AUTECHRE: Oversteps (Warp Records)
By themilkman
Posted on Feb 24th 2010 01:18 am
Filed in Albums | Tags: Autechre, Warp Records
Comments (34)
AUTECHRE
Oversteps
WARP210
Warp Records 2010
14 Tracks. 71mins11secs
Amazon UK: CD | LP US: CD | LP Boomkat: CD | LP
A new Autechre album is always a step into the unknown, so different have each of their records been. Evolving totally outside of any trend or fashion, Sean Booth and Rob Brown have, in the nineteen years since their first EP, Cavity Job, was published, followed a path all of their own and established a language which is tweaked and developed to suit their own evolution. Yet, far from being totally random, their sound is the fruit of a relatively linear evolution, from classic electronica textures to fractured soundscapes and arid rhythmic forms. In 2008, Quaristice denoted a clear step away from the beat-driven structures of the Confield-Draft 7.30-Untilted triptych, where melodies existed mostly in withered state, as once again vibrant musical forms and warm electronic sounds took prominence over rhythms.
With Oversteps, Autechre have accentuated this trend quite drastically, often doing away with beats altogether and relying instead on shimmering soundscapes and intricate melodic patterns to weave a refined series of textured pieces which evoke, at times, some of their early work. Yet, there is here a level of complexity, even in the simpler tracks, which is more indebted to the austere patterns of Confield or Draft 7.30 than to the rich progressive templates of Amber or Tri Repetae. This is characterised by seemingly random sequences of notes which do not instantly exist in coherent melodies but are instead progressively rendered into varied musical expressions. This is something Autechre have always experimented with, in one form or another, but, since Quaristice, it has become pivotal to their work. Bribes of arpeggios and motifs are blasted into tiny particles and processed into granular sound forms which are then constantly re-organised into abstract concentrations. On pieces such as known(1), pt2ph8, see on see, redfall or krYlon, this intense handling results in particularly glistening constructions, at time drifting over smooth surfaces, at others breaking beautiful effusions of metallic sounds. Enhanced perhaps by the complete absence of beats, these pieces feel particularly fluid, spacious and unusually pastoral.
Elsewhere, Autechre coat their dense formations with hints of funk (Treale, O=0, d-sho qub) and techno (r ess, os veix3), at times through surprisingly straightforward drum sections, at others through much less linear forms, wrapping them around elaborate electronic textures and reverbs to create thoroughly upfront and affirmative pieces. The aforementioned Treale for instance, with smooth chords placed over a gritty electronic bass and a fairly withdrawn rhythmic section, radiates with powerful sub-surface pulses, while the splintered textures of r ess, os veix3 or st epreo give Oversteps some of its darkest undertones and occasionally evoke the fragmented outlines of Chiastic Slide.
While the level of complexity of both soundscapes and compositions is as high as ever, Oversteps is ultimately, like many of its predecessors, a deeply emotional and evocative record. With this album, their more accessible in years, though, Sean Booth and Rob Brown bring this particular element of their work much closer to the surface and allow it to remain present throughout. Building from the dynamics of Quaristice but taking this much further, Autechre have created with Oversteps one of their most compelling records to date.
4.9/5
Autechre |Â Autechre (MySpace) | Warp Records
Amazon UK: CD | LP US: CD | LP Boomkat: CD | LP
Filed in Albums | Tags: Autechre, Warp Records
Comments (34)
34 Responses to “AUTECHRE: Oversteps (Warp Records)”
“in one for or another,” did you mean “in one forM or another,”
Ooops… thanks. Corrected now.
Good review. I`ve listened to Oversteps three times and I have to say I`m very impressed, and I think it`s the best thing they`ve done since LP5, a possible masterpiece and perhaps one of their best albums. Time will tell. It`s more ambient, deeper and warmer than the majority of stuff they`ve released since LP5, but it`s also forward looking, weird and complex, in that typical Autechre way. I just find it a very enjoyable, fresh and interesting album.
