XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

[Hugh Mughnus]

Anyone still yearning for Confield/Draft etc, either you haven't listened to the album enough or haven't listened with decent equipment. There is much more going on in Exai than either of those albums.

 

I agree. But I'm often wrong too.

[xox]

I was impatient to hear what would a 'real programming' bring to the table but i can't hear it in Exai...or better to say there's nothing in it that i can't imagine being made with conventional tools and technics. Could be they're holding their new powers for the next project. Exai sounds like they're deliberately closing one of the most important chapters in electronic music history anyway. Time for the next big thing? Hope so!

[beerwolf]

Nodezsh is a killer track.

[awepittance]

Thanks Awepittance... I had a feeling tracks after the first 3 would shine more loud on decent speakers. The first three are stunning headphone experiences, tho (which I find to be unusual for Ae. Even my favourite albums of theirs sound a bit 'flat' and weird spatially on headphones.) I must confess to only really listening to Exai on headphones so far (waiting for CD to play in the car!)

 

And I agree with others about Irlite (get 0). I would welcome a whole album of that kind of invention and atmosphere. The first three tracks outshine everything else anyway, with Irlite being particularly 'outhiney'! Such a joy to listen to... Such a thick, dark, heavy and serious yet funny, alien atmosphere. Autechre have really done something so special here!

 

if you've only listened on headphones i can see why the first 3 tracks sound so much better than most of the rest. For some reason at least for me all the breakbeat samples sound pretty annoying on my headphones (2 different pairs). On a decent pair of speakers in a nice small room, those same sounds i found abrasive actually sound pretty good

[Hugh Mughnus]

I can't get over how awesome of a track vekoS is....

[danshoebridge]

I think of their post-confield tracks the single one that had the biggest WTF for me was definitely krylon. I just could not get a handle on that track when I first heard it, seemed totally noodly and random. Of course it eventually became on of my favourites.

 

I'd point to that track for anyone who thinks they're 'not innovating' over the last ten years. Melodically and structurally, it's unlike anything I've ever heard before or since.

[Guest Roksen Creek]

I absolutely adore krYlon, easily my favourite on oversteps but everyone else seemed to hate on it. I feel like there are losds of tracks as structurally interesting on Exai. Practically the whole of the second disc but especially nodezsh and runrepik. Cloudlined as well

[acroyear]

Bass has never played a more prominent role in an Autechre album.

[beNito]

Has any of you listened to the Atoms for Peace album ?

Pretty good album, there's even a track that sounds a lot like one of these awesome unreleased track from the Quaristice Live sets, listen to it and tell me if you hear the same thing, track is called 'unless'

[Mimi]

this record is pretty suite

[marf]

i lov r ess .. love that epic ambient build up.

[lumpenprol]

yeah I listened to oversteps again last night and was reminded how much I liked it. More than Exai I think. BUT. There is something very unique about Exai, it sounds like one big long song almost. Oversteps still has the very traditional song-song-song structure. But Exai feels more like a living organic beast that flows along. Imo. Still if I was going to make an "Ae best mixtape" I think several tracks from Oversteps would make it on, but maybe none from Exai (possibly irlite I guess). I'm not sure it holds up on a track-by-track analysis.

[Guest]

nodezsh

is a trap - i am stuck in the nodezsh. I'd pay all Exai money only for nodezsh. I was asking myself why. It has a simple drum pattern.At a first look the drums have no "flow" in a way. But it has perfectly done out-of-sync moments. Well it simply works. I DUNNO!!!! BTW In german we'd say "verhaspeln". So why is it a trap? It's probably the perfect mood. No it's because it is perfect.

BTW, when I first listened to it I decided: "if this track now does not end on the right note, then I'll jump down this building!" - fortunately the guys are musicians and let it end on the "right" note. Right in a traditional sense, like the baroque musicians ended often on the same finishing note (C? have to look. Also, as a clarinet player, my clarinet notes are transpoosed... The one that makes you feel like "everything is well and finished, no questions open").

Edited February 19, 2013 by Guest

[ambermonk]

Listened to recks on on the way home from work tonight. I must admit, when you're driving alone at night on a road with no traffic and no street lamps in the immediate vicinity, it's perfect.

