Autechre Autechre - Oversteps (WARP210) [The MegaThread]

[baph]

I can discount that mofo's opinion instantly because he clearly doesn't like Pro Radii, and in a Venn Diagram the Set "People who don't like Pro Radii" exists entirely within the Set "People who's opinions are shit."

[baph]

*whose, lol

 

 

 

:seppuku:

[splesh]

I honestly think Oversteps is their best since Untilted. Some would even say best since Draft.

[Guest bardamu]

I can discount that mofo's opinion instantly because he clearly doesn't like Pro Radii, and in a Venn Diagram the Set "People who don't like Pro Radii" exists entirely within the Set "People who's opinions are shit."

 

one of the many gems found here in the last few days, lolz

[Lianne]

That review almost makes me embarrassed that I like Oversteps as much as I do.

[Guest bigs]

d-sho-qub is a hilarious track -- i love it. it's like a little child playing with some toys, completely oblivious to the fact that the floor he sits on is actually a huge fucking worm from tremors.

[Guest spraaaa]

people on discogs hate drums, lol. I'm the opposite, I like some tunes on this but if I listen straight through all the melodies wear me out.

[xyrofen]

people on discogs hate drums, lol. I'm the opposite, I like some tunes on this but if I listen straight through all the melodies wear me out.

 

BREAKCORE.

 

 

Lol. >_>

 

I really like how Oversteps balanced the drums with melodies.

[Guest extridium]

another one..

 

Review by chischis Feb 25, 2010 (edited 15 minutes ago)

After pandering to the pseudo-intellectual cretins in their fan-base for the last 10 bloody years, Autechre have FINALLY written an album that is listenable. Because, on Oversteps, they are writing melodies again. And they're really fucking good ones at times. Gone, thankfully, also are the endless cockwaving drum/glitch bollocks of Draft and Untilted. And most of the tunes on Oversteps sound like fully fleshed ideas, not experiments in collage a-la Quaristice.

 

Oversteps sounds like a natural continuation of EP7 only with even more complex drum rhythms (thankfully not the headache-inducing pummeling fanboy-wank that is LCC and the like) and pristine production: the FM sounds cleaner and crisper. The rhythms are more intriguing, and the melodies they employ here are developed to a far greater degree than even the best LP5 or EP7 had to offer. I'm hearing shades of Tangerine Dream, Telex, Vangelis, and Moskwa TV in this album, so that's a pretty good start. Oh, and it's not MINIMAL either, thank fuck.

 

Ilanders is effectively Robot-Jazz. Its "structure" is little more than that of a trad-jazz jam, opening and closing with the main theme and exploring it from every angle in between. I'm no jazz fan, but the idea is sound. The underlying rhythm is some concotion of electro crossed with breaks and hip-hop. The roiling pads underneath the crunchy FM drums and plinking melodies are a welcome return after the last 10 years. Proof that Sean and Rob can write them!

 

Treale is where they take the whole "reform, redevelop, destroy, then reform again" ethic on their melodies about as far as they ever have. This is 100% composition right here, computer-aided or not. I find it hits my personal "melodic threshold" at times, like a lot of jazz tunes tend to, but I would still have the interlocking FM tones of Treale than ANY of the 7+ minute drum wank exercises of Confield, Draft or Untilted. Nice that they stick to a fairly simple hip-hop/big-beat style rhythm and let the synths "be complex" for a change. Well done, lads!

 

Known(1) is a mess. Oversteps is - on every other track - a brooding aural dystopia, somewhat meditative and atmospheric with the bare hint of malignancy, but Known(1) is totally at odds with this vibe, coming across more as a twisted EP7 outtake with extra-trashy FM tweaking thrown in. They over-do the out-of-tuned'ness on this one. Thankfully it's the only track that is sub-par.

