Autechre - Oversteps (2010)

I really wanted to review something I’d enjoy. A lot of the new music I’ve heard has been unremarkable, and so Autechre feels like an antidote from the mediocrity I’ve been injesting of late. This duo really doesn’t need much of an intro. They’re like the Radiohead of electronic music. Everything they do is praised for its creativity, emotional resonance, and they’ve been consistently good for over a decade. Oversteps sounds somewhat like a soundtrack to the mundane everyday lives most city folk (like me) lead. And that’s really a high compliment because they use their machines to create something that feels very real. It borders on industrial and has elements of other electronic styles here and there, but it maintains an element of gloom that conjures incredibly vivid images without using vocals or samples. It is remarkable what some artists can do, using the same or similar tools as everyone else, but creating something completely unique and interesting. Oversteps is not at all catchy or tuneful, in fact it’s hard to pick out any distinct melodies, but the atmosphere it creates is really very powerful, and makes this album worth anyone’s time.

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