Oddly, it took me a few listens to realise that there were way less beats than on possibly any other of their releases. I think it is partly due to how they process the melodic bits into rhythmic patterns. They did a bit of that on Quaristice, but it is much more accentuated here. Whether Oversteps is a classic, only time will tell, but it is another fine delivery for sure.
When I first listened to the album I thought “WTF Autechre have lost it”. Known1 almost sounds like a country-wild west tinged track and others just have simple whatever beats. But as with all things Autechre, it’s not music for casual listening, and as I gave it more time, I began to appreciate the subtleties. Then I read your review, the first I had seen, and it gave me a different viewpoint. It pointed out things I hadn’t noticed. I guess that’s why I read your reviews over others. Thanks for the post.
I bought the 24 bit files in lieu of receiving a CD, and have been listening to them via the (relatively for me) bizarre method of attaching 10 metres of cable between my computer’s 24 bit audio interface and my amp+speakers in another room! It does sound spectacular.
I dunno how long you had to check out the record but this is a very perceptive review for any relatively short listening period. I feel like Quaristice was 5 mins ago, and also that I only just sorted out in what ways I like it, and had been listening to it more than most other Autechre just prior to Oversteps.
What I’d say broadly about this record versus the last is that – it was a real surprise. Quaristice did not feel surprising to me, with its feet in many camps of Autechre past, but this one feels like it’s got both feet in its own new camp. I don’t think it helped that Quaristice was also available as versions, which were more of the Untilted/Draft kind and which I liked better, not to mention some other arrange EPs. I think by doing that Autechre didn’t really enforce any particular aesthetic. A lot of people (also your own milkman review) really clicked with the Quaristice short tracks idea. I never fully did, and had too much alternate material to play with to be forced to really engage with it.
Andrew, I’ll have to listen to Known1 again and see if I am getting the wild west thing. Quite interesting. It is, again, a strange album start though, with this long silence and very progressive fade in. I always wonder whether I’ve pressed play.
Thank you for the kind words. I am always finding new things when listening to their records, sometimes even years later. Draft 7.30 started to make sense to me in a very different way to what it had for years a few weeks ago, so it’s like rediscovering all over again. And it’s not like I only listened to it a handful of times, I’ve played it fairly regularly over the years. I guess that’s why I’ve loved their work continuously for so long.
Aeriae, I agree with you that Quaristice, in all it’s forms, was a bit overwhelming. It is original album version, it felt transitional, as if they were trying out something new but still wanted to work with the bare structures of previous records. In that way, Oversteps is hugely different, more focused, coherent. I believe that it will, like their previous records, continue to reveal new facets to me with time, so reviewing it after hearing it for about 3 weeks is just a snapshot. I probably could go and edit all my previous reviews with what I’ve found out since.
As a footnote, I’ve recieved the finished version today. The artwork is stunning and that’s only the CD.
EP7 melodies + Quaristice soundscapes – beat-masturbation rubbish of Confield/Draft/Untilted = Autechre aren’t pandering for their elitist, braindance fetishising toss-pot fanboi fanbase any more. They’re writing songs, breaking genres and conventions. This is their most forward-thinking, creative, memorable, emotional, enjoyable, accessible AND experimental album they’ve made since EP7. If not Tri Repetae.
The last ten years of their music now seems like a bad dream, thank goodness
Clearly a member of the ‘It all went downhill after Tri Repetae’ club, Casimir ;)
To me, all the real excitement begins after Tri, and increases. Tri is actually my least favourite Autechre record. The first Autechre I heard was Draft. It’s a mistake to assume that if it’s not making sense to you, it’s the emperor’s new clothes or something for everyone else.
No, no no. LP5 and EP7 are glorious. Draft and Untilted are 90% beat-masturbation with very little melodic content. Don’t assume I’m saying “it sucks because I don’t understand it”, that’s merely a generic fanboy retort. I completely understand that Ae were going for DRUMS FIRST and everything else a distant second on both of those records, and for a lot of people that will work.
