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Quaristice/ Versions/ Quadrange EP


thehauntingsoul

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the original album might not be their best, but as a whole, it's probably my favorite autechre release.

its quite different from proper electronica i think : it has a simplier & more "fat" sound. more physical yet even sensual (perlance subrange 36 & losid). i found those qualities in some of mika vainio releases. by the way, i miss the 3 digital exclusive japanese tracks. if everyone has it, please don't contact me via pm.

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As I re-listen to "fol3", this track coincidentally reminds me of "Mutism" by Basic Channel (which is from '93-'95). Sean mentioned Basic Channel as excellent producers in BarcodeZine's interview from last year. This band might be one of Rob and Sean's influences, I don't know... Anyway I hear too many similarities.

 

[youtubehd]eixg32kZD1k[/youtubehd]

Yeah, noticed this too, there's definitely an undercurrent of BC influence running through a lot of the quaristice stuff. Subrange 6-36 seems to be autechre's attempt to emulate "imprint" off the rhythm & sound album, except imprint does hypnotic repetition about 1000x better.

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Guest Calx Sherbet

i actually want to get that hour long quadrange track listened to. i'm kind of curious and excited, even though i've heard nothing but negative reaction

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I don't get the hate for subrange 6-36 at all. I think it is a phenomenal track. At first I was disappointed because I was expecting an hour long snare onslaught but I don't know what the hell I was thinking.... Only ambient tracks can really last an hour without getting boring.

 

Again I really like that track, it almost seems to me to be symbolic of infinity. Almost like that is what you experience after you die. The day after it was released I took a bunch of mushrooms with a buddy and we listened to it in its entirety. It was a thorough mind-fuck and really allowed me to grasp the concept of the track. Listen to it when you're doing homework or something, it can be tedious to pay serious attention to it the entire time but because the changes are so subtle you probably won't miss anything if you aren't 100% focused the whole time.

 

Anyone hating on Perlence Subrange 6-36 (or any of quadrange for that matter) is just entirely missing the point, absolutely no exceptions.

 

 

also calx, bring back your scary stories avatar! I loved that style of art, never really seen anything like it besides in those books

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Guest Calx Sherbet

you know, i think i might go back to that avvy. should i go with "The Thing" again? because i'm torn between that and the ghost woman

 

and back to Perlence Subrange 6-36, i would assume like any ambient track that you can alternate between focusing on and ignoring it. now subconciously, i bet it has an effect on you when you ignore it. i think any situation where you are committed to thinking (like for example, homework), or even just reading, i think that it could be a part of any mood. in my opinion, i think your mind focuses more on certain aspects of the ambient track depending on how your feeling.

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I don't get the hate for subrange 6-36 at all. I think it is a phenomenal track. At first I was disappointed because I was expecting an hour long snare onslaught but I don't know what the hell I was thinking.... Only ambient tracks can really last an hour without getting boring.

 

Again I really like that track, it almost seems to me to be symbolic of infinity. Almost like that is what you experience after you die. The day after it was released I took a bunch of mushrooms with a buddy and we listened to it in its entirety. It was a thorough mind-fuck and really allowed me to grasp the concept of the track. Listen to it when you're doing homework or something, it can be tedious to pay serious attention to it the entire time but because the changes are so subtle you probably won't miss anything if you aren't 100% focused the whole time.

 

Anyone hating on Perlence Subrange 6-36 (or any of quadrange for that matter) is just entirely missing the point, absolutely no exceptions.

No hate for 6-36, it's an interesting enough track, and it has its place. My point was that BC already explored this concept and in my opinion did it way better - even at 17 minutes long, Imprint feels way too short.

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Yeah absolutely it totally puts you in the Quaristice zone. Its excellent to do homework to because it keeps you relaxed and focussed. I think I'm going to go ahead and do my Quaristice main album review so I have time to do full reviews for versions and quadrange later on

 

Altibzz is one of the greatest ambient tracks I have ever heard. It feels like soaring through the sky or something. I think its purpose is to calm you down and clear your mind so it is ready for what is going to follow.

 

The PLC is very strange and it took me a while to get into. I'm a huge fan of the bubbling sound that is present most of the track. It nails the creepy Ae atmosphere fairly well, and some of the sound effects in here are absolutely stunning. Nice loud prominent bassline that kicks you in the ass if you do have a good sub. One thing I really don't like about it though is that they completely omitted the greatest part of the track, if you have heard The PlclCpC you probably know the melody I'm talking about. This track would have done alot better focusing on that chunk instead of some of the interludes that more or less waste time in this track.

