Autechre - Move of Ten (2010)

Artist/Album: Autechre—Move of Ten
Totally Subjective Number Rating: 7/10
Recommended if you like: glitchy electronica, ambient electronica, dark ambient
Released By: Warp Records
Favorite Tracks: “Etchogon-S,” “rew(1),” “M62,” “Cep puiqMX”

This is the second album by Autechre to come out this year, the other one being a fine release called Oversteps that I talked about a few months ago. The duo uses analog synthesizers and experiment a lot with different sounds ranging from techno to ambient to hip hop. For me, this is not the sort of thing I encounter very often, even within the electronic stuff I listen to with any regularity. What makes Autechre distinct from most electronic music is that these songs are quite complex and tend to have a dark, mysterious quality to it. That darkness, I attribute to their waves of synth noise that just sort of cascade over each track. I think they used this to excellent effect on Oversteps, which really showed off their ambient side. The beats they use aren’t simple as in a lot of dance music. The first track, “Etchogon-S,” begins with a glitchy beat, the timing of which, I just cant quite put my finger on. When they combine synth notes and beats, it’s often hard to focus on one or the other for very long. Often my attention would be diverted from one rhythm to another and back again numerous times within a song. It gives the illusion that there’s a lot going on.

This thing is being billed as an EP, but at 10 tracks and 47 minutes, it is short only by Autechre’s standards. Oversteps was over an hour long. I quite enjoy what these musicians do, especially the ambient aspect of it. It’s unlike most things I’ve listened to, and I know there’s a niche within the IDM community for this sort of music, but it feels very fresh and unique to me. I like their more abrasive tracks best, such as “Cep puiqMX” (most of their song titles are like that), and wish there was a little more of that on the album, but this “EP” is a wonderful example of just how diverse electronic music can be.

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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