Autechre My Quaristice review, to be published locally this month

[Guest aduckworth]

Hi all-- My name's Adam, I've been lurking a bit. I was turned onto Autechre via the video for Second Bad Vilbel I saw on MTV's AMP when I was about 12 or 13 (Chiastic Slide era.... ish), and have been a huge fan ever since. =)

 

Right now I'm living in Bloomington, IN (US), a college town where I have a music column in a local newsprint publication called The Ryder, which can be found sitting on just about every street corner and in many restaurants/hotels/etc. around town (it's a free publication). I am basically given free reign to review whatever the hell I want every month... so naturally this month I chose Quaristice! =) It's not officially published yet, but I thought you guys might enjoy it (especially considering this will never hit the web any other way):

 

 

- - -

 

Autechre

Quaristice

(Warp)

 

 

Occupying a position of considerable repute, Autechre -- the UK-based duo of Sean Booth and Rob Brown -- are often cited as one of, if not the singular most important act in establishing a subgenre of electronic music known as electronic music (electronic music, implying electronic music with a more cerebral approach to composition), a label which the duo themselves reject, yet many fans insist upon. The problem for Autechre lies therein: As listeners frequently cite the complex, evolving, cerebral and experimental qualities of Autechre's music as being the crux of their genius, Booth and Brown have repeatedly insisted that their music is not and never has been created with any sort of consciously intellectual or experimental pretext whatsoever. They simply make tracks for the sake of making tracks, and the technology has to date been no more than a means to an end for them since their humble early days of trading pause-button hip-hop/electro mix tapes and making music with misappropriated domestic electronics in the late 80s/early 90s. Those fans frustrated with Autechre's refusal to embrace their own apparent "genius" rarely give credit to their most frequently referenced non-musical influences which, on their latest album Quaristice (their ninth to date), make themselves evident in many (albeit subtle) ways: Graffiti, BMX biking, and breakdancing. Like these things, Quaristice is all about having fun and allowing free-flowing impulse to drive the creation process (and when you consider the album was virtually assembled out of material originally introduced on their 2005 tour, this makes even more sense) -- the tracks are shorter and more concise, not to mention more numerous than past releases have typically offered. While the immense sonic and suggestive power of their music is retained, the result is arguably their most easily-digested offering in over a decade, a sprawling work free of pretentions and brimming with surprises and playful energy. (The limited special edition of Quaristice contains a bonus disc of material which was not considered in this review.)

 

 

 

- - -

 

 

...Hey, what can I say, I'm not Pitchfork. ;)

 

(Btw, this will appear alongside my other reviews of Bauhaus, Earth, Tzolk'in, and Zapp & Roger [!] this month...)

 

Oh yeah, and I just got my dispatch notification for the special edition... hooray!

[Dr Clitterhaus]

Was that a Quaristice review? I didn't see anything about the actual music, it was more about them and their history ... and it beared a striking resemblence to the intro for the Pitchfork review.

[Guest burnibus]

its nicely written but its stinks of journo to be honest. Im always dissapointed by reviews as its mainly people trying to use the most number of obscure terms to describe something that belies description, too few are by the everyman speaking in terms we all recognise. Using terms like cerebral sounds ace but what the hell does that actually mean?

 

I agree with the good doctor, talk about the music and try to describe it in terms everyone can appreciate and therefore make decisions on whether to listen or not. by doing this you will be doing more than nearly every other review out there.

 

Oh and welcome, and appraently you should read some rules.

[encey]

thanks for sharing. it reminds me of the kinds of short write-ups in a free monthly around here in Chicago called Innerview which promotes bands coming to tour here in the month it's published.

 

So are you saying you hear reference to graffiti, BMX & bboys in the music of Quaristice? if so, i'd be interested in hearing how?

 

 

encey

[Guest End]

It was well written, although you didn't even mention the album title until about 60% of the way through. I can't talk though, check out my review for Draft 7.30:

 

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

I feel the "D" in Autechre's electronic music has been lost. After all, when was the last time you saw someone throw Confield on at a party and start a conga line with "Bine" as the soundtrack? Or do a merry jig to "Rettic AC"? Sure, you can perhaps sway slightly from side-to-side with a bemused look on your face, but there's no real dancing to be done. I'm a contrary sod though, so I attempted to prove this theory wrong.