 

IO is a fast, furious and dark romp through quari-space. The vocal samples used are so creepy and distorted in a really interesting way. I like how they allow the listener to hear certain chunks of the vocals instead of just completely distoring the whole thing. This makes you fill in the blanks in your mind and it really makes you wonder what exactly is being discussed. Phrases like "if you keep travelling in another dimension" and "subliminal messages" are probably the easiest to hear. Their choice to let us specifically hear "subliminal messages" is definitely a tongue-in-cheek type of joke to incur paranoia that the listener is being brainwashed. Vocals aside, the melody is awesome, I love how it climbs up and down the scale with alternating notes as it widens and closes the range of notes. The breakdown is one of the most awesome parts of the entire album. There is a specific vocal grind type of sound that kicks in directly after what sounds like "imitation rum" and it's all like kechekurrrrrrrr. I love that sound, it's at exactly 1:48. After the breakdown when the beat becomes more loose it takes on a whole new level of awesome. The best is probably that really electric downward spiral type of sound that occurs right before the classic wooden 'Tock!' noise, which by the way is a staple in this album and for good reason. Without rambling too much more I think it's clear this is one of my favs on the album

 

PlyPhon takes the ideas in IO in a completely different direction. Stumbling over itself repeatedly, yet still maintaining a semblance of a rhythm, and for some reason of all the glitchy stumbly Ae tracks, this is the one that I can follow to a T. Towards the end it nails a really awesome beat but doesn't stick with it for long enough. Phylopn is certainly the superior track, but the only real difference is that they carry on the beat right at the end for a few more measures which is so essential and it really doesn't make sense why they didn't just include it in full because the disc can definitely handle another 15 seconds. Oh well, still an excellent track.

 

Perlence takes the fucking cake. Hands down my fav track on the album. I love the trick they play with the intro to the track, in that the melody appears to have one extra beat and this makes it almost impossible to bob your head along to, but really if you listen to the hi-hats in the background you can see it's just in 4/4 and the melody overlaps and runs out of phase with the beat. The main melody of the track is also amazing and I noticed an interesting thing. When it is first introduced, the high note lands directly on the second beat, and then right after the dead air (which, by the way, is an excellent little sequence) the melody is nudged earlier by half a step so that the high note lands on the 1.5 beat insead of the 2 beat. This was a sneaking suspicion in my mind until I did a thorough inspection and realized the trick going on there. I think it's excellent that the melody in this track sounds just as awesome when it's nudged half a step earlier and it is a really awesome trick. In retrospect I would imagine this happens alot more than one would think in Ae music and I will look for this in the future when I re-listen to their stuff. The snare break absolutely kicks my ass, its my undisputed favourite chunk of the album. The bubbly distorted vocal (trills?) that flutter around in sync with the beat REALLY make this track full. Hands down my favourite on the album and I'm SO fucking glad they decided to explore it so extensively in the alternate versions.

 

SonDEremawe is short and sweet. Nifty little melody going on, and then they blast you with a high whining sine wave. Presumably this is to completely purge your mind of the palate of sounds that was minimally deviated from until this point. The tracks that follow form a sequence of flawless flow and arrangement.

 

Simmm is a strange one even for Ae. Focuses alot on the high-end and plays around with the clicking chaos they are so apt to provide us with. The melodies here are amazing and this is probably the most melodically-oriented bit on the album. The breakdown and subsequent drifting in space with alarms going off in the distance really puts you out there. It sounds like you are in a space station that has just encountered a catastrophy, and this is what it might sound like right before you die of oxygen deprevation, as you hear the sirens going off in the far distance. Death and then......

 

paralel suns is limbo. Not quite dead but at this point you have no idea. Lightning from the ethereal realm crackles in the background as you face the grim reality of infinitely desolate limbo. Excellent ambient track, well positioned.

 

Steels is rebirth. At first you are in a half-sleep and slowly awaken by the beat of your heart. It is intense, and robotic. Once you come to, you realize that your body has been completely re-built out of machinery. This track is an interesting variation on the quintessential Ae noise track. Alot of really unique sounds and interesting space is present here. Towards the end of the track, it seems like you are about to die again and that the rebirth was a total failure. The electricity flickers through your mind a few more times right before you are about to die but then...

 

You instantly click into kill mode with Tankakern. Pounding and thumping bass gives a sense of urgency and violence. This track is very very subtle and minimalist and is a perfect example of the whole 'less is more' philosophy that Sean and Rob are going for with Quaristice. Probably my favorite component of this track is the groaning bass that kicks in towards the end, constantly pitch shifting down giving the sensation of falling. Great track, excellently placed in the sequence and I don't think anything else could have improved this track. One of my favs.

