AAA - Ask Autechre Anything - Sean and Rob on WATMM!

[lumpenprol]

yeah it's funny how everyone gets so wrapped up in the Q&A, and so much attention to gear and production questions, but forget to google what time it is in UK.

 

I hope they see Compvig's post, though, as it's a lovely one.

[poblequadrat]

hey stephen you're like an ANGEL with q tips, spelt cu tips, in his ear

[Hugh Mughnus]

..... I don't understand =(

 

non comprende...

[poblequadrat]

only it's spelt cu tips rather than q tips

[xox]

 

 

and physical modelling

sean pls rob pls

 

I know, my bad - The 'physical' stuff is FM innit...

 

 

what about karplus strong?

 

btw lol on lol @the max patch :)

 

p.s. listened to your stuff at bandcamp few day ago and i have to say that i liked it a lot

Edited November 6, 2013 by xox

[Guest zaphod]

1; do either of you listen to free improv/experimental stuff like derek bailey? his "aida" has always seemed akin to one of your more abstract albums, albeit with just an acoustic guitar.

 

2. favorite hip hop album of the last decade?

[xox]

 

My last question for today: You guys are not into classical music at all? Whatever era, I'm generalizing. Just curious. Because there's a whole world to offer in that department and you can believe me, the enthusiast classical listeners go crazy/insane/however:emotional while listening to their beloved pieces like other music listeners do. Because many people think its just boring, but its a similar statement like saying Ae is random sounds - utterly wrong.

 

i just dunno anything about it

recc me some

 

 

Can i try?

Hard to represent hundreds of yrs of music history in 10 min but here's my take with my fav piece. It was originally composed as the last movement of of one of Beethoven's later quartets but no one understood it back then (1827.) so it was soon published as a separate piece.

So if your music isn't understood immediately as it isn't i'd say it's a good sign. ;)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjUh11EPGcM

 

Question:

Do you ever 'humanize' your tracks making them more acceptable? Do you do that on the album level?

[Guest bitroast]

 

 

rale @ 2:40 mark there's a two note sound similar to windows "usb device disconnected" chime.

This little 'tuh-duh' fucker always catches me off guard.

Is it a deliberate attempt to piss off windows users?

ha no it's pure coincidence

there's a sound in one of SND's tracks that's the same as one of my custom IM sounds, still gets me after years

Or "midi received" sample in that drukqs track!

[BobDobalina]

Curious about how your remix of DJ Food's Sexy Bits came about (an alltime favourite of mine, still gives me whiplash) since there wasn't an 'original' per se - sexy bits were just a bunch of spoken word samples tacked on the end of their Jazz Brakes records. Was it a matter of you guys picking a certain sexy bit to mangle, then building a track around it?

 

What kinds of music (or particular artists) do you like to cane in your car stereo (if you do)?

[Guest Dematchou]

 

Something I always found intriguing was the way you talk about the use of space.

 

For ages I associated that with the use of like timbre and dynamics to create like imagery of external spaces, but I always got a weird vibe from Quaristice, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

 

I think what it represents to me is more of an internal or perceptive space, almost with like dissociative or solipistic feeling, like the way when you're having an internal dialogue with yourself and it almost exists in its own sort of space. 90101-5l-l is probably the track I get that feeling from the most, IO is another.

 

"bladelores" from Exai gives me almost the opposite feeling, where it feels very much like an external space (I always imagine like Antarctica for some reason).

 

Not saying that it's like an intentional part of your design or anything, but do you ever pay any thought to that kind of thing when you're listening to music yourselves? Sorry if that came across as vague or abstract, it's kind of hard to translate into words.

yeah i think i get u ,

 

i guess if yr going to be using reverb, and if we use our hearing to help us perceive space IRL then u obviously get these situations worth playing with.

 

 

With reverb, I find it interesting how you can extend it beyond like normal perception and create like aural objects that have no place in reality. It's like a whole new dimension at times.

 

Something I always found intriguing was the way you talk about the use of space.

 

For ages I associated that with the use of like timbre and dynamics to create like imagery of external spaces, but I always got a weird vibe from Quaristice, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

 

I think what it represents to me is more of an internal or perceptive space, almost with like dissociative or solipistic feeling, like the way when you're having an internal dialogue with yourself and it almost exists in its own sort of space. 90101-5l-l is probably the track I get that feeling from the most, IO is another.

