Too often held as cryptic and for initiated only, the
music of Autechre remains largely confined to the boundaries
of the electronic world, yet, Sean Booth and Rob Brown
have gained widespread recognition through their organic
live performances, progressive albums and more experimental
EPs, taking their audience to uncharted territories.
For over ten years, Autechre have explored the root
of sound structure, crushing their influences, from
early hip-hop to electro, into smashing organic records.
Autechre’s first couple of albums were not dissimilar
to that of the rest of the burgeoning electronica movement
of the early nineties, but the pair’s sound progressively
evolved from largely recognisable musical structures
to more abstract and complex formations with their following
releases, reaching the peak of their art with the intensely
organic Chiastic
Slide in 1997, and largely understated Confield
two years ago. Far from remaining locked behind the
doors of their studio, Booth and Brown have always approached
live performances as an extension of their recorded
work. Unlike most of their contemporaries who rely on
pre-recorded sequences triggered from laptops, each
one of Autechre’s largely improvised show is totally
unique. Hiding behind machine racks and usually playing
in near complete darkness, Autechre don’t care
for fame, preferring to leave their music talk for them
instead.
‘Everytime we have an album out, we get conflicting
reports’ noted Rob Brown in a recent interview
with The Wire. Mostly aknowledged by the press as more
accessible and warmer than its predecessor, Draft
7.30 has provoked as much debate as previous releases.
And that’s perhaps the most invigorating thing
about Autechre: each new piece of work has to be approached
with a totally fresh ear. If there are common threads
between recordings, the pair start from scratch every
time, completely obliterating their previous pieces
of work to explore new grounds. Draft 7.30
is no different. If the soundscapes appear almost immediately
more diverse and obvious than the ones developed on
Confield,
the tight rhythmic structures and dense atmospheric
tones seem somewhat sharper and more refined, as if
the sterile grounds of Confield
had suddenly become incredibly fertile. Consolidating
the elliptic array of glitches and statics heard on
Grantz Graft or Cap.IV, Autechre arrange
their sonic particles in ever more complex and intangible
formations. Tracks such as Xylin Room, Tapr
or Theme Of Sudden Roundabout (a rare intelligible
formation of words for Autechre) expose the very nature
of each defined sound especially well. The compositions
are not completely devoid of any musical connections
though. Melodies are discreet, almost imperceptible,
buried under layers of sounds, yet Booth and Brown rely
on them to challenge their mechanical soundscapes. The
waves heard on VL AL 5 for instance appear
almost incidental and isolated but form the core make-up
of the piece, giving it pulse and direction. P.:Ntil
works along similar lines, pushing its ephemeral P-funk
vibe far beyond human recognition. Highly decontextualised,
melodies play nevertheless an important role in the
music of Autechre, conveying part of the emotional body
of their work.
Infallibly, Autechre continue to expand their sonic
realm. After seven albums and numerous EPs, Sean Booth
and Rob Brown still manage to avoid repetition. Contrasting
with the industrial LP5 and the arid Confield,
Draft 7.30 appears luxuriant and playful, demonstrating
once again the endless talent of these precursors.
4.9/5 |