 

rale is a further extension of the 'less is more' mentality. Wonderfully low and creaky bass with a really killer beat. Tons of space here and its just so sinister and evil sounding. Especially towards the end. It almost sounds like some horrible monster chasing you through a spaceship. Towards the end of the track it's clear that you have lost him, but you can still hear him growling away off in the distance. Also the singularly occurring high pitched sharp sounding glitch out that comes in towards the end is a fantastic little zing to keep you interested in what's going on.

 

fol3 is a toughie. At first it seems to be nothing but noise, like an extension of Rettic AC without the synth. Upon closer inspection, it is clear that there is a distinct order to everything, and just about every noise does happen in sync with the beat but it's very hard to folllow. Very loosely based on the rhythm, but the fact that they constantly return to the rhythm after deviating establishes that there IS some underlying structure, and that the meat of the track is clinging to it very loosely. fol4 is far far better though.

 

I may have not been clear on my stance with fwzE. I think it is a fantastic track. I love how it bursts through the dwindling leftover noises from fol3 and gets RIGHT into the action. Really cool beat and awesome sounds going on. The only problem I have is that there is that last swish out of each measure that really pierces my ears and I need to turn it down lower than I would prefer to compensate for this. Besides this, it is a fantastic go. Really cool and bouncey and just tons of fun.

 

90101-5|-| is pretty nifty. Right at the opening after the noise and before the beat you can hear the trumpets from Envane. Pretty standard beat and rhythm for Ae but its a good amount of fun with a nice serving of acid thrown in. Not much else to say about this one

 

bnc Castl is one fucked up castle. I don't ever want to go to that castle. It's the castle in the kingdom of Quaristice. The reason why the kingdom of Quaristice is so desolate and empty is that the king stole everything to pack into his castle. I imagine kings doing cartwheels and capes and crowns and goblets flying through the air and monkeys swinging from chandeliers. Also TONS of phones. Ringing off the hook. Presumably the villagers calling to get all of their shit back that the king stole. It's also a genuinely hilarious track. It opens with a nice mundane beat and tricks you into thinking it's going to be something different and then BAM you get hit with this shit. The more I listen to it the more it grows on me though, but I don't think I'll ever really DIG it.

 

Theswere is a sexy little ambient interlude. It conjours up images of a jungle in my mind for some reason. The melodies here are sort of a throwback to Amber almost. Really cool track, glad to see they threw some stuff like it on the album.

 

WNSN is like utter horror. Again I am stunned at Autechre's ability to weave such an awesome track out of such an unorthodox combination of sounds. Really cool beat going on here, I love the fact that it's loaded with clicks and ticks to make up for the lack thereof previously on the album. We have the traditional slow evolution of the track which becomes more and more awesome as it progresses. Towards the end it begins to stumble and it hangs loosely off of the rhythm which is an awesome effect. Then you have that nice warm buzzing detuned bass synth that comes in towards the end. Awesome track, one of my favs for sure. Creepy as shit and I see it as Ae's way of rewarding the listeners who were expecting untilted 2.

 

Chenc9 is weird. I sometimes enjoy it and other times I don't. It has a really nice epic sounding melody, pretty cool beat going on. The switch over about halfway through really bumps it up to the next level of awesome though. Resolving sounding chords. This track really brings back the palate of sounds from the PLC->Perlence, and I enjoy how the track decays into something quite similar to the end of Simmm. This is the true and final death.

 

Notwo is an epic and moving ambient track. It sounds like the afterlife, a bleak, cold, dark and lonely void. Excellent track, great sounds going on and the bass is fucking brilliantly buzzy.

 

Outh9x is quite strange. Very off-kilter and sparse. I would almost call it drone before I called it ambience. Life support systems have gone offline, and at this point you have entered into a part of reality that is difficult to explain. perlence suns would later explore the synth used here.

 

Nu-nr6d is pretty awesome as well. I know, its the Japanese bonus track but it really belongs on the album IMO. Incredibly dark and creepy. Very wet sounding. Like it's some cave you end up in after you die. TONS and TONS of space is present here. Very interesting soundscape, not really a track, not even really ambience, but it is certainly a good listen, I would go as far as to say it's better than Notwo and Outh9x.

 

 

Overall I would say this album is more about having a shitload of fun and taking a break from the meticulous analysis that their recent previous works called for. Again very playful and fun, it serves it's purpose alot better as actual music without the intertwined puzzles that most Ae releases have had. The whole versions thing was an amazing idea, and the absolute girth of tracks released about the Quaristice realm can be mixed in any order so you can make your favorite Quaristice all by yourself! I'm eager to see what they release next, and although I really liked the idea of 20 shorter tracks with more ideas, I hope they don't keep going in that direction because even though this is an excellent album, it somewhat sacrifices its integrity by relying on too many different ideas rather than trying to weave a coherent journey of sound that these boys are so fucking good at.