 

"bladelores" from Exai gives me almost the opposite feeling, where it feels very much like an external space (I always imagine like Antarctica for some reason).

 

Not saying that it's like an intentional part of your design or anything, but do you ever pay any thought to that kind of thing when you're listening to music yourselves? Sorry if that came across as vague or abstract, it's kind of hard to translate into words.

 

yeah i would agree with both of those, i know what you mean i had a similar thought

quaristice is meant to flow like a long dream, you know how doors lead to different chapters and worlds before you realise

oops im revealing things now

 

 

Haha, I think that like dream logic & dream state links into the whole internal space, like maybe they occupy the same place. The atmosphere in a dream is such a personal thing, I feel it's really hard to convey it to someone else, but sometimes you can feel it in different music.

 

Cheers guys btw! This has been great!

[blos]

 

And further back, Bach's cello suites are ridiculously good.

ok, duly noted ta.

I don't know shit about classical but the 1955 Glenn Gould recording of the Goldberg Variations is incredible too. Actually you guys might like the Well Tempered Clavier for its "full workout of every key" mindset.

And if you like the Goldberg Variations there is a pretty straight line from that to Bill Evans Trio "Waltz For Debby" which is like the most restrained jazz ever, the phrasing and micro detail presses some of the same buttons that Ae presses.

All the real-deal classical and jazz people are probably rolling their eyes like I just recommended Miley Cyrus.

[Guest M360]

In addition to what was already mentioned for neo-classical:

 

Michael Finnisy

[youtubehd]0sMVrmnufPo[/youtubehd]

 

Klarenz Barlow

[youtubehd]-y8bcdSXwY8[/youtubehd]

 

Xenakis

[youtubehd]g3qYqmOD-qU[/youtubehd]

 

What are you guys' favorite Xenakis work? I find it fascinating but hard to digest (depending on mood). His percussive works are timeless imo.

Edited November 6, 2013 by M360

[Guest RandySicko]

Any personal influence regarding the fallingwater design on envane or was it just something TDR came up with that you thought looked somewhat fitting?

[Guest extherium]

Rob, Sean, have you guys heard this? Your thoughts on it? When I passed this on to some of my mates, some thought it came off better than the actual album.

 

http://vimeo.com/62752031

 

 

[Guest RandySicko]

Any personal influence regarding the fallingwater design on envane or was it just something TDR came up with that you thought looked somewhat fitting?

 

I couldn't edit the post and hope you guys can answer the edited/related question:

 

About Envane...

 

As best as I can describe, the EP always seemed straightfoward and easier to 'comprehend' with few 'emotional avenues' taking center stage. Not straightfoward as in evoking emotion in simpler, blanket terms such as sadness, regret, beauty, etc... but as if something big was going on in one or both of your lives at the time. I know this can be (and very well is) attributed to my own perception and personality, as I was going through some trying times during the first listens which have given the 4 songs extreme sentimental value ...but I'm wondering if there was more of a deliberate purpose or goal with Envane's track structure/context than with other ae albums.

 

Any insightful comments you can give about Envane in general?

[guidewire]

Would you play at Mutek in Montreal any time soon?

 

Would you guys ever write a book about your process? Morton Subotnick is apparently writing a book... so maybe you have some time to think about it.

 

How do you feel about mentorship and passing on your musical knowledge in more formal ways?

 

Have you read any of Curtis Roads books or listened to his album Point Line Cloud?

[Boxus]

I'm currently working on a patch but can't quite place where I'm going wrong. I think I'm nearly there -

 

 

Gamesmaster - Can you help me please ?

lol!

[Guest extherium]

When your gigs are recorded from someone in the crowd, they usually capture some pretty hilarious crowd comments. Particularly on the Melbourne 2010 recording (which is probably the best quality one out there IMO), there's some hilarious stuff the punters says, particularly:

UGGGH ... I love this! ... [unintelligible] ... It's amazing! It never stops moving! It never stops moving! ... I want to know how! I WANT TO KNOW HOW! I want to know how. ... [unintelligible] ... It's like they're throwing noise at one another! ... Yeah he is! ... It's like a moving visual... like an aural painting! ... [unintelligible yelling] ... It's amazing! ... Muahahahahahaha!

1) Any favourite comments you've heard on crowd recordings of your own gigs?

And some more general questions of interest:

2) Fans of noise music? - Merzbow, Incapacitants, John Weise, etc.

3) Travelling - any favourite destinations?