Edited February 19, 2013 by ambermonk

[Guest]

And I'm thinking again: the old musicke world is full of fantastic melodies.It would be great to see the more complex ones in Ae tracks. The way Ae do it, you wouldn't probably be aware of this... OK one day if I have more time, I'll turn on all my audio Hosts and VSTs and my clarinet, and I give it a try

[syd syside]

spl9 is the dopest dope I've ever smoked

[Guest]

Listened to recks on on the way home from work tonight. I must admit, when you're driving alone at night on a road with no traffic and no street lamps in the immediate vicinity, it's perfect.

 

I love this setting... Also YJY UX and nodezsh are good for this. BTW if you're open minded: I can assure you, if there's also fog on your way home, Dmitri Shostakovich's

is perfect. Frightening. That Trumpet in 1:00:05 is one of the best moments in music. Edited February 19, 2013 by Guest

[exm]

nodezsh

is a trap - i am stuck in the nodezsh. I'd pay all Exai money only for nodezsh. I was asking myself why. It has a simple drum pattern.At a first look the drums have no "flow" in a way. But it has perfectly done out-of-sync moments. Well it simply works. I DUNNO!!!! BTW In german we'd say "verhaspeln". So why is it a trap? It's probably the perfect mood. No it's because it is perfect.

BTW, when I first listened to it I decided: "if this track now does not end on the right note, then I'll jump down this building!" - fortunately the guys are musicians and let it end on the "right" note. Right in a traditional sense, like the baroque musicians ended often on the same finishing note (C? have to look. Also, as a clarinet player, my clarinet notes are transpoosed... The one that makes you feel like "everything is well and finished, no questions open").

i really love the drums right after the almost total kill of the volume of the drums. You can hear them in the back, still pressing the stabs down...that rythmic section is awesome!

[Guest]

re: "i really love the drums right after the almost total kill of the volume of the drums." (I have problems with quoting and the editor here).

 

Yes, and it reminded me of Gantz Graf, where you can already hear the track starting before it actually started. That also was a problem for us tape users back in the days, when a layer of loud sound laid on a layer with almost silence. Then you could hear through what would follow because of the copying of magnetism.

Edited February 19, 2013 by Guest

[Roo]

yeah I listened to oversteps again last night and was reminded how much I liked it. More than Exai I think. BUT. There is something very unique about Exai, it sounds like one big long song almost. Oversteps still has the very traditional song-song-song structure. But Exai feels more like a living organic beast that flows along. Imo. Still if I was going to make an "Ae best mixtape" I think several tracks from Oversteps would make it on, but maybe none from Exai (possibly irlite I guess). I'm not sure it holds up on a track-by-track analysis.

Largely agree with this post.

 

Exai to me feels 'genuine' and real, despite its alien atmospheres. It has a similar soul to Confield actually. Oversteps is beautiful, but does have that traditional structure which makes it feel comparitively plastic.

 

But as for standalone tracks that work outside Exai, that is where the side effects of such an approach are felt.

[exm]

re: "i really love the drums right after the almost total kill of the volume of the drums." (I have problems with quoting and the editor here).

 

Yes, and it reminded me of Gantz Graf, where you can already hear the track starting before it actually started. That also was a problem for us tape users back in the days, when a layer of loud sound laid on a layer with almost silence. Then you could hear through what would follow because of the copying of magnetism.

hehehe...i know! these days it is different ;) ... however, when i play the 24 bit wavs on my phone using mx player, i get the same kind of noise in quiet parts. kinda funny. Reminds me of the "tape-era"

[Ivan Ooze]

Hopped in to say that after like 10 listens, i think they delivered us just another tits Autechre album, it's like alien drugs taking you on a trip trough hell. And man, those sickening basssounds! Great fucking musick that has to be played loud

Edited February 19, 2013 by Ivan Ooze

[blos]

Ya know, it's the oldest thing we've heard from Exai, but the flying saucers at the end of spl9 are just the best.

[manmower]

I'm digging it too, there's enough tracks that on the surface are deceptively simple or groovy to keep me coming back, and that makes me sit through the more random stuff as well.

 

And in terms of sheer sound it's probably the best thing they've done, Confield era is almost starting to sound dated compared to this.

[azatoth]

I am looking forward to hearing this on vinyl once it comes around. And I think the artwork will look much better in real life than on the photos.