XI year old Autechre Album Released: Exai (WARP234)

[joseph]

I do see what you're saying though - in certain respects Quaristice is more rhythmically restrained than say Draft or Untilted, and Exai is also restrained in this respect. But Quaristice explored in so many other ways. Exai feels more cinematic and "album" oriented.

[AJW]

Yeah it's probably more the short track lengths on Quaristice that seem stifling to me than the actual sounds on each track, which are more explorative than Exai. Each track hits upon something but then seems to stop in its track and suddenly decides to quit exploring further, which I find a shame. it's ironic though how restrained they sound when they're actually "jamming" as opposed to when meticulously (I assume) working on an album (Confield, Untilted, Draft) and that coming off far weirder and unrestrained. I must say I enjoy the sprawling, fleshed out soundscapes of the quadranges far more than Quaristice proper. I read that the Quaristice tracks were cut down from far lengthier chunks? I'd love to hear those big chunks, bring on the chunks.

[chenGOD]

I'm slow on the draw like a horse named mcgraw, but finally got around to buying this - loving it. I can see this becoming one of my favorite autechre releases.

[Guest]

I'm slow on the draw like a horse named mcgraw

 

hey! that rhymed.

i can dance to that

[Guest Seginustemple]

 

 

More going on than on Confield? Is that a joke?

 

 

 

Nope. Not only does it sound a lot busier, but it's just more funky, groovin' and melodic than Confield. A lot of the time, the sound of a new frontier isn't as exciting as its later incarnations. Or some shit.

 

Well you're just factually wrong. Confield is way more dense and intricate on average than Exai. Even superficially complicated tracks like Fleure are way easier to unravel than, say, Lentic or Pen Expers.

 

Draft beats them both by a mile.

 

 

Hey I'm with you on the whole 'music can be talked about in an objective sense' deal but If you thought FLuere was easier to unravel than Pen Expers then it took you way too long to understand Pen Expers.

[Turbo Zwanengestuif]

I honestly can't say (or dare to say) that I prefer one specific album above another.

My taste fluctuates. It depends on the mood. At times 'Quaristice' fits me the best, but lately more 'Exai'.

 

Ae challenged my taste at times.

I am very thankful!

[joseph]

 

 

 

More going on than on Confield? Is that a joke?

 

 

 

Nope. Not only does it sound a lot busier, but it's just more funky, groovin' and melodic than Confield. A lot of the time, the sound of a new frontier isn't as exciting as its later incarnations. Or some shit.

 

Well you're just factually wrong. Confield is way more dense and intricate on average than Exai. Even superficially complicated tracks like Fleure are way easier to unravel than, say, Lentic or Pen Expers.

 

Draft beats them both by a mile.

 

 

Hey I'm with you on the whole 'music can be talked about in an objective sense' deal but If you thought FLuere was easier to unravel than Pen Expers then it took you way too long to understand Pen Expers.

 

I'm still surprised every time I listen to Pen Expers!

 

I think the most interesting thing about FLeure is how it sounds like a sped-up version of prac-f. But in terms of what's "going on", I don't think it approaches most of Confield.

[modey]

Fleure is pretty simple, imo. Probably the most sparse track on Exai. Pen Expers took me a long time to understand (and even hear the melody, wtf), but that might have been because I was new to Ae at the time.

[Guest bitroast]

I honestly can't say (or dare to say) that I prefer one specific album above another.

My taste fluctuates. It depends on the mood. At times 'Quaristice' fits me the best, but lately more 'Exai'.

 

Ae challenged my taste at times.

I am very thankful!

Praise the 'chre !

[Turbo Zwanengestuif]

 

I honestly can't say (or dare to say) that I prefer one specific album above another.

My taste fluctuates. It depends on the mood. At times 'Quaristice' fits me the best, but lately more 'Exai'.

 

Ae challenged my taste at times.

I am very thankful!

Praise the 'chre !

Ae llelujah!

[Ethel]

Fleure is pretty simple, imo. Probably the most sparse track on Exai. Pen Expers took me a long time to understand (and even hear the melody, wtf), but that might have been because I was new to Ae at the time.

I had the same thing happen when I first started listening to Confield. Pen Expers and even more simple and direct tracks like cfern sounded so alien to me. Stuck with it though, talk about being well worth it too I feel like I'll be listening to Ae into old age.

 

On Fleure it's actually one of my favorite tracks on Exai. Fleure might be short(in Ae terms) but I feel like it packs quite a punch because of the beat. It reminds me of Draft/Untilted in fact with the beat driving the piece and the melody sounds like it's trying to break through. Like most AE tracks as well it hits me the hardest when it's loud and on a really great system. Love Fleure favorite opener since LCC/Altibzz.

[thehauntingsoul]

After a long time of listening, I've come to the conclusion that 1 1 is may be the deepest, most interesting track on the album. That looming bubbling melody that never fully resolves itself.

Not to mention the clean pinch at 2:25. Chills up my spine every time.

Edited October 6, 2013 by thehauntingsoul

[Amen Lare]

Fleure has such an awesome background "melody", beats almost anything melodic on Oversteps for me, it's so Autechre it hurts in the ass.

[modey]

I wish I could hear it the same way. Instead I hear outdated FFT wanking over half a bassline from a Nautilis song.

[markedone]

I think 1 1 is would be a better opener to this epic double album. That track is like throwing broad strokes of paint over a vast empty canvas, suggesting the scope of things to come. Instead they start off with a micro-scale stipple with Fleure. But autechre are all about playing with your expectations eh

 

Fleure only really interests me once it goes subterranean and the frenetic beats become more elastic.

[modey]

Yeah, I agree about the elastic part. The last minute or so is pretty great.

 

 

And yeah, 1 1 is is such an amazing track. I love the sparse industrial ending.

[Lesley]

It sounds just like Snorkel by Gescom at one point.

A great track though I don't like the ending that much.

[Lesley]

Actually I just listened to the ending and I liked it this time, and at 6:52 a bass note sounds like the one at the end of Parhelic Triangle, with the bell noises and the crunchy sounds too it's deffo a reference imo.

[Dale]

I love recks on so much.... admittedly it took me a while to appreciate how amazing it is, but I'm there now! That vocal piercing through the percussion gets me every time.

[Guest bitroast]

Fleure has such an awesome background "melody", beats almost anything melodic on Oversteps for me, it's so Autechre it hurts in the ass.

I like Fleure as much as the next guy (except, the people on this board that don't like it), but I just don't think this statement is exactly true..

[Amen Lare]

 

Fleure has such an awesome background "melody", beats almost anything melodic on Oversteps for me, it's so Autechre it hurts in the ass.

I like Fleure as much as the next guy (except, the people on this board that don't like it), but I just don't think this statement is exactly true..

 

 

What, is it not official enough, needs President of the USA signature?

[jules]

the second half of fleure is pretty nice but I don't really care for the beginning. funny thing about this track is the only possible place it could have on the album is the first track. it would be so incredibly out of place anywhere else imo.

[lumpenprol]

funny, I only like the first part of Fleure. The end seems a bit noodly and wanky to me.

[Boxus]

Pretty sure spl9 is my favorite track, it's a fucking beast.

 

Also prefer the ending of Fleure to the beginning, by far. I always like it when their tracks open up and you can focus on the space around them, since they're so damn good at creating textured, nuanced atmosphere.

[AJW]

Fleure is really a great opener, the second half literally catapulting you into the awaiting universe of Exai