XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

[Guest sirch]

haven't listened to the album all the way through yet. but from what i've heard they could've made a new 6 track gescom ep outta it and just ditched the rest.

[awepittance]

Here to share more ill-informed opinions. :-)

 

Was blown away by parts of the album, but still finding it pretty 'straight'. I've just realised what it is! It's the drum sounds, as opposed to the beat patterns themselves. LP5 (or even Chiastic Slide) to Draft (excluding exceptions like V-Proc's straight hip hop beat that comes in) had really alien, machinic percussion sounds. Not straight drum machine hits or things sampled from a drum kit. Draft did my head in with its cyber/robotic/organic/metallic/wooden drum splatterings. 'EP7' and 'Confield' especially hardly has a single overtly recognisable kick or snare sample. Even Oversteps used pretty alien and FM-ey sources to do most of the rhythmic parts. Whereas the new one has a bunch of straight forward, recognisable electronic (or even blatantly sampled acoustic) drum hits. That's why why I love deco Loc so much. Such a cool beat with such a weird high pitched, squelchy drum world. Tracks 1-3 are also so special. Whereas the others have footwork using hits I've heard in other records.

 

i pretty much agree in regards to the straightness of the sound bed but it's not just the drum sounds, a lot of the stabby synth sounds sound pretty straight forward as well. NOw that i think about it so do most of the effects, the use of flangers, delays, and reverbs are all relatively recognizable. The abstractness of Exai comes from the presentation and arrangement of all these sounds in the mix. At least that's where i sit with it, upon my first couple of listens i was too distracted by the individual sounds to notice just how bizarre the album really is. I think in one of the reviews someone put it nicely by saying 'painfully obvious and devastatingly subtle'

 

I'm pretty into the sounds on this album when they are less soaked in verb and a lot to have some space of their own. The opening 3 tracks all have very nice clean and not easily recognizable sound beds, so does Spl9 and even tuinorizn. The rest not so much.

 

even really glitchy tracks like 11 is, flep and Vekos, the individual sounds aren't as alien sounding as confield or draft yet they are heavily processed in various effects, where the effects themselves become part of the composition. In a way this seems to be the overall focus of the album. It's the closest AE have come to doing a 'dub' album, sounds silly but it's sort of true.

Cloudline seems to start with a heavy focus on making a flanger sort of 'sing' where the delay times are set so short that you hear the flanger squeaking and screeching more than any sort of traditional stereo flanging effect

 

Bladelores emphasizes this concept by having the snare drum of the beat with such a short decay you can barely hear that it's playing a pitched melody, this short snare burst is creating the entire background atmosphere by throwing it through 30 second + reverb.

 

edit: this is all i've been able to pin down so far as what 180 concept Exai holds. IT may be a stupid theory but i think at least since Untilted (or even arguably confield) there has been a deliberate attempt on their part to employ a different overarching concept to each consecutive album.

 

edit2: the last 3 tracks on Exai (not including keyosc) i don't really understand yet. Deco loc sounds more like it should be a Gescom track or a Quaristice or Move of ten outtake. Recks on sounds like a blatant Scorn tribute for the first opening minutes and then morphs halfway through into an EP7 esque AE version of a scorn track. The last song has a lot of processing and tweaking happening to a very straightforward melody and drum beat, not really grabbing me yet

Edited February 11, 2013 by Awepittance

[LimpyLoo]

haven't listened to the album all the way through yet. but from what i've heard they could've made a new 6 track gescom ep outta it and just ditched the rest.

 

What is going on in your life, sirch?

 

Sounds like a girl left you.

[Guest sirch]

 

haven't listened to the album all the way through yet. but from what i've heard they could've made a new 6 track gescom ep outta it and just ditched the rest.

 

What is going on in your life, sirch?

 

Sounds like a girl left you.

 

that's my actual opinion of what i've heard so far.

you shouldn't read........ stuff into internet posts. lol

what's going on in your life?

[David Bowman]

Now that I've had some actual time to absorb and follow this album better - I really think it might be their best work to date.

[exm]

Now that I've had some actual time to absorb and follow this album better - I really think it might be their best work to date.

Same thoughts over here. Did not listen to anything else. Exai is running since it came online. It is combining all what they've done so far. I hear bits of their best albums, EP7, Confield, Draft, Oversteps, Untilted, even Amber/Tri kinds of track building...

[exm]

Fav's atm: Cloudline, Recks, Tess xi, Prac-f, spl9.

Still growing: itlite, runrepik, deco.

The rest is just nice!

[Soloman Tump]

Can't get over Irlite (get 0).

Simply stunning, the way the bass cuts through the drum hits then the synth builds... its all gets all noisy then bam... breakdown and rebuild. Love it.

 

'painfully obvious and devastatingly subtle'

100%

[modey]

Decided to listen to bladelores again. Seems I'm warming up to this track a bit more now.

 

 

Yep, I listened lastnight and fell asleep near the end. I still think it does too much too early, but the last section is unlocking itself slowly.

 

edit: I think I'm gonna keep listening to only the first half of this album until I get the vinyl. I've found myself putting off listening to it because I often don't have two hours to spare.

Edited February 11, 2013 by modey

[Guest bitroast]

we gotta do that listening party when the vinyl arrives. maybe then and only then will the album click for you.

 

i have no idea how/why, but this album 'clicked' the first time i heard it. from start to end, one long 2 hour sitting. i was floored.:)

[Guest Roksen Creek]

Fleure 3:58 reminds me of Second Peng 6:00

[kirm]

lol @ the rubber-ducky noises in runrepik. that PWANG at 3:11 at makes me laugh every time. also cloudline sounds like their fucked-up take on r+b, I quite like it. the most chilled Exai track.

