toaoaoad

Listening to the Helsinki set I was aware there's a lot of detailed stuff that's really quiet in the mix, similar to SIGN/PLUS. It's especially noticeable near the end of the set, listening on cans. Makes sense on an album, but I've been curious how much of that would come through in the actual live experience, whether the surround sound and being seated would help those details come through, or if it would just be lost in the room/mix etc. either way. Sounds like maybe the latter has been true? Either way I'm happy to wait for the soundboards and have really been digging this one.

I've seen that, it's good

Lol for sure, I agree with all you've said here. I was just pointing out that there is never going to be a perfectly accurate term, semantics is a rabbit hole etc. I personally think "alternative" would be a better descriptor than "experimental", but then "alternative" has other connotations because of its application in the 90s so that would confuse people too. Either way, "experimental electronic music" is probably our best bet at describing this kind of music to your average normie in one shot, even if it's not perfect.

I think if the "intelligent" in IDM implies "intelligent life", as in something that is alive and has consciousness, rather than "music for intelligent people" lol, then that fits the whole A.I. theme much better - the music itself is alive and has consciousness, which is what autechre's music has sounded like more and more over the years. Living beats and pads. But yeah I just say "electronic music" most of the time since it's broad and unpretentious. Unfortunately, I then have to elaborate further since most people nowadays will equate that basic term with EDM or dubstep or whatever other more common/generic types of electronic music come to their mind first, which is not what I mean 99% of the time lol. I've never found a quick way to say it, when being specific is important. "Experimental electronic music" probably conveys it best to normies, although "experimental" can bring up lots of issues as well. (e.g. Couldn't you say that all music is experimental in nature? Is it still "experimental" if the artist has honed their craft? Etc)

Trans Canada Highway EP is gold, trimming off the superfluous first track and boring remix. Left Side Drive and Skyliner are top tier tracks, and the filler's not bad either.

ii.pre esc is such a weird track lol, like theswere kind of weird

Lol. I just don't like that main keyboard strings melody. This dates way back for me, when I started listening to them in my teens. Thought that synth line was incredibly cheesy so I just didn't include the song when I burned a copy from my friend, so for years the album just didn't have that song on it. I guess it's not that bad, if I listen now, but I'm so used to not having it on the album at all I don't think I'm really missing anything. Just seemed like a prime example of what this thread is about... an otherwise perfect album with just one track that's gotta go (Most albums have more than one, and a few have zero) How bout this one: Dots and loops - Parsec.

It's too bad I can't try this out on a bigger system, my neighbours would throw a fit and I can't afford to move again

Yeah leterel (other track is called iera btw not Lera) and I think this is just referring to the A maj -> A min alternating chords thing, not really a "remix" imo just a chord movement they seem to like (also see fermium, 6ie.cr). In the case of onesix it's the big dramatic chords near the end of the set Dunno about warp tapes, I've never given it much of a listen

Imagine getting that pissy about someone else's listening habits lol

Listening to Helsinki from start to finish on big cans, at night in a peaceful state, I found this their most immediately likable material in a long time. Kind of a nice surprise as I found the onesix sets pretty tough to endure. I didn't find this one difficult at all and heard some really beautiful moments. Might be because I am also giving SIGN some attention these days - the connections are really apparent, and of course the smattering of ecol4 stuff all over the first half or so. The final mixed versions of these sets are gonna be Some things are definitely a bit uneven, I trust that S&R know what they're doing when they spend the extra time mixing these, and I didn't expect this to sound perfect. The bass on this is intense, I'm guessing that's why the sound system crapped out lol

Very interesting to see that they're actually playing Victoria and not Vancouver. I have no excuse not to go to this (besides not really being much of a fan for the last 15 years lol). But I mean it's pretty special to have a major Warp artist actually come here, it would be ridiculous not to go! Maybe ae will follow in their footsteps

Some really good ones in there lol

This music makes me laugh and smile and dance

Yep, glad I never joined twitter in the first place

Personally I just had way too strong subjective emotional and seasonal associations from the get-go, so I have only ever listened to it sparingly. It's like I was trying to avoid making associations with the music to the shitty time in my life that was, still am/still is. So I'd only ever listen to a track here or there when conditions were ideal (sitting by the ocean or something like that). Since most of these tracks are tonal/"melodic" as people like to say, at least on SIGN, it's easier to attach specific emotions to them, never mind that some of them are just straight-up dramatic lol. (Tracks like ecol4 and 7FM ic are easier to just throw on because they don't tug on the heartstrings like something like gr4 or metaz.) Either way, now that it's fall again - the rain has come at last and the leaves are changing etc - I'm keen to dig into these again... I'm in a somewhat better place I guess, but I still feel reluctant. Considering they created these tracks well before COVID came along, it really is uncanny how well it fit the time it was released... I think they commented on that in one of the interviews.

Closedown on Disintegration

by far the best prefuse release ever... such a classic

You're cruising for them, are you not? Some people use burgers to mean "cheers" I thought burger reaction is generally positive anyway

K I don't want to trigger anyone or spoil anyone's enjoyment of the track so:

I know this is sacrilege around here but irlite (get 0), to me it's one of their worst tracks ever, and its placement of #2 on the album makes it even worse because the flow of the album is messed up right from the get-go. I took it out of the playlist entirely... Exai is a perfect album otherwise. Last time I brought this up I was stoned to death with violent gifs lol

My personal opinion on that: I wouldn't expect anything new from boc probably ever. Aphex - meh don't really care. Squarepusher - I guess if I wanted new squarepusher I could catch up on his last 3-4 albums I never really listened to lol. And ae, well Sean gave those AMAs and basically said they're only interested in the live stuff right now. That's cool and all, we know the set is massive and really deep, and the soundboards are coming eventually, but I agree it would be nice if they'd toss another album our way in the meantime. We've had that much more of a glimpse into Sean's personality tho so now it's clear he does what he wants, and if he doesn't want to do that then he won't. (Can't speak for Rob. Rob pls?)