Personally I think they both suck monumental chasm-sized ditches of arse, because of that inferior beat-pandering approach that pleases pseudo-intellectual fanboys that think it has to be in 9/15 time to be “intelligent” and it’s below the average listener’s capabilities. That’s the “prog-rock” argument, and it’s pathetic either way.
I’ve always thought Confield, Draft and Untitled to be very dry, unlike their previous records, but it’s something that I’ve enjoyed too, although I don’t tend to naturally go for these albums when I fancy listening to Autechre. They are all three pretty stunning though I think, because, despite them being arid in terms of melody, I still find much emotion in there, which I have never been able to explain. There is something very primal in these three records which I have never really heard anywhere else and that definitely works for me, and works for many people. It’s probably down to what you expect of a record, and we’re probably all different in this.
So far, I’ve enjoyed every single of their periods, often for different reasons. I love the rich sounds of their early sound, the gritty stuff of Tri, Chiastic Slide, the bare atmospheres of the Confield-Draft-Untilted trilogy, and the warmth of the new stuff. I’ll often listen to one or two albums of a certain era for a while, then switch to another couple of albums from another era, depending on my mood.
In the event that people believe that I’m hating on Ae’s albums for the heck of it, I’m truly surprised you can like all of those albums equally (if for differing reasons), TMM. However, I find that Oversteps strikes an absolutely perfect balance between structured song-creation (that I don’t believe we’ve seen from them since EP7), and creative rhythms.
I absolutely defend your opinion of that trilogy, because you at least identify them as being markedly different than their 90s offerings. But if I can find any soul in Oversteps (and I’d say I certainly can, however “machinated” it maybe), it certainly wasn’t present from after EP7.
They may have stepped up the crunch on Untilted and Draft, but I was always sad that – after Ganz Graf – Confield was a surprisingly powerless-feeling record. Utterly at odds with the Japanese bonus track, MCR Quarter. Perhaps if they’d made an album of relentless, primal technoid industrial like that, I’d be happier with the crrrrrunch at least.
I also like broadly all of Autechre’s output and moods. The lone album I never really got to like is Tri Repetae. I love Dael, but find I’m uninterested in the rest of the CD.
I still feel like Draft sounds like the most alien to me, and it was how I started with Autechre. I do associate the group with offering some kind of extremity in certain areas no-one else will give me, and I enjoy Draft and Untilted as the far points of that. But Chiastic Slide is its own kind of extreme of murk and chug, for instance. So are other records in other ways. I don’t really have a set idea of what they must give me. My overriding reaction to Oversteps is that – I’m glad to be surprised by a trajectory change.
Just my stupid opinion.
Well I must say I’m an Ae fan since their Egg appearance on that WARP sampler. I thought after Confield their star was sinking. I’m one of those who admired the early era the same as the very twisted Confield. Loved it. Confield brought us some very complex and lovely stuff like Pen Expers. Pen Expers, this is maybe what I’m expecting of Ae… Melodic synth lines (and to be honest: Easy melodies[1]) overlayed by a lot of complex, destructive and well dosed percussion.
Oversteps brings a lot of beatless music. And I disagree, it’s not that complex. Treale for instance, hey, please compare it with Pen Expers etc…
pt2ph8. Well. Sorry, but to me it’s like some kiddies twiddle knobs in fl studio.
To me, this turns out to be boring.
ilanders, qplay, os veix3 are OK, also d-shub qo. But thats about it. Here’s my “Ae feels alive scale” from the very beginning:
Incunabula until Confield: 10/10
Draft 7.30: 7/10 (nothing new here, simply. Surripere is great though)
Untilted: 5/10 (same)
Quaristice: 1/10. Oh really, no. No ideas, just stuff.
Oversteps: 3/10. Some good tracks.
To be honest, my feelings are, the guys do not really like to make music since Quaristice. Maybe only one of them even did the music?