 

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again?

 

another ill-conceived Ae opinion brought to you by Lianne, quelle surprise.

 

I love this album but think she has made a fair point. I mean wasnt 1 of them quoted as saying that Confield was like pop music compared to what they could have put out? Which sounds strange when you think esp the last 3 albums have been quite a bit more "pop" for want of a better a word (tho the quote sounds like the kinda shit people say for the sake of it in interviews so might just be bollocks, infact sounds like something afx would say!)

 

But yeah the last 3 albums seem more like they are having fun and just doing what they enjoy and it sounds wicked, But wonder if they will ever do another game changer type album when even the hardcore fans are like what the fuck is all this about! Do people even think such a thing is possible?

 

Anyhow they have pushed enough boundries in the past anyway and its not all about doing something really new and different and for the record I think Exai is going to be in my top Autechre albums & possible my fav, but stil early days to tell

Edited February 11, 2013 by kirm

[Amen Lare]

 

lol @ the rubber-ducky noises in runrepik. that PWANG at 3:11 at makes me laugh every time. also cloudline sounds like their fucked-up take on r+b, I quite like it. the most chilled Exai track.

 

I wonder if we'll get a truly 'experimental' or challenging album from them again?

 

another ill-conceived Ae opinion brought to you by Lianne, quelle surprise.

 

I love this album but think she has made a fair point. I mean wasnt 1 of them quoted as saying that Confield was like pop music compared to what they could have put out? Which sounds strange when you think esp the last 3 albums have been quite a bit more "pop" for want of a better a word (tho the quote sounds like the kinda shit people say for the sake of it in interviews so might just be bollocks, infact sounds like something afx would say!)

 

But yeah the last 3 albums seem more like they are having fun and just doing what they enjoy and it sounds wicked, But wonder if they will ever do another game changer type album when even the hardcore fans are like what the fuck is all this about! Do people even think such a thing is possible?

 

Anyhow they have pushed enough boundries in the past anyway and its not all about doing something really new and different and for the record I think Exai is going to be in my top Autechre albums & possible my fav, but stil early days to tell

 

I do believe in that quote, after all Gantz Graf was released straight after Confield, but that doesn't mean more methodically edgy stuff would sound more challenging. Do Hafler Trio collabs sound less pop, for example? I think so, though it's nothing groundbreaking because of its dull form. Actually if you want radical new ideas go listen to some Salvatore Sciarrino or Horatiu Radulescu (just to namedrop) stuff from when there was no Ae in project. Ae was always about pop (hip hop, electro, techno etc) sensibility.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Amen Lare

[coax]

Awepittance, good post, agree with that.

 

I also feel it sounds a bit more 'computer' like. Something you can find on soundcloud in terms of the sounds and effects, except their quality and uniqueness of sounds go a little further. I was thrown off a bit at first, but I love the bizarre nature of the compositions. I feel ae's compositions have been one of their strongest points, throughout all their albums. Unique 'ideas', as it were, and it's no different here. When Oversteps came out I thought they had truly gone off their beaten path, and were entering into new territory, I guess Exai fits well now, as a sort of grounding or 'looking back' nostalgia, since I hear a lot of sounds from earlier albums, as opposed to a brand new sound altogether. Maybe their next album will go in another new direction.

 

It is a joy to listen to, and as weird as I would hope for. Emotional.

[Fredd-E]

I absolutely love "recks on". Especially the second part. Those sweeping pads are really something beautiful. I love how the track keeps on going steadily, not too much mind fuckery; just an easy listening beat accompanied with a sweet autechrish vibe. A++

 

My other highligts so far: irlite (get 0), deco Loc, bladelores, t ess xi, jatevee C, YJY UX and 1 1 is.

 

I guess I like my Autechre a bit more downtempo, easy listening. Even though spl9 is quite something too. Mind boggling madness.

[jules]

I absolutely love "recks on". Especially the second part. Those sweeping pads are really something beautiful. I love how the track keeps on going steadily, not too much mind fuckery; just an easy listening beat accompanied with a sweet autechrish vibe. A++

 

My other highligts so far: irlite (get 0), deco Loc, bladelores, t ess xi, jatevee C, YJY UX and 1 1 is.

 

I guess I like my Autechre a bit more downtempo, easy listening. Even though spl9 is quite something too. Mind boggling madness.

 

 

these are almost my exact thoughts.

 

whoa.

[syd syside]

I would like some tri disc 2 techno beats exai next.

[Ego]

I love vekoS. What a badass track. So much texture. That mutating bassline and psychedelic ending.

[Hugh Mughnus]

I love vekoS. What a badass track. So much texture. That mutating bassline and psychedelic ending.

 

That's actually my favorite off the album at the moment....

[mcbpete]

Yeah for me it's between that and bladelores

[Guest jasondonervan]

[Guest Roksen Creek]

Nodezch and runrepik need more love. Such otherworldy, atmospheric tracks with oddly beautiful melodies. I feel like im on an alien planet when I listen to them.

[syd syside]

 

[modey]

we gotta do that listening party when the vinyl arrives. maybe then and only then will the album click for you.

 

i have no idea how/why, but this album 'clicked' the first time i heard it. from start to end, one long 2 hour sitting. i was floored.:)

Oh, the album is clicking big time for me. It's just taking some time to get into the mindset for it after so much synthpop/prog listening

But yes, listening party for sure!

[zlemflolia]

Can anyone confirm that the keyosc vid posted is legit

 

I mean it has to really judging by the sound, sounds very aeish in a strange way

Edited February 11, 2013 by Zeffolia