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

[Sean Ae]

Did the collaboration with Venetian Snares inspire you at all? Was it an over the internet thing? Are you into his music?

 

What you do is so unique - I often get the sense that in your music you are making something which has it's own life separated from this reality, that interacts with itself in it's own space, is that deliberate?

 

Some of your tracks (particularly on Exai) make my legs feel kind of epileptic, do you get any of those kinds of reactions?

 

Do you consider your music to have a stoner sensibility?

 

Do you have a sense of trying to make something 'different' or 'other'?

 

yeah i love aaron's stuff. he's one of them - when i hear it i think 'god why isn't all music this good'. we did some jams over the web a while ago, passing .rns files back and forth. they would get really fucked up really quickly it was hilarious. he's really good at renoise, he should wear a special renoise crown or something

he's amazing at relating things to each other

 

well those last 4 questions all relate

something about detail and being in a state where you're able to notice it, or at least not having the blinkers on that usually determine what info is relevant

i like considering things from different angles so sometimes i can get really into a normal thing just by fucking with the way i perceive it

[Bob Dylan]

Have you ever wished trying to compose a piece with anything other than electronic instruments? Say, a choral-only work, or using a classical ensemble, piano, jazz trio, a single string instrument, anything?

[Sean Ae]

I shall revamp my questions:

 

Will we ever see any footage from ATP '03 in a formal way?

 

Do you get tired of people saying your music is weird?

 

Should we as musicians strive to make the world a better, more interesting place to exist in?

 

atp 03 footage? i never heard of such a thing, u got a source?

 

no we know it's weird

 

no just concentrate on making good tracks, the rest will follow

[Franciscus]

1. do you guys make enough money with making music? and if not, what jobs do you have?

 

2. when is the next ep/album/single out?

[Terpentintollwut]

Did you ever see that weirdo short movie of ours with the stuffed baboon that we left you on a DVD after the 2008 Stadtgarten Cologne set?

 

I don't even know why we did it, we probably were in major fanboy mode and were hoping to get the OK to use your music in our films. Just remembered that.

[Sean Ae]

whats the 'chre drinking culture like? what is your opinion on pimms cups?

 

i'm a silver patron person, also like slivovitz and sometimes palinka

 

lately i've been getting into auchentoshan (which is like babby's first single malt, but the lightness reminds me of patron)

[lumpenprol]

 

this whole "questions only" approach ends up feeling a little one-sided, just want to say thanks again for doing this, and also I can confirm Awepittance is indeed a nice chap - we went to your SF Quaristice show together!

 

Question: What is a question you've never been asked in an interview, but always wished you had?

 

can't think of anything i want to be asked

i mean i can write anything here so it really doesn't matter what the questions actually are

 

haha, that should put to rest whether or not you're actually Sean

 

I was just thinking that you must get asked a lot of the same questions repeatedly, which can get a bit annoying, but was wondering if there's some area that you've actually been a bit eager to discuss that nobody ever touched on. I dunno, could be something about the connection between ae and Detroit techno, or wildstyle graffiti, or a particular track, or piece of gear, or approach. Perhaps something that you think is underappreciated or misunderstood about your music, or the genre...maybe too wide a question tho

 

- question: you often hear about tensions within groups, or albums being made during particularly dark or tense times. Are there any albums in your discog that you look back on and think "man things were so effed up back then"?

[Cryptowen]

if a bear wandered into your living room which track would you play to scare it off

[Sean Ae]

re-listening to Amber, i find some stuff in there very cinematic (Silverside), if offered would you guys do a soundtrack for a film (kind of like what plaid are doing)

 

were you ever offered to do a soundtrack?

answered this somewhere already

[zlemflolia]

How did you name (keyosc)

[Ivan Ooze]

what do you think about the aphex twin, i think some of the sounds on confield have influenced his drukqs album IMO
and do you think he will release anything again someday?

 

and my most importan question will you continue making awesome music!!??

[vamos scorcho]

Any recommendations for musicians looking to be "discovered?"

 

In today's world things are different. It seems like something new can be lost. Playing out, knowing people, etc? Somehow posting your music on forums makes you lose credibility, nobody wants you to hand your music directly to them. But the new net labels are often based in rigid trends and fads, or a complete lack of focus or attention paid.

 

For me, finishing an album to professional mastering level is much harder without the knowledge that there is going to be an audience for it once it's done.

[Dale]

are you close with boc and/or aphex in terms of communication and do any of you exchange ideas or comment on each other's work directly? I imagine you probably all just get on with your own thing.but curious to know if any of you come together for a catch up?

[SR4]

who is the most attractive male celebrity out there today? Michael Fassbinder?

[lumpenprol]

- It seems Rob has gone off to grab dinner or something, what's one thing you're now finally free to say behind his back?

[hoggy]

Do you know anywhere in London that plays good music on a Saturday night? (of any sort. it's a selfish question isn't it)

[Terpentintollwut]

What's the story behind the "Second Bad Vilbel" name - have you ever been to Bad Vilbel? I think I know some people who live there.

 

Also, have you ever read Alcofribas' Lego Feet review and how do you feel about it?

[Dale]

what role do you see computers and mainstream technology playing when it comes to music production in the next 10-20 years from now? will they constantly be taking the labour and time away from the production processes and not permit experimentation/flexibility which seem to be inherent in the subjective human approach to music making?

[Sean Ae]

except for exai/L-event what is the best release this year you heard

 

i'm just scrolling thru by date added and tbh it's like 99% old stuff, i do keep buying things but there are so many old things still to be heard

with the occasional splurge of bass tracks and industrial techno

 

i've been caning vladimir ussachevsky lately

and there was a collab between asmus tietchens and moebius that i liked a lot

oh and i only head binray really recently as well but really enjoying his stuff, in a kind of remote 'it was another era' way

[lumpenprol]

- you mentioned going back and listening to your previous output, which surprises me a bit as you always seem to be moving forward a lot with your sound. It makes me want to ask more specific questions about moments in your discography. For example maphive 6.1, it seems to stick out as a pretty unique track with kind of a jazzy feel. Any recollections about that one?

[kieselguhr kid]

what's the last book you read? who are your favourite writers?

[korona15]

any plans to reissue/repress past releases on vinyl in the near future?

[Sean Ae]

Have you ever wished trying to compose a piece with anything other than electronic instruments? Say, a choral-only work, or using a classical ensemble, piano, jazz trio, a single string instrument, anything?

i mean yeah if i could really control it i would

i reckon proper accurate voice simulation is actually a lot closer than people realise, weirdly the uncanny valley is a bit easier to traverse cos of people being used to processed vocals, so it's likely that you could get away with it with no one realising

 

but that's not what you were asking about haha

 

i mean, nah, it's kind of boring for me, unless i went for singing lessons or something

Edited November 2, 2013 by Sean Ae

[funkaholic]

 

except for exai/L-event what is the best release this year you heard

 

with the occasional splurge of bass tracks and industrial techno

 

what new bass and industrial tracks have you been caning?

[Guest Rulohead32]

what do you think about Rihanna?

 

:p