[1] I went to classical music after I declared IDM to be dead. Pure bliss, a lot to explore, and: simply much more focus on melody. From the classical music point of view, melody in electronica are rather amateurish and simple.
Strangely, in terms of the ‘trilogy’, I love Confield, but I’m much less enthusiastic about Untilted. I’ve never fully understood the polarisation between the periods of Autechre’s work.. to me Confield felt like the product of the period of Chiastic Slide through to EP7. To me this period was the closest to hip-hop they have been, which was the path I took to them (apart from Treale on Oversteps! it could almost be flying lotus). There always seems to be clear progression between works though. Similiarly to Aeriae, I also started listening to Autechre at the start of this decade and working back through their older stuff so this probably has some bearing on the differing opinions.
last decade sorry!
I`m baffled by all the love that Confield gets, It sounds to me like they`d sucked out all the enjoyment and humanity of their music. I discovered Autechre in 94, when Amber came out, and that`s one of my favourite albums, It`s warm, atmospheric, mysterious and enjoyable. I don`t mind experimentation but it has to be enjoyable to listen to, and Confield isn`t, it`s too much hardwork and it doesn`t interest me enough. But the beauty of Autechre is that they move on and don`t stay in one place for long. Quaristice and Oversteps are definately more to my liking.
@Squeller,
i agree to such an extend that i suspect you ‘re probably me.
is it possible that i’m replying to myself?
weird…
Anybody getting the vinyl version? I got the 24bit download, but am trying to decide on the vinyl. Not a vinyl collector at all, but I am a designer, and love nice packaging. Milkman said the CD was really nice. So maybe the vinyl is just as good, but bigger? I imagine if the vinyl got really dirty and filled with dust, we may get some more complex beats that everyone’s lamenting/discussing about ;)
I’m lucky enough to have recieved a finished version on CD, so I am now thinking of changing my original Bleep CD order for the vinyl, for exactly the same reason. I don’t listen to much vinyls, but I would quite like the LP just for the visual aspect.
I am fascinated that all you guys see so many different things in the work of Autechre, and I think it is a testament to how interesting these guys have remained over the years, whether you like or dislike any particular period. Casimir, you said you’re surprised I can like all their albums, although for different reason. I must admit that somehow, I never got into LP5 much. That is followed what is, for me, still, my favourite album of theirs, Chiastic Slide, may be partly to blame, I don’t know. I like LP5 when I listen to it, but it doesn’t quite stick in my mind.
Interestingly, Squeller also mentioned getting into classical music at one point. I don’t listen to much classical music, but I have recently became totally obsessed by Steve Reich, and I am finding the same rushes of emotion in, say, Music For 18 Musicians, Octet or Piano Phase, as I get when I listen to Chiastic Slide, Tri Repetae or Draft 7.30 (amongst others).
I’ve got an order in for the vinyl copy (Andrew – you would have got the 24bit download for free with this, although it was £30.. packaging better be good!). Autechre was born from hip-hop and techno, so to I don’t think it should be compared to classical music in terms of complexity. When you listen to Autechre’s excellent recent mix for Fact Magazine, which is a real roots selection, you have to wonder if they get a bit bemused by all the ‘intellectual’ musings on their work .. Treale is obviously a pretty simple melody but that doesn’t make me any less pleased with it or worry that it wont have the longevity of Confield. I love Pen Expers, but a lot of my favourite, timeless tracks are very simple
Treale “is obviously a pretty simple melody” … don’t compare it to classical then. Compare to jazz. Treale and ilanders are effectively an electro/hip-hop/IDM fusion using jazz form: open with the main riff, mess about with it, deconstruct, reconstruct, then play main riff again and end. Do this for 6 minutes with drums, and it just gets boring. Do this for 6 minutes with endlessly interlocking melodies (which Treale and ilanders have), and it’ll be far, far more fascinating (relatively, I’m no jazz fan but I respect it as a genre).
