Brechtakt]

I bought Chiastic Slide together with Amber back in 1997. Just when it had come out. Autechre were playing at Volksbühne, Berlin one day prior to my birthday (together with Bionaut & Jega) so I thought, I wanna go there but should have a listen beforehand. So I bought both albums on vinyl. And made my parents give it to me for birthday

 

So Chiastic Slide is one of my starting points with Ae. That's probably why it is still one of my favorites. But I totally agree with the statements made yet:

• the new sound design,
  
• the apparent evolution of Ae's sound,
  
• the perfect incorporation of HipHop beats into IDM
  
• the warmths within the cold
  
• the aggression and darkness.
  

 

Chiastic Slide is a beast of a sonic journey. It's the final Star Wars battle sequence, apocalypse at its best.

[blos]

TEWE

[beerwolf]

I'd admit that I need to listen to this album more than I do.

[ambermonk]

I bought the Chiastic Slide import right after I moved to Alaska in June of 2000. I listened to it again yesterday.

 

I don't think I'll ever grow tired of it. To me it marked a turning point in Ae's career (along with Envane), when they pushed their boundaries a great step further, from spacious ambient loops to precise manipulation of their sound at the millisecond level.

[auxien]

i think there's an interview with them talking about how CS was a turning point album...where they had kind of reached a logical conclusion after Tri Rep and all that preceded it where they couldn't really go with that sound any farther, and thus decided to go off the deep end in terms of experimentation.

 

anyone know what interview that is?

[splesh]

Is that from the same interview with the statement (possibly apocryphal) that the album was influenced by the use of psilocybin-bearing mushrooms?

[auxien]

Is that from the same interview with the statement (possibly apocryphal) that the album was influenced by the use of psilocybin-bearing mushrooms?

 

no clue at all. there needs to be a good list and repository of all their interviews, tagged with topics and albums and hardware discussed.

[Aefx]

http://autechre.net.ua/en/interviews/interview34.htm

 

AR - Chiastic Slide vs Tri Repetae, how did you get from TR to CS?

 

SB - Yeah, I don't know what it was, really. Did a lot of mushrooms that year (laughs). It might have something to do with that, maybe. No idea, really, couldn't say. We had a lot going on in our heads; yeah, a lot of realizations took place, you know, so. But that kind of happens a lot, you know, I think the less sort of methodical and contrived you are the more that happens.

[splesh]

Brilliant interview. Also, check out this song from around the same time:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqYs_I9m_sk

[sweepstakes]

Has anyone commented on how brilliant the title is? It's like techno poetry.

[ambermonk]

http://autechre.net....interview34.htm

 

SB - I think the less sort of methodical and contrived you are the more that happens.

 

Damn, I like that. No wonder I've experienced musician's block lately.

 

Has anyone commented on how brilliant the title is? It's like techno poetry.

 

Guess I'll be the second. It represents "the mecurial qualities of a cross fader."