 

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, my Quaristice review. Hopefully that wasn't too long for you. I'm actually quite proud of this review, hopefully you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it :cisfor:

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As I re-listen to "fol3", this track coincidentally reminds me of "Mutism" by Basic Channel (which is from '93-'95). Sean mentioned Basic Channel as excellent producers in BarcodeZine's interview from last year. This band might be one of Rob and Sean's influences, I don't know... Anyway I hear too many similarities.

 

[youtubehd]eixg32kZD1k[/youtubehd]

Yeah, noticed this too, there's definitely an undercurrent of BC influence running through a lot of the quaristice stuff. Subrange 6-36 seems to be autechre's attempt to emulate "imprint" off the rhythm & sound album, except imprint does hypnotic repetition about 1000x better.

I also find Rhythm & Sound's tune way more hypnotic (and better) than Subrange 6-36, yeah. I understand what you mean when you said in a later post that 17 minutes are not enough. Nevertheless, I find Subrange 6-36's lack of depth and duration discouraging, so I need to not pay attention at all to enjoy it.

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some stuff

 

Have you heard Quaristice (versions) and/or Quadrange? Also Blyz Castl is of notable mention here because it is a FANTASTIC track and if any of you haven't heard it yet I implore you to make that your highest priority.

 

Yeah, I just didn't want to waste people's time with my opinions on it (I do like them though).

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I have quite a bit of a nostalgic attachment to Quaristice, mainly because it reminds me of a time I was living in a small house, out in a village in rural England in 2008. I've moved away from there to an apartment, now near a town centre, so it's a completely different environment where I currently am - however, Quaristice came out a few months before I was leaving that house in the countryside and I just remember that most of the time, it was all that I found myself listening to.. they were good times :) I think if I didn't have that nostalgic feeling when going back to the album, I doubt I would be as interested in the record itself as it's certainly not one of my favourite releases from ae.

 

I'll get my review done later on in the week.

 

There's nothing better than completely immersing yourself into new ae for a while, that's how I felt when it was released last year.

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Guest Calx Sherbet

Yeah absolutely it totally puts you in the Quaristice zone. Its excellent to do homework to because it keeps you relaxed and focussed. I think I'm going to go ahead and do my Quaristice main album review so I have time to do full reviews for versions and quadrange later on

 

Altibzz is one of the greatest ambient tracks I have ever heard. It feels like soaring through the sky or something. I think its purpose is to calm you down and clear your mind so it is ready for what is going to follow.

 

 

i like it when an album is like that. it starts out so sweet and it draws you in, with a loving embrace. then it just tears you apart. i've always thought ICBYD was like that with Acrid Avid Jam Shred

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This is Quaristice

 

Altibzz Im sure we all can agree on being a nice sober little piece af ambience.

The Plc builds up and ends up sounding like a rave going on in a forest with clown faces giggling at you in the dark

IO hmmm silly background loop, with crunched vocals. 1:47 does the voice say "imitation of love" or "invitation to love" as in the soap series in Twin Peaks?? Mediocre track IMO.

plyPhon starts out delightfully ominous and speedy paced. Keeps up the nice pace with it's constant themes of stopping and starting. Nice padded thudding beats come in around 0:58 that later build up into something that resembles adrenaline fuelled high pace running. Love this track, really gets me going. Feel like running!

Perlence the silly clowny sound is back from I0. Track starts getting good at 0:34 when this melody stops and a more intense chopped one takes over. nice track this one.

sonDEremawe a slowly brooding interlude that is actually quite spooky when listened to in right circumstances.

Simmm second longest track on he album could is kinda reminiscent of some of their previous stuff IMO. Maybe simply because of the length, finally a track that lets you in before slamming the door and opening a new! I like it gets the chance to mellow itself out from 3:00 onwards. Never really listened to this track properly before, very enjoyable indeed!

paralelSuns Lovely track. Gives the balmy sensation of having that sunny glow from having spent the entire day out in the sun. Extreme soft ambience going on here.

Steels not much new going on here, sounds like part of a track that was/should be larger.

Tankakern This is nice meaty beaty paranoia, awesome to listen to in headphones walking around somewhere dark and factory like.

Rale my initial fav of the album, still sounds awesome. Imagine fighters in a wooden shack, challenging a blue floatingorb that hovers just under the low ceiling. The challengers take turns in attacking the orb on rotation. The orb fires devastating shots at them, mutilating them. Challengers fade out after dying being replaced my a new. Luvverly track.