 

It was a frosty Saturday night and, after a few too many pints down at the nearest bar, I stumbled across my room to reach for Draft 7.30, which at this point was placed strategically between two slices of cold pizza, a half-drunk cup of tea and a sock. I glanced at the beautiful artwork once more and opened the case. The disk was not there! Oh, travesty! I rummaged around my messed-up room some more, frantically looking for that black bit of plastic, but it was nowhere to be seen. I searched for about twenty minutes more before a flash of inspiration hit me: it was in the computer! After all, this is the age of the MP3, so the first thing we do when we receive a CD is rip it to our hard drive, right? Anyway, enough of this irrelevance; I opened the disk tray and carefully dropped the CD in, all the time grinning like a child on Christmas Eve. I had a chance to prove all the Autechre doubters wrong; you can dance to this, dammit!

 

Feeling that the first track is too tame and rhythmical, I set my sights higher and began to prepare both my mind and my body for the agony of the curiously-named "IV VV IV VV VIII"...

 

Starting with reversed circus synths then deeply-distorted voices, the first seconds were just the calm before the storm; I was in no way ready for the chaos of what I was about to face. The beat kicked in a brief moment later, which was roughly the same time that I flung my arms in the air as if in celebration. I insisted on moving my legs too, despite my mind completed rejecting these actions due the absurd context I found myself in. Let me remind you that I was alone in my room, slightly pissed, trying to dance the undancable. I flicked my left foot out wildly as the beats pummeled aimlessly in the background. It was this action that managed to knock down my lamp from the bedside table and smashing it. I bought it cheap though; easily replaced, so this minor calamity was nowhere near big enough to disrupt the challenge that I had set myself. I flicked my right foot out next, this time managing not to break anything; giving me the undeserved and foolhardy confidence to attempt a Klinsmann dive right across my carpet. Perhaps not a traditional dance move, but I'm a man of originality and revolution. However, this only delayed the inevitable realisation of the smoke that was now rapidly filling the room. I'm not sure of the precise science behind it, but it seems the lamp that I had previously kicked over had left its wire innards exposed to the large pool of water left behind from my shower a few hours earlier. In hindsight, I should've heard the sound of sparks and crackles now emanating from this danger zone, but this is Autechre, man; no amount of fire hazards can cover up the crazed sounds pouring out of my speakers. I continued my glorious, almost ritualistic dance. I probably should have prioritised better, but I was now starting to get so involved with increasingly swish arm waves and leg flicks that I just didn't care about my fire-engulfed curtains. The flames began to get brighter and more intimidating, and the room was now so drenched in smoke that I could barely see the window, let alone open it. Trying to make the most of an unfortunate situation, I included more hip gyrations and a "Night Fever"-style routine into my now deadly repertoire of dance moves. I managed one last desperate kick with my left leg. Then everything went black. The sound of both the fire and the music was gone. Am I dead?

 

A bright light started to take over all of my senses. My memory at this point is very hazy, but I distinctly remember the welcoming face of a rather attractive lady dressed as a nurse. Even in this slightly blurred mindset, I still managed to piece two and two together: I was in hospital. I wasn't dead! I'm not a religious man by any means, but this must've been some sort of divine intervention; some sort of higher power stopping me from becoming the first victim of electronic music-related death. I was given a Styrofoam cup half-filled with some worryingly blue-tinted water. I wasn't in a fussy mood though, so I downed it like it was my first drop of liquid in a week. I was later debriefed and told that I had only sustained minor burns, a fairly harmless level of smoke inhalation and a broken toe, the last of which was probably caused by that bloody lamp. My house, however, was not so lucky, as the fire engine arrived far later than the ambulance, giving the fire more than enough time to spread from room to room and eventually gut the whole building. It's very sad really, although they did manage to salvage a slightly charred copy of Draft 7.30. Honestly, I was just thankful to be alive.

 

Several hours later, I checked myself out, ordered a taxi home and attempted to compose myself so as to write this review in a coherent fashion, all the time wondering why I bothered with this ridiculous experiment in the first place.

 

I still love this album dearly, but I highly recommend that you never try and dance to it. Ever.

[manmower]

As a general remark, you seem to use quite a lot of parentheses where they could have easily been avoided by breaking up sentences or a simple comma. Other than that I don't really approve of terms like "electronic music", "electronic music with a more cerebral approach to composition" or "complex, evolving, cerebral and experimental qualities" because they reinforce a stereotype that Autechre listeners are a sad and snooty bunch, but whatever.