Yeah I was going to get the vinyl through Bleep but as I live in Los Angeles the shipping cost was almost as much as the record itself. So I think I’m going to order it through Amazon. The cost of the 24 bit DL plus ordering through Amazon, is still cheaper than Bleep. I do want to support Bleep but not when most of it is in shipping costs. I’m currently re-listening to Confield, and it definitely is a high point.
[…] This is weird Mr. White music, but not too weird. This song/album is brand new; Autechre just released their 10th album on February 22nd of this year. Autechre is an IDM group from England. Along the likes of Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, Autechre are pioneers of Intelligent Dance Music.  Let me start out by saying that I have been listening to Autechre for about 10 years, and this album is by far their most accessible. Oversteps is more cohesive and includes more attention to melody than any previous Autechre album. I think a lot of Autechre fans will dislike this album as it isn’t quite as dark and cold as their earlier works. There are no lyrics, only a messy soundscape that Autechre will continuously create, destroy, and rebuild. There are no questions today, I want you to focus on the samples that Autechre uses and the placement in which they are used. Read an album review here. […]
[…] the last date in their European tour, coinciding with the release of their tenth album, Oversteps, Autechre took over the Bocking Street Warehouse in Hackney, north London, and threw a party, […]
I could write lots of things about Autechre. I have listened to them for about 12 years or more, since finding EP7 I think in an import store, it was because I was into Nine Inch Nails and there were a few warp releases that were licensed with Nothing Records in the US… I remember it clearly it was Squarepusher – Big Loada, Plaid – Not for Threes, Autechre EP7, etc and that was my introduction to IDM along with already being a fan of Meat Beat Manifesto. The only thing that I feel I have to mention when it comes to Autechre no matter what album or song is being discussed, is that they always extract new soundscapes from the limitless infinity of sonic possibility – both melodically and rhythmically, in fact Autechre would be great class-room material on musical composition because they showcase what makes the difference between sounds and music and they constantly morph between the two with their sonic creations. When you get really deep into the analysis of audio environments like the ones that Autechre make it is really endless, all the permutations on musical method that can be derived from even one of their tracks. But honestly… the human brain and mind at it’s standard consciousness state cannot possibly fathom or even truly experience the intricate nature of Autechre’s music. I am going to be blunt and basically say that if you think you know anything about Autechre and their sound and why it is so this or so that…. please do me a favor and go drop a few hits of some very strong LSD, then put your Autechre collection on random, put the headphones on, turn the lights off and sit back for 8 hours of pure auditory revelation. I am not saying that you have to take a hallucinogenic drug to percieve all that autechre puts into their music – intentionally or not – but I am saying that if you really want to delve deep into the quantum-relativistic nature of what they are doing with sounds – then altering your state of consciousness to one in which your perception of time and space are dilated and your ability to analyze and observe the intricate details of each nano-second of sound is exponentially accelerated is just about the only way to find sonic heaven. Celestial music – the music you would hear if you smoked a big bong-load of DMT, is infinitely more complex and amazing than the stuff Autechre makes…. but they are a true echo of the mathematical and emotional musical genius of the Creator. So the key point of this post is really to see if anyone else has listened to Autechre while under the influence of a hallucinogenic mind-catalyst, and do you know what I’m talkin’ bout?? Fo’ reeeelzy, you haven’t appreciated some of the more complex psycho-noise-sound elements until you have literally become one with their sound in your entire reality experience and each slice of a granular spot is extended into the furthest reaches of your audio cortex. It’s like lemonade….. a scientist can tell you why it tastes the way it does, a philosopher can tell you to make lemonade when life gives you lemons, and a religionist will say that God made the lemon tree for us to make lemonade, or something like that… and I am telling you all that unless you drink the lemonade with some acid in it, you have never really had anything except some lemon juice with sugar and water added. You can’t listen to the music of Autechre, you have to Smell it, Taste it, Touch it, See it, Know it, Be it, and then Hear it. For most people taking some LSD is an easier way to see what I mean then having to meditate and worship the source of life regularly for years to activate your own pineal DMT. Seriously, I want the most straight-edge non-drug-taking Autechre fan out there to go out and get some acid just to test my theory. LMFAeO!