 

See On See is just arpeggiated bliss, with a bass-line continuously morphing underneath some lovely higher-octave tones. Call it a requiem, it's beautiful. I haven't said that about an Autechre song since Drane! Os veix3 and O=0 contain some of the most emotionally resonant and melancholic melodic phrases I've heard from Ae, as well as some fascinating key changes in the latter. st epreo has a less distinct hook than other tunes, and is more drum-focused, but it doesn't fall into the Untilted trap of endless clatter. d-sho qub has an infectious, slightly-shuffled "fast hip-hop" rhythm and it's hard not to love those hugely satisfying, crunchy snares blasting away under more very memorable synth lines, coming across "happier" here (love the way it devolves into vocal choruses, too!). The album finishes on the more minimalistically-composed Yuop, which gradually develops into lots of noisy pads and synth "wibbles". It works well as a closer.

 

As an aside, I find it hilarious that some people complain that there's been some blatant use of plugin patches from Tassman and Reaktor. If this is true, so what? Ae love FM, and if it works, just fucking use it. I can't be the only one that's lived through the naughties' endless sound exploration and gradual detachment from conventional composition techniques (ANYTHING from Mille Plateaux Records, for example), and find that 90% of it is barely interesting for a few listens, then just gets boring. It may be "exploring new sonic frontiers", but ultimately, focusing upon sound creation and texture as opposed to melody, often leaves you with music that is forgettable, for-occasion, aural wallpaper. That is never a problem on Oversteps.

 

Sean and Rob do a FAR better job of exploring melancholic, detached alienation on Oversteps using MELODIES than they do pissing about with drums and stepping on Venetian Snares' toes (Draft, Untilted, Confield). If you have any interest in challenging electronic music, you want to hear this. If you like Ae but found their previous albums lacking for any reason, believe me: you must hear this. If you spooge copiously over FM synthesis, then I'm surprised you're reading this and not listening to the bloody thing already. If you'd like to hear the "genre" of IDM broken and completely destroyed, well that's probably some personal issues you might need to work out, but don't let that stop you from trying Oversteps. Heck, I'm no "fan" of Autechre OR IDM, and I've fallen completely in love with this album. It's hard to at first, this is Autechre, not Arovane (who, melodically, came across as more of a romantic) but this is Sean and Rob showing their 100% robotic, programmed, circuit-driven souls. And I wouldn't want it any other way. Not perfect - ditch Known(1) - but bloody close. 10/10.

 

P.S. Oversteps makes for a superb alternative soundtrack to System Shock. :)

 

http://www.discogs.com/Autechre-Oversteps/master/228099

 

 

 

w t f ?? Confield is like Venetian Snares???????

 

people on discogs hate drums, lol. I'm the opposite, I like some tunes on this but if I listen straight through all the melodies wear me out.

 

BREAKCORE.

 

 

Lol. >_>

 

I really like how Oversteps balanced the drums with melodies.

 

i agree

[awepittance]

 

 

w t f ?? Confield is like Venetian Snares???????

 

both have weird beats that don't make sense bro!!

[Guest extridium]

 

 

w t f ?? Confield is like Venetian Snares???????

 

both have weird beats that don't make sense bro!!

 

Venetian Snares is more like Squarepusher....Autechre is more like aliens from heaven/hell

[kaini]

i found this review:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1467218-d621629-Reviews-Oversteps_House_Bed_and_Breakfast-Kingswear_Devon_England.html

 

After being a little late organising our weekend visit to Dartmouth I struggled to find availability. When I called Oversteps House however they had availability. The lady we spoke to when we booked said she was a friend taking bookings in the owners absence. I said that we had a 10 month baby and asked if they could accommodate him, to which I was told that the owners had a similar aged baby so he would be welcome.

We were looking forward to our well deserved weekend break. The property was quite difficult to find as we didn't realise it was attached to the local cattery. Luckily I only have a mild cat allergy or that would have been a real problem.

On arriving we were struck by the lovely location. Oversteps House is in a beautiful spot. An old Edwardian (?) house on the side of a small grassy valley. Footed by a large pond with many web-footed residents.

I'm a fan of small and friendly so I was glad to be greeted by the young Gentleman owner as we arrived. His wife however made it completely clear that she was not so happy to see us.

Nevertheless we were shown to our room which was basic but clean, and had thoughtful additions like home baked biscuits and interesting reading material.

We had a nice chat with the Gentleman as we headed out in the evening. Our son had a play with their daughter.