4) If someone does recognise you out in public, are you okay with them approaching you, chatting, photos, autographs? Seems some musicians can be royal pricks about this, but you guys don't seem like ones who'd get approached all that much.

5) Also, my daugher's teddy bear needs a name. Can you please give him a name?

[Guest synthesizerpatel]

Are the only eurorack modules you're using from Analogue Systems? If so, what features are you looking for in order to expand your eurorack rig or replace current AS modules?

[Guest bias]

Hi there Sean and Rob,

 

Thanks for the this great opportunity and respect for all the music you've given to us!

 

Sean, I was really surprised to read your words. I didn't expect an answer like this.

I am a huge DM fan and love their golden days when Alan and Mart created those

special musical moments...

 

Could you name an album title or two, what you'd pick out of that period between

1983 and 1993?

 

Regards,

Sebastian.

 

PS: I saw you once at Porgy and Bess in Wien, Austria back during the Confield tour,

it was awsome! (with one hour of filthy jazz and then Team Doyobi as warp up, yummy)

 

 

Is there some other artists' song that you wished you had written? Do you guys even listen to mainstream music?

 

i reckon the stuff martin gore and alan wilder did together is basically some of the best songwriting ever

not that i do stuff like that, or want to really, but i love it

 

[Guest]

Ae = brain massage

 

 

 

 

 

Do you think women are under-represented in the world of the idmz?

early on they weren't at all, in the uk you'd see tons of women at club nights we'd play at all the way thru the 90s, all across europe actually

 

but it changed a bit when the art scene started getting in on it, that's when it became less sexy

 

that and americans thinking idm is a thing, labels there selling it as brain music for white males

 

[Food]

 

My last question for today: You guys are not into classical music at all? Whatever era, I'm generalizing. Just curious. Because there's a whole world to offer in that department and you can believe me, the enthusiast classical listeners go crazy/insane/however:emotional while listening to their beloved pieces like other music listeners do. Because many people think its just boring, but its a similar statement like saying Ae is random sounds - utterly wrong.

 

i just dunno anything about it

recc me some

 

 

I am not big on classical, most of it sounds too poncy or dull but fuck if I haven't had a smoke and watched this over twenty or so times. It starts a bit slow (and everyone knows the start) but fuck me.. there is one chord that is.... well... I shouldn't really ruin it.

 

[youtubehd]ATbMw6X3T40[/youtubehd]

 

also the music anim software video is pretty rad in an atari 2600 kind of way - would be pretty ace to see some ae stuck thru this.

[Guest Credo]

 

 

 

Hi there!

 

I am part of a musical collective that have met monthly for five+ years. Each time dinner is shared and each participants musical (well, more or less) contribution is presented and scrutinised according to a 'dogm'.

 

The dogm could be like... Make music for this one minute mov clip or use 1 sec sampled voices only or FM synthesis. Often constraints.

 

My question: since we have passed dogma no 55 we now sometimes have problems finding a new and inspiring dogm.

What would you find to be an interesting dogm to force you out of your comfort zone?

have you tried 'only ceramics' , thats a material I've always liked for many reasons

 

Might have been discussed, but not tried. :) How would you approach it?

 

Sean, you have another idea?

 

 

place a unique event on every 16th note, and nothing else

 

Quite doable! Sounds like P-locks on Elektron.

BTW do you have any fav tricks on the Monomachine?

[Food]

Also as an aside, I would liek to show appreciation for the blyz cstl, 6852, I guess they are pretty overtly old school hip-hop influenced and maybe pushing the boundaries on what is considered a-side ae(?), but recks on surfacing on a proper album is jsut great (although still technically(?) a b-side..?). any comments?

 

Any thoughts on rick rubin's early work? U got a few years on me, and might have been digging into more obscure stuff then but that was my intro to 808 badassery and got me from there to here.

 

ah fuck it.. name my machinedrum plz?

 

Also have you considered yr answer to the favourite cartoons/animation question froma couplea days ago RB?

[kausto]

what sample rate do you use, when synthesizing and mixing?

you were mentioning renoise native reverb in 2008, in article ('easy to be hard' @ remixmag) about gear used in Quaristice, saying that it sounds very 'grey'. do you remember which one of two (Reverb or mpReverb) and in which track off Quaristice? can you give some hints on this?

what do you think about mr. oizo's post-'moustache' output? did you saw his recent films?

thank you!