[Guest marcnplymouth]

Yeh - too much preamble - why do Ae always get this potted history slammed before their reviews - even on the Boomkat description they labour on a bit about Ae and their context. Review the MUSIC! Give some descriptions - I suppose some pointers to other, less 'obscure', acts are inevitable - and maybe some personal reaction - I kind of get a bit bored of reviews that don't say if it's good or not - like in the Wire. .. sometimes someone saying "this is damned hot" is enough of a positive impetus for me to go and buy something.

 

:P

 

Hey! I'm reviewing a review!

 

Ace!

 

Insert the word META now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

M x x

[Guest burnibus]

It was well written, although you didn't even mention the album title until about 60% of the way through. I can't talk though, check out my review for Draft 7.30:

 

now that review is one of the best things ive read all year. thats superb. i sincerely hope its all true and partiularly liked the klinsman dicve attempt mid listen. quality

[Guest Rook]

Yeh - too much preamble - why do Ae always get this potted history slammed before their reviews - even on the Boomkat description they labour on a bit about Ae and their context. Review the MUSIC!

 

Because a good reviewer takes the music in its proper context. If Autechre re-released Confield and called it new, it wouldn't be as important as it was back in 2001 because they already released it once.

 

This is why Autechre is one of the best electronic acts and one of the best acts in all of modern music. Plenty of people don't like them, and thats just fine. People don't have to like anything. But Autechre continue to innovate and create new and original music practically non-stop for the past sixteen years or so.

 

This is why the good reviewer knows that whether he "likes" it or not is really irrelevant. Instead the good reviewer concentrates on that which is objective in the music. Of which is much easier understood with the proper context.

[Guest Kenneth172]

I thought the album was bullshit. There's my review. The first track was half okay though.

[Guest aduckworth]

Thanks for your thoughts, guys.

 

Yeah, I realize it sounds to be more about the band than about the album... but a couple of things:

 

1) I didn't go to school for journalism (and certainly not music journalism), I went to school for media and culture studies. So any and all of my ability to infer things about music comes directly from the fact that I am a fan, not some tool just trying to get a leg up in the industry. I'm not being paid for this either.

 

2) The publication I write for unfortunately has a rather broad audience, so I can't simply assume that readers instantly know what I mean when I say "electronic music" or even "abstract electronic music" for that matter -- so the backstory is absolutely necessary to hook the reader, else you end up sounding like some pretentious self-serving wad. Also note that this review is coming at you before the editing process has butchered it, as I'm not going to feel like re-typing it out once it's officially published (like I said, it's a newsprint-only publication).

 

3) I'm coming at this review from the point of view of a guy who grew up listening to and practically obsessing over Autechre, and not only that, but a hardcore music fan in general. I have pretty much stayed away from skirmishing with other Ae fans up until this point because honestly I think most criticisms lobbed at the band by fans are short-sighted. When I read a review that attempts to describe the sound of an Ae track/album with descriptors like "this track sounds like a giant eating steel cornflakes" or "this tracks sounds like a bunch of rubber car doors slamming underwater" or whatever, I can't help but think the reviewer has missed the point entirely. Yes, Autechre's music has always been about the power of suggestion, but people are constantly overlooking the fact that that process is purely subjective. Sometimes I will read some review's description of a particular track that I've already heard, and it's like "WTF, I don't hear that at all" -- those guys are just totally masturbating with their imaginations. Listening to Autechre's music is a totally subjective experience, which means that describing it solely in terms of its sonic characteristics is kind of begging the question.

 

4) Moreover, as a guy who studied media and culture, I can't help but see that the way these guys grew up as being fundamentally important to understanding their music. They're just dudes who grew up having fun and hanging out with people, tagging, making beats, buying records -- they're not scientists or mathematicians or subversive people with incredible unique theories about sound or music or anything. They just do what they do because they like to do it and they have an incredible instinct and lust for the sonic medium. If you don't understand that about the band first, you're going to be listening to their music in an entirely different way. I don't and never have bought the argument that the essence of ANY music can be broken down into just it's sonic components. You may think you enjoy something just because it sounds cool, but that's just simply not how culture works at all.

 

Anyway, thanks for reading!

[Guest aduckworth]

Oh, and I neglected to touch on one thing:

 

I really which I could have written a longer review, or even just a straight-up essay about the band, as if there is one thing I regret about the review it's that the reference to graffiti is extremely underdeveloped. I think a lot of good graffiti is driven by the same kinds of creative instincts that Autechre have when they are in the studio creating music -- they kind of seem able to just grab any kind of sound that is at their disposal and place it into a larger context that makes it amazing, and there is this incredible way they use sound to color outside the lines so-to-speak, not letting the limitations of sequencers and hardware/software get in the way of expression. In practice it seems sloppy, but the final product is just this immense experience, and I think a lot of that probably comes from the inspiration they got back in their graffiti days.

