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

[Sean Ae]

Serious question: the L-event EP were outtakes from Exai, or same-level songs that you wanted to release separately? Because, totally in my opinion, I find them a bit not so good to be on Exai. I mean, Exai songs have something L-event songs don't have, I repeat, In my opinion.

 

the tracks are from the same sessions but they got separated out when we compiled exai

basically it was all compiled as a series of 12" records, and l-event was the one that didn't fit, so that became a separate entity

it was originally going to come out before exai but warp flipped the release order

 

having said that we see l-event as interchangeable with any of the 12"s in exai (which we see as a box of four 12"s)

[mcbpete]

What was your memory of this night -

 

 

Warp has changed considerably since it started over 20 years ago - How do you feel about their current roster of artists/direction of the label compared to when you were first signed by them ?

[funkaholic]

 

Thanks a lot for your answer! I'm also interested in how developments in electronic music are shared and become developments rather than personal preference... I was asking about facelessness because in architecture and industrial design there's a lot of talk about humbleness and ego and most of it is just a load of bollocks to be honest, and electronic music while also being a form of design seems to do things in a different way, the community and the way innovations are received seem to be different, and I thought it could be interesting to study different structures of how design is organised.

 

i'm a #1 shit talker anyway so sorry about that

 

By the way, what do you think about Amiga demos, that kind of aesthetic, that kind of product and that kind of community?

 

architects are worse than rockstars

 

i think the main difference is the social element is more readily acknowledged in music circles, but architects (and to an extent designers) position themselves above it or outside it a lot. i think that's why there's been this drive toward functionalism again lately (altho even by framing it as an -ism they still manage to achieve some kind of intellectual superiority)

 

ok so i know nothing about architecture, pls disregard prev paragraph

 

as far as retro computing - well i like it if i see people doing new things with old machines, same as i like new things on new machines

it's more about the actual output for me, if it's too much about the computer itself or about the past i get bored (that's more like a fashion thing really tho)

 

 

I understand where you're coming from in regard to architects and designers (i'm a graphic design and my brother is a architect but we do not try to remove our selves from the politics of our work, that in its self is a political statement anyway.) forgot where i was going with this, anyway, do you like the work of architect peter zumthor or graphic designer karel martens? two people i adore

 

both of you obviously know how to use synths and music programs very well, i find some people dismiss music if it doesn't show a certain level of technical know how which gets on my nerves because early wiley (i think he now has a good technical undestanding) or tracks like more fire crews 'oi' i love as much as autechre tracks. i doubt you do this. this is a statement not a Q, currently filling out a application form for a job, needed a break.

 

edit: complete rambling mess from me...

Edited November 2, 2013 by funkaholic

[Ivan Ooze]

is the sample in deco loc david bowie?

 

(i'm too hi)

[Sean Ae]

What was it like to be making the beatless and more drone-oriented stuff for the Hafler Trio collab?

 

You were saying earlier that you'd have a hard time making more 'academic, rigid' music without beats or flexibility but some would view those recordings as that.

 

Also, are you pleased with the end result? Seeing as, on here at least, quite a few people were a bit wtf over them.

 

I love them btw.

 

 

well we approached it as though we were temporary members of the hafler trio, formally deferential to andrew

if we had put beats over it that would have made it more boring for us

 

working with him on that gave us the opportunity to explore some of his territory without plagiarising him too much (while simultaneously plagiarising him too much)

 

he's a brilliant man

 

inb4 awepittance says something petty

[dr lopez]

For both of you I suppose - What's it like to meet another person who really understands and complements your aesthetic sense? Did the creative potential between you two click immediately? And what is it like to work with said person for over 25 years in a serious productive capacity? Do you both find this easier and more encouraging than simply working alone - quality control but also a dialog back and forth? I'm jealous...

 

Sean, you spoke about architects and their awful egos briefly and I recall you had some architectural training. In what way do you see your music composition as a construction of space? Do you think of yourself as an architect of sorts? The cover of Draft brings to my mind Lebbeus Woods, and even early Cavity Job graffiti style lettering reminds me of 80s-90s Morphosis diagramming. Other electronic musicians have also studied architecture. Kouhei Matsunaga and Jeff Mills spring into my head. Mills especially has an ability in tracks like "Paradise" to create an almost static room of sound. Art historians have tried to connect architecture and music since the ancient greeks; do you think electronic music has brought itself closer in conceptual thought to architecture and space construction than previous musical styles? Is that interesting or important? lol I dunno - it's either you guys or maurizio when I'm at the drafting table - I think of these two art styles as one and the same.