Fol3 This sounds like a car crash played backwards. Which doesn't do much for me.

fwzE funky sparky sounds abound here, interesting fun stuff.

90101-5l-l Another fav of mine of this album. Sounds like a huge water snake thrashing about its confinement with mad scientists trying to harness it whilst being thrown around destroying equipment etc. very very good track.

bnc Castl lots of fun this one, the loop the keeps reappering reminds me of a phone being dialled.

Theswere sounds like a kind of descent into the next track

WNSN subterranean excavations going on in a beautiful ice cavern

chenc9 not much of interest going on here, quite boring infact

Notwo very nice ominous ambience here. Altibzz's dark wife.

Outh9X More wavering ambience, this time more hypnotic and encompassing something faintly dark. Perhaps the offspring of Outh9X and Altibzz. Excellent track.

 

ALl in all it sounds like it should perhaps be perceived as being one whole track, an album made up of snippets of tracks that in their true form were longer. Weird way to do an album, and I must say I prefer their previous style of having fewer but longer tracks.

 

There's an overall feel of cold computers at work, whereas albums like Untilted, Draft & Confield felt more machinery chunky.

 

Fav tracks: plyPhon, Perlence, paralel suns, Tankakern, Rale, Outh9X

 

An allright album but still definetely not one of my Ae favs

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The Plc builds up and ends up sounding like a rave going on in a forest with clown faces giggling at you in the dark

fucking lol that nailed it exactly. I'll always think of that from now on when I hear the Plc

 

paralelSuns Lovely track. Gives the balmy sensation of having that sunny glow from having spent the entire day out in the sun.

wha? I find it very odd that you find this track warm and sunny because to me it sounds cold and gloomy.

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Ipacial Section has a very high pitched whining tone consistently throughout that is almost impossible to hear but once you notice it, its almost impossible not to hear.

ahhhh i was just talking to my friend about how much i love that tone. it always enters and exits at the perfect junctures -- it's the best!

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As I re-listen to "fol3", this track coincidentally reminds me of "Mutism" by Basic Channel (which is from '93-'95). Sean mentioned Basic Channel as excellent producers in BarcodeZine's interview from last year. This band might be one of Rob and Sean's influences, I don't know... Anyway I hear too many similarities.

Yeah, noticed this too, there's definitely an undercurrent of BC influence running through a lot of the quaristice stuff. Subrange 6-36 seems to be autechre's attempt to emulate "imprint" off the rhythm & sound album, except imprint does hypnotic repetition about 1000x better.

I also find Rhythm & Sound's tune way more hypnotic (and better) than Subrange 6-36, yeah. I understand what you mean when you said in a later post that 17 minutes are not enough. Nevertheless, I find Subrange 6-36's lack of depth and duration discouraging, so I need to not pay attention at all to enjoy it.

 

Wow this track (imprint) is immense, I absolutely love it. The atmosphere is overwhelming for such sparse notes amidst fuzz. Thanks

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Guest ataraxy2

Overall I would say this album is more about having a shitload of fun and taking a break from the meticulous analysis that their recent previous works called for.

 

I've never thought Autechre required or called for 'meticulous analysis', I think it's enjoyable music regardless of the technical prowess both Sean and Rob obviously have. Having said that, Quaristice I currently dislike. I'll get around to a more indepth (and hopefully more positive) review later on, if it doesn't grow on me I don't think I'll do a track-by-tracker as there's no enjoyment in both writing and reading something like that.

 

So for now I'll skip the songs I dislike:

The PLC is wonderfully crafted, too short though. (fortunetely there is the even better The PlcLCpC).

plyPhon is very different for Autechre but kind of interesting.

Simmm manages to very enjoyable in all its playfulness for the first 2'38, when the kick comes in it's as if Sean/Rob are having a laugh - it's awful what the song turns into...

rale is awesome.

Fol3 is very promising but feels... poorly executed?

bnc Castl makes me laugh, in a good way.

WNSN reminds me of the moments of greatness in EP7/Draft.

Notwo is fucking incredible. FUCKING. INCREDIBLE.

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Guest Calx Sherbet

The Plc builds up and ends up sounding like a rave going on in a forest with clown faces giggling at you in the dark

fucking lol that nailed it exactly. I'll always think of that from now on when I hear the Plc

 

paralelSuns Lovely track. Gives the balmy sensation of having that sunny glow from having spent the entire day out in the sun.

wha? I find it very odd that you find this track warm and sunny because to me it sounds cold and gloomy.

 

 

oh to me altibzz is FAR from cold

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