IDM Mailing Archive

Hello. Where next for Autechre? As much as I like 'ep7', there are indications that a further continuation or subtle development of this style could quickly become tedious. It's difficult to see where they can go with their own particular brand of digital editing. Of late, their tracks are more about technique than anything else. Funkstorung are steering themselves towards vocals. Their forthcoming album will have a rapper and female vocalist contributing to most of the tracks. Would it benefit Autechre to explore something similar -- perhaps with the aid of Chantal? Or will we suddenly see a complete reversal and have Autechre returning to Incunabula-style melodies? Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up their own arse if they're not careful. -- Mark Stevens http://www.sonance.demon.co.uk/

quoted 1 line Where next for Autechre?

> Where next for Autechre?

a higher level of magnification, probably. music for microprocessor factories, then maybe virus laboratories. soon you won't be able to handle their records without abc protective gear. they can't deviate from the path - doing so would discredit and devalue what they have done so far.

quoted 3 lines Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does

> Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does > highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up > their own arse if they're not careful.

this was obvious from the start. but you've got to admire them for taking the plunge. problem is, if they ever reach a logical conclusion, they'll find that parmegiani was doing the same thing in the mid 80's. also, it's ironic that music which is so single-minded, musically shut off from the outside world, has ended up being the least innovative. pretty, but entirely predictable in the wider aspect. <waves>

quoted 11 lines Funkstorung are steering themselves towards vocals. Their forthcoming

> Funkstorung are steering themselves towards vocals. Their forthcoming > album will have a rapper and female vocalist contributing to most of > the tracks. Would it benefit Autechre to explore something similar -- > perhaps with the aid of Chantal? > > Or will we suddenly see a complete reversal and have Autechre > returning to Incunabula-style melodies? > > Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does > highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up > their own arse if they're not careful.

maybe autechre enjoy what they are doing. i have an idea! write your own stuff in the direction you would like to go. chris. music, four lunchpails: wednesdays 7-8pm kuci 88.9fm www.kuci.org _chicks dig laptops_

From: mark@sonance.demon.co.uk (Mark Stevens) To: idm@hyperreal.org Subject: (idm) Future Autechre? Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 09:29:57 GMT Organization: Sonance Corporation Hello. Where next for Autechre? As much as I like 'ep7', there are indications that a further continuation or subtle development of this style could quickly become tedious. It's difficult to see where they can go with their own particular brand of digital editing. Of late, their tracks are more about technique than anything else. Funkstorung are steering themselves towards vocals. Their forthcoming album will have a rapper and female vocalist contributing to most of the tracks. Would it benefit Autechre to explore something similar -- perhaps with the aid of Chantal? Or will we suddenly see a complete reversal and have Autechre returning to Incunabula-style melodies? Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up their own arse if they're not careful. -- mark, trying to predict the future is as pointless as this posting. relax and enjoy the present while you still can. sean.

On Sun, 13 Jun 1999 16:17:23 +0000, you wrote:

quoted 1 line trying to predict the future is as pointless as this posting.

>trying to predict the future is as pointless as this posting.

That may be so, but that doesn't preclude the fact that trying to predict the future can also be fun. All I'm trying to do is guess when the human element will be completely removed from Autechre's music. It's getting to the stage where you can set up your synths with loads of self-referential, feedback LFOs, tell the computer software how to transform the incoming data, press a button and sit back. -- Mark Stevens http://www.sonance.demon.co.uk/

This is what I was trying to convey but perhaps wasn't as successful.... Nate Mark Stevens wrote:

quoted 26 lines Hello.

> Hello. > > Where next for Autechre? > > As much as I like 'ep7', there are indications that a further > continuation or subtle development of this style could quickly become > tedious. It's difficult to see where they can go with their own > particular brand of digital editing. Of late, their tracks are more > about technique than anything else. > > Funkstorung are steering themselves towards vocals. Their forthcoming > album will have a rapper and female vocalist contributing to most of > the tracks. Would it benefit Autechre to explore something similar -- > perhaps with the aid of Chantal? > > Or will we suddenly see a complete reversal and have Autechre > returning to Incunabula-style melodies? > > Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does > highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up > their own arse if they're not careful. > > -- > Mark Stevens > > http://www.sonance.demon.co.uk/

On 06/14/99 01:28:54 you wrote:

quoted 8 lines On Sun, 13 Jun 1999 16:17:23 +0000, you wrote:

> >On Sun, 13 Jun 1999 16:17:23 +0000, you wrote: > >>trying to predict the future is as pointless as this posting. > >That may be so, but that doesn't preclude the fact that trying to >predict the future can also be fun. All I'm trying to do is guess when >the human element will be completely removed from Autechre's music.

Maybe it already has has been ;) Rob Codec! http://www.mindstorm.com/codec LogiQ http://www.mindstorm.com/logiq

quoted 7 lines trying to predict the future is as pointless as this posting.

> >>trying to predict the future is as pointless as this posting. > > > >That may be so, but that doesn't preclude the fact that trying to > >predict the future can also be fun. All I'm trying to do is guess when > >the human element will be completely removed from Autechre's music. > > Maybe it already has has been ;)

Something interesting: if you ask someone to compose a list of random numbers, they will always create a list with some sort of pattern. Humanity will appear--it just isn't possible for humans to produce things which don't have humanity. I frankly think AE are headed in an exciting direction. LP5 showed very clearly that they were departing from earlier forms, but to me at least it wasn't fully formed--it was pretty hit-and-miss. EP7 shows that they've developed greater facility with their new textures and techniques. It has more warmth than anything they've done since Amber, IMHO. I've been listening to electronic music for decades, and "lack of human element" is almost always the first thing that people damn it with. It's funny to read the same types of criticisms here from folks who should know better. I take it as a sign that Messrs Booth and Brown might well be onto something when the general reaction here is "I don't know what it is, but I don't like it." As for messages from "personal name"--they may be a hoax, or we may have been the recipient of one of the biggest raspberries in the history of the Internet. In either case, I found them pretty damn entertaining. -Ed

quoted 3 lines Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does

> Like I said, I've no specific problem with 'ep7', but it does > highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up > their own arse if they're not careful.

the hypes are so high whenever autechre is said to be releasing something that i doubt they'll really ever have the effect that they used to have unless they go a completely different direction -- & by that i mean one that nobody has been taking yet. vocals would be too obvious a path, methinks. but who knows. i think maybe if people didn't worship them so much, maybe they wouldn't feel the need to pastiche themselves so much. the thing is, putting "lp5" & say, "ischemic folks" next to each other, i have to admit that i find lp5 more endearing & playful (okay, sorry, haven't heard ep7 yet, waiting for 1) money & 2) the nothing release). ischemic folks sound a lot as if the schematic guys were trying reeeeally hard to sound crunchy & abstract, without being very inventive. the nice thing about them is that they're noisier than autechre, but _all_ american idm is noisier (& as a general rule, more obnoxious) than euro idm so it's not surprising. actually, regarding north american idm, i should say i would consider "altered states of america" to be more rewarding. much more varied, at least. but "ischemic folks" isn't a bad disc. just a tad bit deceiving. -- david turgeon at http://www.notype.com

quoted 2 lines highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up

>> highlight a possible danger that Autechre could swiftly disappear up >> their own arse if they're not careful.

danger? i thought this was what people _liked_ about them! eric