[Sean Ae]

 

 

I mean, Exai songs have something L-event songs don't have, I repeat, In my opinion.

 

Here's a question for you: why would you say something so dumb?

 

Hey mate, I said it was my opinion. More accurate: my feelings.

 

 

yeah don't feel like you can't say negative stuff ITT, i might not respond directly but that's just cos it's hard to answer if you don't agree sometimes

[SR4]

do you or did you have recurring problems with acne? what were those experiences like?

[Claudius t Ansuulim]

Any plans to release another AV DVD?

[Guest unteleportedman]

it's 4:20 here in ny, are you guys blazing atm?

[Sean Ae]

Do you guys ever name your gear?

 

 

p.s. can you please please name my MPC4000 for me?

 

your mpc is now called 'derek'

[SR4]

what is your favorite food?

 

edit: for unteleportman

Edited November 2, 2013 by SR4

[Lesley]

I've always had ideas for music in my head but never tried to make any tracks, what are one or two things I would need to start making tracks?

Even just one thing or program.

 

Btw, loving Exai and L Event ;)

[Ivan Ooze]

is it ok to play home made video's with an autechre track

 

[Sean Ae]

What are your thoughts on Grime? Think you have mentioned liking Terror Danjah before, what other producers and MC's are you into?

well i mean, obvious people, entry level - wiley, preditah, footsie, ruff sqwad, trim, dot rotten, jme, wonder

 

tbh it's not a genre we checked a lot, not being in london etc

where some of the tracks on exai influenced by heavy sub/bass music?

probably

i was listening to tons of hessle and hemlock etc in 2010

 

spellcheck

Edited November 2, 2013 by Sean Ae

[SR4]

are you fans of Law and Order? Do you find SVU to be the superior show?

[Guest unteleportedman]

what is your favorite food?

 

edit: for unteleportman

 

"Pizza Logz" hands down.

 

[lumpenprol]

 

inb4 awepittance says something petty

Man, you know this place too well

 

which makes me wonder...Sean, do you remember answering "Watmm? What's Watmm?" to an interview back in 2008? Guess you've been dipping in a bit since then

[SR4]

have you ever met Gaz and Brian of FSOL? Are they really pompous, or just insane?

[Atop]

 

p.s. can you please please name my MPC4000 for me?

 

your mpc is now called 'derek'

 

 

HAHA!

 

 

inb4 awepittance says something petty

Man, you know this place too well

 

Hear hear!

 

Although I don't think he is petty.

 

Just opinionated like the rest of us.

 

Sean said you post petty things Robbie! How cool is that?

 

 

And if Autechre ever play in Texas again, can I open for you?

[Ivan Ooze]

who's the most retarded celebrity you ever met

[Plarkreluke Banloboh]

Do you consider it a challenge that while you are working on a track, you have to be listening to it a lot? Or do you ever create without listening? Do you have any methods to avoid prematurely tiring your ears of a track and getting into situation where you can't see the forest for the trees? Is it enough to simply step away from the studio and go do something else, or is that the point at which you pull the oblique strategy cards out of your sleeves? Do you ever obliterate tracks to see what will happen (or is this an irrelevant analogy in an organic system of bifurcating iterations)?

[gmanyo]

Are you going to retire these accounts after this thread and go back to being Troon and LUDD, or do you plan on posting occasionally under these aliases?

[lumpenprol]

- Did you read the part in JR's contract where you are obligated to stay online and posting, without sleep, until this thread exceeds the 347-page Exai thread?

[Drix]

This is great and feel much more personal than a Reddit AMA, or something similar. Thanks for doing this!

 

Do you ever feel that you have locked yourself in a musical style, even though you invented this style yourself? I guess your fans expect your music to sound a certain way, so is this ever an issue or do you simply just make whatever you like and that's the music we get?