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Autechre

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Autechre

Autechre are an English electronic music group consisting of Rob Brown (born c. 1971) and Sean Booth (born c. 1973), both natives of Rochdale. The group is one of the most prominent acts signed with Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music artists. Some journalists consider Autechre to be a paragon of IDM and one of the driving forces behind its development,[1] though Booth and Brown are ambivalent in relating their sound to established genres.[2]

History

The two members formed the group in 1987 when they both lived in Rochdale. They began their career making and trading mixtapes between each other, and gradually moved on to their own compositions[3] while collecting a handful of cheap equipment, most notably a Casio SK-1 sampler and a Roland TR606 drum machine.[4] Since then they have employed a wide variety of electronic instruments to create an evolving style.

Booth and Brown pronounce the name Autechre with a Rochdale accent (IPA [ɔˈtɛk.ə] — approximately "awe-teh-ker").[5] However, they have explained that the name can be pronounced in any way one sees fit.[3] Booth explains: "The first two letters were intentional, because there was an 'au' sound in the track, and the rest of the letters were bashed randomly on the keyboard. We had this track title for ages, and we had written it on a cassette, with some graphics. It looked good, and we began using it as our name."[6] They are also commonly referred to by the name "Ae".

Autechre have also recorded under various pseudonyms, possibly as a way of escaping from the attentions of the media and the obsessive Autechre fanbase. One of the duo's earliest recordings was a 12" under the alias "Lego Feet", released in 1991 on Skam Records. The majority of Gescom releases, most of them on Skam, have been attributed to Booth and Brown, among other artists. Autechre helped initiate the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in 2000, and were responsible for curating the 2003 festival.

Music

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Many describe Autechre's music as cold and austere, whereas others perceive a warmth and sentimentality that touches even the most cerebral pieces. Much of Autechre's music has a strong focus on complex rhythm, driving percussion, and meticulous sequencing. Often unusual rhythmic loops repeat and change incrementally, with the music constantly in transition. Sometimes patterns are set against one another, implying several time signatures at once. Later work has been notably experimental and abstract, in contrast to the more club-friendly and conventional early 1990s releases.

Reactions to their music have varied. Many of their tracks contain complex or chaotic rhythms and close harmonies which some hear as random and noisy. Fans of their recent work tend to find the value of their music to lie in its unique fusion of rhythmic and melodic elements, percussive noises being tweaked to sound like they have pitches, and clustered, often inharmonic synthesizer patches implying numerous melodic lines and chord structures simultaneously. A recurring element in Autechre's work is the use of extremely short snippets of sound to create a fragmented, grainy effect.

Methods

File:Autechremax.jpg
A Max/MSP patch written and used by Autechre

True to their early techno roots, Autechre use a wide array of analog synths in their production,[4] as well as analog and digital drum machines, mixers, effects units and samplers. They have also made extensive use of a variety of computer based sequencers, softsynths, and other applications as a means of controlling those synths and processing the synthesized sounds. Autechre have also experimented in depth with development environments such as Max/MSP,[6] SuperCollider[7] and Kyma[6] – amongst others – from 1997 onwards, though it is unclear which are still in use. In 2005, they used the Elektron Machinedrum and Monomachine in their live performances.[8]

Autechre have emphasized that their music-making involves using new techniques on old equipment and old techniques on new equipment, and that their sound comes from combinations of tools and techniques, and "creative routing", more than any single magical machine.[citation needed] This has been the case since their early days, when, for example, they used a Boss delay that had a pitch/trigger input, allowing it to be used as a realtime sampler.[citation needed] When the square wave input it received for determining pitch had resonance added, the pitch would drift between notes in a special way. If the output was mixed back in as a control pitch, it could produce unusual fractal patterns, something that cannot be recreated easily with software, or on an embedded system. Other machines that Autechre have repeatedly mentioned in interviews are appreciated for their interface as much as their sound, including the Roland TR-606 and MC-202, and the Nord Lead.

Autechre sometimes use generative techniques,[6] most notably on Confield and EP7. In response to comments about their unique sound, Autechre argue that given the incredible range of tools available to modern composers, especially in the electronic genres, it is incomprehensible that any band should "sound like" any other band.

Discography

Albums

Tri Repetae was released in the U.S. as Tri Repetae++, adding the Garbage and Anvil Vapre EPs on a bonus second disc. The Japanese edition issued by Sony also included an exclusive bonus track, "Medrey". Also, the title LP5 is a conventional one, as the album bears no title. It is sometimes referred to as Autechre.

EPs

Singles, promos, and remixes

  • 1991: "Cavity Job" (12" vinyl single limited to 1,000 copies)
  • 1994: Basscadet (five remixes – six on vinyl – of "Basscadet" from Incunabula; also known as Basscad)
  • 1996: "We R Are Why" (12" vinyl promo.)
  • 1997: Radio Mix (hour-long DJ remix of own and other artists' tracks)
  • 1999: "Splitrmx12" (12" vinyl promo limited to 3,000 copies)

See also

References

  1. ^ Confield reviews, c. 2001 — Metacritic
  2. ^ Drew Daniel interview, November 2005 — Pitchfork Media
  3. ^ a b Peel Session artist profile
  4. ^ a b "TECHNO-LOGICAL", November 1997 — Sound on Sound
  5. ^ Marc Weidenbaum interview, c. 1997 — Disquiet.com
  6. ^ a b c d "Autechre", April 2004 — Sound on Sound
  7. ^ Alex Reynolds interview, February 2003 — Grooves (excerpted)
  8. ^ "New Machinedrum Percussion Synth", April 2005 — CreateDigitalMusic.com
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