[Dr Clitterhaus]

Yes, but is it a review of Quaristice or is it an article on Autechre? I agree you have to set up some backstory telling a bit about the band for people who arent familiar with electronic music, but this was the only part of the "review" where there was any reference to the music on this album

the tracks are shorter and more concise, not to mention more numerous than past releases have typically offered. While the immense sonic and suggestive power of their music is retained, the result is arguably their most easily-digested offering in over a decade, a sprawling work free of pretentions and brimming with surprises and playful energy.

And its a bit wanky, both with the wording and by the way it refers to past releases, especially when you've just said this review will be read by people who don't know anything about their past releases.

So I am still left with no idea if this album is good or bad or what it sounds like but with a good bit of backstory about the roots of Autechre.

[Guest James Fucking Cagney]

Exclusive Cagney review of Quaristice:

 

It's fucking Autechre! YES! Pass the blunt to the African American on the left!

[Mr12000]

Bloomington, eh? Good to see some other Indiana "IDMers" on here!

 

I live in Indianapolis. Hopefully your review can spark the interest of some locals.

[Guest Audiophile]

Altibzz

-pulsing synth chord dragging moving movement fluid arps pulsing up and down reverbs verbs push strong warmth moving again in and out out and in arps pushing up and down space moving outward stab in and out filter in and out out slowly beauty space

 

The Plc

-ting snare 1 two synth come in drums simple simple but moving reverb sounds like lfo fluxs space comes in feel the new space flat to warm verb moves with space shange close to further and back lfo drums moving warping slowly whine synths whine fm changes filter simple synth comes in warps fluxes in and out of space whoa every thing spikes complete distortion stutters moving thought stutter engage the voices stuttering talking plings dow dow de ta dowtete owow hyow deed ow ow de te out ou ou hy e ow ow te long verb

 

IO

-detuned arps saying something its fluxing 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 filter comes in takes detune manipulated voices this is the a be a be a altake stutter aw e a a ow ter take ins bla al detuned synth back to shit drums bass pulse bass too fast er wait for god sake natures fly complete distortion voice becomes part of drums that one bang snare err se err too fast boom

 

plyPhon

-sounds like tapr draft space space_____ stab boom complete take over stop stab complex multifarious reciprocating push it further bass drum rush stop push more bang rush simple synth up and down plong more bass rush flat into space stutter offset beat comes in with snare straight slow down offset beat stops synth manipulation bang

 

Perlence

-detuned again synth up to down end raise snare drum 1/8t back into regular delay on drums beat break beat change bang back into space stuttering push beat still being shit on but recognizable move into ambient space snare still there moves slimes tb style synth pushed in break beat into with overshadowing plungs weird bass drum sweet minimalizes snare distrotions into background delay into far away quick end

 

SonDEremawe

-ting tong more delay funny little synth that monk voice push his way through arps blank noise hummmmm__________> moves lfo up down sine push into small back weeinee soft flux into background

 

Simmm

-synth into long verb beautiful annoying tones fermium beauty changes with fm disto strong click attack long sustain harmony ambiance behind blowowo space pushes backward still twang surripere stutter lonely degration synth harmony being fucked delay recipcation up down in out space negating twang still strong attack with confusing oulses move into heartbeat____slowly mutating wing ting beauty synth pushed to bare min oh my that is amazing synths blow into a cavern harmony creeping into foreground bling tings showing intself its beauty but without light moving bass beat becoming offset pushes out nothing but dark space___

 

paralel Suns

-wonky degrations falling forward harder each time dark space fills the voids allowing itself to fall back up again and again not so hard each time gently falling softer each time time time this is time reversed static nothingness falling cant even see it falling anymore harsh lovely synth pads falls upward push push___low lp filter

 

Steels

-thump thump shing dwar snare drum synth badassness stut stut push up still thumping little manipulating swarming synths manic movement swiping synths swiping those squeezing squeeze show them boom thump heart ewerr push hard forming all in one strong squeeze granular squeeze thump

 

-Tankakern

nothing bang hang drums pulsing moving forward urrp up down amazing space little synth push so fast making a mind race stutter push it away space moves backward birds snare explosions wber dang space so much evolving space evoke it some more picturing deploration of song deploat sense of forwards to back dark chasms birds space choking coughing end space darkening

 

