ae live

[j***@virgin.net]

Just got back from seeing Sean/Rob in Nottingham. Absolutely
astonishing! Even worth the gruelling task of killing time in a cold,
rainy windswept Nottingham town centre in the early hours of Sunday
morning, waiting for my first connecting train home.
What have other people made of their shows on the UK tour?
And what do people make of Untilted?

[Thes]

Post by j***@virgin.net
Just got back from seeing Sean/Rob in Nottingham. Absolutely
astonishing! Even worth the gruelling task of killing time in a cold,
rainy windswept Nottingham town centre in the early hours of Sunday
morning, waiting for my first connecting train home.
What have other people made of their shows on the UK tour?
And what do people make of Untilted?

I enjoyed the London live show, although I was a bit crushed and tired
at the time (the place was packed, of course). In hindsight I found it
even better, if you know what I mean. Their ability to produce such
great sounds and a continually changing/warping/evolving (cliches, I
know, but what to say?) beat/noise-scape was almost unbelievable. Truly
some goosebump-inducing moments there as patterns fell down and turned
into something new.

Just bought the new album today and had my first listen, and I must say
I was impressed straight away. I often have to listen a few times
before really appreciating some of their stuff (Confield?) but this one
struck a chord with me first off. I'm sure I'll find more on repeated
listens, as well. I like the resurfacing (as opposed to reappearance)
of some of the very early styles, at least to my ears. The funky groove
which emerges at the end of Augmatic Disport is like some kind of
revelation, slowly forming itself out of the slow coming-together of
various parts. Really quite something.

OK, then, that was my £0.02.

Thes.

[Matthew Kirkcaldie]

Post by Thes
The funky groove
which emerges at the end of Augmatic Disport is like some kind of
revelation, slowly forming itself out of the slow coming-together of
various parts. Really quite something.

That immense, ticking, purring dub at the end? It's wonderful, isn't it?

There are things to love in every track on this album - even The Trees,
which I like least. I reckon Iera's collapsing, warping rhythms at the
end are one of the best things I have ever heard - it's almost a new
form of music, one that says things which are quite different from any
other I've heard (except maybe Steve Reich, but even he doesn't nail it
like this). Makes me smile in amazement and enjoyment every time.

For sheer kinetic thrills it'd have to be Ipacial Section, the beats
blasting around the rhythm, hopping and crunching into each other. Every
bar has some amazing rhythm or sound I could listen to for much longer -
deep grinds, airless dry scratches, lurching disjointed rushes of beats,
electric arc cracks, and tiny, compelling melodies. Then a long,
train-like rush of tone and atmosphere, subsiding into muddy, gurgling
funk and paranoia.

I have to agree, this is an album which is great to listen to straight
away, but reveals even more structure and playfulness and funk the more
you get into it. Brilliant ideas and hooks bubble up, are toyed with
for a few seconds, and tossed aside in the quest for something more.
Haven't played a record this much in probably a decade. Incredible work.

MK.

[j***@virgin.net]

Talking of cliches, I do think that they have stepped in from the cold
a little more (as t'were). I played the first track off Draft 7:30
[can't be bothered going upstairs to get the CD] last night and was
surprised at how dense and busy it was, so maybe I will contradict
myself about LCC similarly...but I DO think the beats etc are a little
more obvious that Draft 7:30 and Confield. I did read somewhere that
someone thought it was a combination of all the ae periods. I am
awaiting delivery of the vinyl and CD of Untilted in the post, but
recorded the album to MD from the warp mini-site on Saturday. Having
listened to it intently on my ways to and from work (no mean feat, when
you are trying to concentrate on all the minutiae of an autechre
album), I would say there is an element of truth to the above
statement. To my ears there is a little of Incunabula and Amber in the
echo/dubby atmosphere of Pro Radii. A number of Untilted tracks
reference the more metallic sounding LP5. And, is it just me, or has
the collaboration with Hafler Trio (and maybe appreciation of Earth and
Sunn etc) given rise to a new emphasis on drones? I know they have
always been there, but they seem much more prevalent on this new album.
All the better for it I say. I feel I can't do talk of the album
justice yet. I'm pretty sure once I get the CD, I will hear bits I
haven't heard before. Heck, I hear something new in Ipacial Section
each time. I have a new favourite part each time I play it. The
broken machine whir of at latter part of ...Section was areal treat
(and another new element of ae).