Autechre 13x0 step

[jaderpansen]

alright,

 

of all the amazing tracks that form elseq into what has already become one of my favourite ae-"major records" this is the one i keep obsessing about most constantly so far.

so i hereby declare this to be its tribute thread.

combining technically impressive macro-/microstructuring and execution with a gripping emotional immediacy this is ae coming full circle, eclectic yet unheard of.

characteristic gearing up shenanigans, awakening of colossus, breaking fourth wall via paraphrasation of classic rave riff escalating til collapse unto itself taking track/beast along -> reconfiguration, finally:motion.
from around 2 min inteferences gradually complicate the beat work til it's resembling spazz hop of draft fame (2nd half surripere anyone?), then finally 3:30 things settle down into ... *drum roll* TEH TUNE!

well, what is it about THE TUNE exactly? i can't really put it into words. is it the meditative presentation of various states of decay - ebbing and flowing, the sparse but all the more felicitous tone, the brittle yet epic figure, its somewhat cheerless/greyish but steadfast temper, the deeply personal/intimate yet all-encompassing/vast athmosphere? or just the god damn catchiness? whatever the je ne sais quoi of THE TUNE, it is MINE! this shit is shaking me on a/the level like crazy deep i dun even know. it's got a retro-futuristic vibe fo sho (fucking ANCIENT even) but without the usual snugly bathetic connotations... just perfect.

 

wuv <3

 

your turn.

[ScaldedBorneo]

There's still a lot for me to unpack with this one. I haven't listened to it as much as the other tracks on elseq 1 yet. But it feels like a really unstable song. Like it is trying to be a catchy techno song, but the beats and everything are just broken and tripping over themselves. And I mean this all in a good way. It's a very good sound.

[sweepstakes]

This is the standout for me too... pendulu hv moda was love at first sight but if this one was a woman she would be a Bad Ass Bitch. It's just got swagger for days. A little bit corny but it packs a punch. Too fun to blast in the car, more than anything else on elseq (unless I'm in a more death-metal kind of a mood, in which case, take your pick!)

[Hugh Mughnus]

Doesn't work for me. Not enough cowbell.

[Salvatorin]

I agree wholeheartedly with Jaderpansen. There is some crazy stuff going on in this tune. This is the the tune where the first time listening I realized that Autechre have ascended to the next level of music. <————that sounds ridiculous and fanboyish but my expert diagnosis of their music is that this album marks the point where they have rounded up all of their influences 100% and embarked with no pretension on the journey to make whatever the fuck kind of music they want. one could look back on many of their albums and say the same thing, but I feel this album is where they've coherently fused their dancey, accessible elements with their obtuse, avant-garde tendencies. What you end up with is something akin to miles davis in the 70's. The techniques are mastered, and all the rules can be broken.

 

This tune has a definite structure. Within the first minute and a half all the sonic elements of this track are presented, as if to say: here is our palette. Then the next 7 minutes are the emergent painting done with said palette. Elements are singled out, then recombined, to present an explored canvas of sounds. TBH, autechre is a subjectively understood language that one learns over time. Jesus fuck.

[futureimage]

Love the rave feels.

[misc]

This one is huge. It sounds so vast and i love it when little melody elements come flicking out of the mix leaving these massive reverb tails behind. And that beat that starts coming in at around 4:00! That was so unexpected the first time i listened. It sounds like a live drum set being messed with, so good.

[mushroom]

Love the rave feels.

[leastconcern]

this has to be the most 'complete' and well-balanced track of all in these collections, it stands on its own really well. it feels more neutral, natural and therefore easily replayable than for example the neighbouring pendulu hv moda, which is also a full package, though seems to carry more of a definite image to it. 13x0 step feels more like a 'technical exercise', hard to pin down in terms of some overall emotional image (comparing to a lot of tracks on elseq aptly described as 'epic' around here. the 'intro' part here is 'epic' too, but somehow 'down to earth' as well, if that makes sense), while being quite an enthralling trip nonetheless. the title also seems to set the tone for perception, like "hey, it's just 130 bpm smth-step". and it might just be me, but the very last awkward/awesome seconds/notes of the track seem intentional in underlining the "well, that's just how we do it, that's what we've been interested in exploring here, no big deal" attitude, which i like a lot.

[PlatrixECV]

It's so massive I barely noticed the rave elements that come in at 0:30.

 

That synth is so massive, a deeper version of the glorious part of Clipper.

[Schlitze]

It's a good track but i think it's the weakest out of the 5. The other 4 are immense so i kinda see this as a bit of connective tissue.

[Salvatorin]

I say it again, this track is insane.

[sweepstakes]

This is still the standout for me.

[spptrl alt del]

it's definitely one of the more straightforward tracks, but the complexity and strength of it is impressive. it feels like the one track you could play for non-Autechre heads and they'd potentially be into it.

[Guest]

My favourite track beside Pendulu and Latentcall.

[Sam]

Think the break in momentum after the first minute was the most disappointing moment on the album for me tbh. That rave riff was a total wtf moment, total anticlimax to hear them discard it so quickly.

[Nenlow66]

Think the break in momentum after the first minute was the most disappointing moment on the album for me tbh. That rave riff was a total wtf moment, total anticlimax to hear them discard it so quickly.

I love that opening! Like the rave riff is some nod to the past as the dark, monstrous future approaches after each "break"...it's a cool build.

[Hugh Mughnus]

This is one of the few on the EPs that I really really like, quite nice.

[zaizai]

I love the cheesy ravey vibe on this one.

The trio 13x0 step/pendulu hv moda/curvcaten is a winner !