So many intelligent individuals…
Something you’d never find on a review of any pop music album ;)
Hmm…
What can I say?
A good review of a good record.
Jephix, you and me are on the same page; i feel like i could’ve had a mental blackout and written your post without realizing it.
With you all the way. Drop some acid, and you’ll be astounded at how the music seeps into your brain. It’s apparent enough to me. Listening to Autechre without being on anything, I feel like I could be intoxicated. Listening to Autechre when you actually ARE on something….the most surreal experience you could hope to have. The rhythm sequences just take on a life of their own, and before you know it, they’re dictating to your brain, and vice versa. Autechre fans, don’t miss out on possibly one of the best experiences of your life. Seek, and you shall find.
Adieu.
[…] been barely a matter of a few months since Autechre released Oversteps, an album on which Sean Booth and Rob Brown greatly expended on the melodic aspect of their work, a […]
I must say I’m pleasantly surprised with the prevailing mood of disillusionment after EP7 within this forum. I enjoy exploring their music and really tried to get into Confield et al but it just didn’t do it for me. I thought I was missing something and was really missing the days of the likes of Nil and Corc and Rae. Quaristice I have to say passed me by. I tried but found it too impenetrable and after ten or so tracks had been traversed, I was like “Shit… more of the same” but I really wanted to like it. I really did
But whats this? Oversteps? As a graphic designer the artwork called out to me. It conveys a more natural look as opposed to Quar and the music really feels more organic, more soft and melodic. (by the way I’d really appreciate if someone could point me in the direction of the designer because they really got the sleeve design spot on)
Cosmic echoes? known(1). An entrance. Cheap. But an entrance, yes. I’m in. Quantum fields and mysterious dimensions, infinitely infinite soundscapes expanding? st epero. spinning. redfall. Inspiration. Undiscoverably distant worlds of soulpleasing colour… krYlon. Yuop… Yes. I love it. I’m hooked. Oversteps- ). so good. Confield calls with renewed appeal. so good. the bass. so good. yes, yes.
Yes. This is the Autechre I discovered all those years ago. My guilty little pleasure as an insecure 15 year old. I love it. Yes. Oversteps.
The designer, like for Quaristice, is Ian Anderson, or The Designers Republic, who did, amongst other things, all the early Warp covers, including Autechre’s up to Chiastic Slide and Cicchlisuite. He also designed the Warp logo, and beyond that, is known for his work on the Playstation games series Wipeout. I have been a fan of his work and of his studio for a long time. Unfortunately, tDR folded last year but it’s good to see Ian back working with Autechre’s and Warp. The label’s visual identity hasn’t been as strong in recent years as it was with him. He’s also done the cover of Autechre’s new EP, Move Of Ten, which I’ve just reviewed. The cover is like a more digital version of Oversteps.
Move of Ten eh? I’ll have to check it out.
Oh I know all about Ian Anderson and tDR. BEASTS. I suspected it was him but I can’t find his website (if he has one). There’s just something about it. Also the Oversteps gig posters are immense. Subtle hues of blue and green and almost brown. Fuck me he’s some designer. I love the work he did for Incunabula. His Ae covers are always so unbelievably appropriate (not terribly emotive but it’s the key word for designers). Oh and do you know if he did Amber? Beautiful cover. Just read someone discussing Amber there and I just remembered that i haven’t listened to that in nearly a year… Nil. Still one of my favourites.
Think I’m gonna buy the vinyl just for the packaging.
Oh and just a quick one on the LSD discussed above. I’ve been thinking about doing that for a while but I was afraid I wouldn’t come back. It’s definitely on the list. For now though its Ae and James Joyce. So complementary.
Ae are the James Joyce of music.
Just had a look at Move of Ten artwork. I want it.
Work,
Buy,
Consume,
Die.
[…] Oversteps Warp […]