We went out for the evening, and on our return said a quick hello as we headed up to bed. Our room was on their landing next to their and their daughter's room.

Breakfast the following morning was full English and was lovely. The owners were very attentive in serving us and our son. After breakfast we packed to go and went to pay. We were told cash only. Being well into the 21st century we never really have cash on us. I had to leave my partner and baby sat with our bags in the hallway as I drove to the village shop to draw out some cash. After paying we received no receipt/bill etc. As we were leaving I asked if they had availability in a couple of weeks time as we would be returning to Dartmouth. She abruptly told us that she wasn't happy with her friend for telling us that babies were welcome as they weren't. I was a bit taken back by this, but seeing that she was heavily pregnant said that I understood that she may have concerns about catching childhood diseases during pregnancy. She said clearly that wasn't why - it was because she didn't want her other guests disturbed. We were very confused by this as our son is such a quiet baby and hadn't made so much as a peep the whole time. Despite the fact that their baby had woken us all up at 6.30am that morning.

We must say we felt dreadful having been told ever so tactlessly that we wouldn't be welcome again. It tarnished our weekend away.

I would have happily have recommended this place to friends and family, and as we regularly visit Dartmouth and would have liked to stay again. However, the lady proprietor's attitude to her clientele quite honestly left a lot to be desired.

[o00o]

[xox]

"If you have any interest in challenging electronic music, you want to hear this. "

yeah Confiled, Draft and Untilted don't quite match that description

 

Yah...i also think that Oversteps is just not challenging enough.

 

Challenging level that would be optimal:)

Edited February 26, 2010 by xox

[xox]

Review at moogist.com

[karmakramer]

Review at moogist.com

 

jesus

[six]

"If you have any interest in challenging electronic music, you want to hear this. "

yeah Confiled, Draft and Untilted don't quite match that description

 

Yah...i also think that Oversteps is just not challenging enough.

 

Challenging level that would be optimal:)

 

I cheated, I don't think I ever would have figured this out on my own. I was trying to solve it like a Rubik's cube but no dice.

 

 

A is correct.

 

Step 1

Look at each matrix individually, and assign it a number based upon the number of shapes that have no neighbors of the same shape; your result will be:

 

1-3-2

2-1-3

3-2-?

 

Clearly, we need a "1" to fill the pattern.

 

Step 2

How many different ways are there to write a "1"? Only 3:

 

Method 1)

--*

*--

*--

 

Method 2)

--*

*--

-*-

 

Method 3)

*-*

*--

---

 

Looking the two "1"'s already in play, we see that we have a "Method 1" and a "Method 2", but no "Method 3". Obviously this lack of completeness cannot be tolerated, so we need a "Method 3" "1" to complete the pattern.

 

Conclusion

We circle answer "A", because it's the only "Method 3" answer available. The specific shapes, orientation of the "1" pattern, and relationships between the "1" pattern and the "2" and "3" patterns are left as an exercise for the obsessive. Personally, if the puzzle maker couldn't be bothered to hide the answer better (and/or eliminate alternate solutions) I can't be bothered to care.

 

 

[Guest frits]

Stepping on Venetian Snares toes?

[Guest theSun]

confield is like vsnares?

 

i don't think i've heard a more malicious statement.

[Blir]

Review at moogist.com

 

I've read some shit reviews in my time but that takes the cake.

[Captain James Mission]

Everytime I listen to Yuop, the Dawn of the Dead - Soundtrack by Goblin comes to my mind. And that is not a bad thing...

[TwiddleBot]

people on discogs hate drums, lol. I'm the opposite, I like some tunes on this but if I listen straight through all the melodies wear me out.

 

this msgboard rules

[sysyphus]

Review at moogist.com

 

I've read some shit reviews in my time but that takes the cake.

 

lol i concur

[Lianne]

I want that Sean Booth interview! Or any interviews with either of them. I'd love to hear their perspective on this album more than any other, as it's such a turn.

[Guest Greg Reason]

Review at moogist.com

 

That is sheer brilliance.

 

"strange rhythms are the norm"

 

Fuck yes. What a champ.