-rale

-thwummm__crying in your face squelch synth tri/garage chiastic snare awesome beat 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 pluck stutter pad stab soming up through blue space squelch moving morphing up down pluck static overtone fills voids still 1 2 beat snare sustain fade wisp wisp stut crying synth whine down space fades drums push through 80s synths static in again 1 2 1 2 talking oh whuuu liquid movement end

 

Fol3

-devine child creature push distrotions falling human chomping fatigue despair harmony pushing kicking its way through stops to sink back into space screaming to be pushed out uh hur ur moving down side to side moving trying to escape synth only to be pushed back up repeat bash repeat bash repeat morph up up think bang

 

fwzE

-scarce bing some retro shing shong up + down stutter spring spaced verbs some groove spaced out dudu______________>stutter into void side to side in out drums buuurr wha wha punching these synths time stretch randomize wuuuuu____________>shifting keeping the groove while shitting everywhere banga banga bong resonance changes

 

90101-51-1

-drone in ____> out hold hold pump pump snare bass hard filter push synth chump up in out hard hihat pulse hihat filter rise stomp hold stutter synth cuffed pit spit harsh hold boom boom bass scream shoves out holds space lone sounds eeaea manipulated voice chord hihat reverse pulled spit out filter reductions wide to single press on outward tb synth du du pulp stutter mono stereo bass drum stop

 

bnc Castle

-spring verb taps taps out smash simple funny whines stutters boing wing ou oi oi oooo stops starts stops quickly making fun of itself integrating fast movement ba doing rise fall synths still funny little man stut hold press shoot constant up heave sing bird sing charming juvenile hold tap press engage still going going hold distortion small samples tap tap hold out

 

Theswere

-into little pummeling synth stab still not taken too seriously strings pull in fake little strings funny as well pull pump hold these textures strings chord moving up out towards nothing defecating slowly combs combs + - + - heavy synth frequency out

 

WNSN

crying agony whispering a truthful doubt crying crying pushed out phased backward drums cuffing cutting into space push everything out hush hus high freq beat pulls in continuity finally holds scary pulses of synths ghostly whine up up dowwn verb reversed into harder chord creates darker area area held in by strings agonizing blissful harmony all comes together repeats it while moving steadily in out up down out in or outter inner pulling in losing momentum stutter al simplicity significant sounds holds pumps bass crunk boom boom 1 1 1 1 1___> hiss out drone

 

chenc9

-fast lcc boom duh duh duh muffled clap clap clap clap synth high comes in warping voiceful frequency pulling in out offsetting pushing beat with secular unified chasms eroding eroding snare tush push absence synths stronger snare da da snare condensing beat condensing quicker fast bang eroded singful synths chords harmonious application degrating the rythm degrades inflated moving backward into space no nsreas apps space reverb hits the wall whine in up out or uni clicks clangs bangs more more into nothingness slowly slowly falling pushing outwards ambiance feeling in unescapable void swallowing space manipulations manip manic nothing space unfold waiting to die

 

Notwo

-warmth wrapping see area pushing out out out intergrating nothing into some warm elope softly engaging opening up slowly always flowing never still but going very few places restating space smake sure we see it resting breathing in out inhale and to further exhale harmony harmony chords gaining strength getting harder still soft like hum hum up up pushing still soft warm hum hum again sustains sustain getting longer longer without losing release resets without resetting space evoking more echo space verb space hold hold longer harder longer still warm a little hot getting fuller filling out space more repeating sinks down out space area evident very cool now cooler gone out hum

 

outh9x

-startle hum hum whisper louder sets space in fore + back bubble synth pump delaying in space pushing getting bigger bigger still humming so lightly beautiful engagement space moving again falling cave dropping drooping whining wail sing keep singing space area pulsing------in out in out space always moving reverb changes room sizes diffusion humming slowly chasms stab attack gains bubble tings degrate synth holds pumps more area in out in out windy sorts area pushing taking over alone in space darkening bliss light or dark both seem to makes space neutral enveloping long sustain sweet harmony lovely space holding on forever synth string push hold diffuse backwards wall of harmony changing but going nowhere holds holds holds untill nothing is left nothing except space

[Guest marcnplymouth]

Now THAT is the best review I've EVER read!

 

Print that!

 

M x

[dr lopez]

Fuck yeah, I read this review in Soma, our local coffee shop in Bloomington and was so pleased that someone else knows about Ae in this small town. There was only one copy at our record store, and I snatched it up. Go Bloomington Autechre fans! Fine review by the way.