Autechre
92374
222757227
2008-06-30T23:26:18Z
Exxolon
171533
brit band - brit english
{{Infobox musical artist
| Name = Autechre
| Img = Autechre1.jpg
| Img_capt = Autechre performing at Princeton
| Img_size =
| Background = group_or_band
| Origin = [[Rochdale]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[England]]
| Genre = [[Electronic Music|Electronic]], [[Experimental music|Experimental]], [[Avant-garde music|Avant-garde]], [[Intelligent dance music|IDM]], [[Glitch music|Glitch]], [[Ambient music|Ambient]], [[Industrial music|Industrial]], [[Hip hop music|Hip-hop]], [[Electro (music)|Electro]]
| Years_active = 1987–present
| Label = [[Warp Records|Warp]], [[Skam Records|Skam]], [[Wax Trax Records|Wax Trax!]], [[TVT Records|TVT]]
| Associated_acts = [[Gescom]]
| URL = [http://www.warprecords.com/artists/index.php?artist=ae Autechre at Warp Records]
| Current_members = Sean Booth<br>Rob Brown
| Past_members =
}}
'''Autechre''' are an [[England|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 [[Intelligent Dance Music|IDM]] and one of the driving forces behind its development,<ref name="meta">[http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/autechre/confield ''Confield'' reviews, c. 2001] — ''[[Metacritic]]''</ref> though Booth and Brown are ambivalent in relating their sound to established genres.<ref name="pitchfork">[http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/14673/Interview_Interview_Autechre Drew Daniel interview, November 2005] — ''[[Pitchfork Media]]''</ref>
==History==
Brown and Booth formed the group in 1987 when they both lived in [[Rochdale]]. They began their career making and trading [[mixtape]]s between each other, and gradually moved on to their own [[musical composition|composition]]s<ref name="Peel">[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/a/autechre/ Peel Session artist profile]</ref> while collecting a handful of cheap equipment, most notably a [[Casio SK-1]] [[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]] and a [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] [[Roland TR-606|TR-606]] [[drum machine]].<ref name="SOS97">[http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/nov97/autechre.html "TECHNO-LOGICAL", November 1997] — ''[[Sound on Sound]]''</ref> Since then they have employed a wide variety of [[Electronic musical instrument|electronic instruments]] to create an evolving style.
Booth and Brown pronounce the name ''Autechre'' with a Rochdale accent ({{IPAEng|ɔːˈtɛkɚ}} — approximately "awe-teh-ker").<ref>[http://www.disquiet.com/autechre.html#soundbite Marc Weidenbaum interview, c. 1997] — ''Disquiet.com''</ref> However, they have explained that the name can be pronounced in any way one sees fit.<ref name="Peel" /> 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."<ref name="SOS04">[http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr04/articles/autechre.htm "Autechre", April 2004] — ''Sound on Sound''</ref> They are also commonly referred to by the abbreviation "Ae".
Autechre have also recorded under various pseudonyms. 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)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] [[music festival]] in 2000, and were responsible for curating the 2003 festival.
On two occasions Autechre have streamed webcasts from their website. The first was on 10 April 2005, and lasted a little over 7 and a half hours. The most recent took place on 23 February 2008, and was exactly 12 hours long. Both began at 8pm [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]], and featured an eclectic range of music.
==Music==
{{Sound sample box align left|Samples}}
{{Listen
| filename = Autechre - Slip.ogg
| title = "Slip"
| description = from the 1994 album, ''[[Amber (Autechre album)|Amber]]''
| format = Ogg
}}
{{Listen
| filename = Autechre - Lentic Catachresis.ogg
| title = "Lentic Catachresis"
| description = from the 2001 album, ''[[Confield]]''
| format = Ogg
}}
{{sample box end}}
Many describe Autechre's music as cold and austere, whereas others perceive a warmth and sentimentality that touches even the most cerebral pieces.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} 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 music|experimental]] and [[Abstract music|abstract]], in contrast to the more club-friendly and conventional early 1990s releases.
Reactions to their music have varied. Many of their [[sound recording|tracks]] contain complex or chaotic [[rhythm]]s and close [[Harmony (music)|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 enharmonic 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, [[granular synthesis|grainy]] effect.
<br /><br />
==Methods==
[[Image:Autechremax.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A [[Max (software)|Max/MSP]] patch written and used by Autechre]]
True to their early techno roots, Autechre use a wide array of [[analog synthesizer|analog synths]] in their production,<ref name="SOS97" /> as well as analog and digital [[drum machines]], [[mixing console|mixers]], [[effects unit]]s and [[Sampler (musical instrument)|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 experimented in depth with development environments such as [[Max (software)|Max/MSP]],<ref name="SOS04" /> [[SuperCollider (programming language)|SuperCollider]]<ref name="grooves">[http://www.autechre.info/press/grooves-10.html Alex Reynolds interview, February 2003] — ''[[Grooves]]'' (excerpted)</ref> and [[Kyma (sound design language)|Kyma]]<ref name="SOS04" /> – amongst others – from 1997 onwards, though it is unclear which are still in use. In 2005, they used the [[Elektron]] [http://www.machinedrum.com Machinedrum] and [[Monomachine]] in their live performances.<ref name="cdm">[http://createdigitalmusic.com/2005/04/18/new-machinedrum-percussion-synth-autechre/ "New Machinedrum Percussion Synth", April 2005] — ''CreateDigitalMusic.com''</ref> In 2008, Sean Booth reported that if he were locked in a cell for a year with only one piece of software, he'd "probably take Digital Performer."<ref>[http://forum.watmm.com/index.php?showtopic=30687#soundbite Interview with Sean Booth, Jan 2008] — ''Reverb Magazine''</ref>
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.{{Fact|date=January 2007}} This has been the case since their early days, when, for example, they used a [[BOSS|Boss]] [[delay (audio effect)|delay]] that had a [[pitch (music)|pitch]]/trigger input, allowing it to be used as a [[realtime]] sampler.{{Fact|date=January 2007}} When the [[square wave]] input it received for determining pitch had [[resonance]] added, the pitch would drift between [[note]]s 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]] and aesthetics as much as their sound, including the [[Roland]] [[TR-606]] and [[MC-202]], and the [[Nord Lead]].
Autechre sometimes use [[generative music|generative]] sequences,<ref name="SOS04" /> most notably on ''Confield'' and ''EP7''.
==Discography==
===Albums===
*1993: ''[[Incunabula (album)|Incunabula]]''
*1994: ''[[Amber (Autechre album)|Amber]]'' UK #81
*1995: ''[[Tri Repetae]]'' UK #86
*1997: ''[[Chiastic Slide]]'' UK #130
*1998: ''[[LP5]]'' UK #135
*2001: ''[[Confield]]'' UK #153
*2003: ''[[Draft 7.30]]'' UK #149
*2005: ''[[Untilted]]'' UK #199
*2008: ''[[Quaristice]]'' UK #148
''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===
*1991: ''Lego Feet''
*1994: ''[[Anti EP]]''
*1995: ''[[Garbage (Autechre EP)|Garbage]]'' (combined with ''Anvil Vapre'' for ''[[Tri Repetae]]++'') [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #138
*1995: ''[[Anvil Vapre]]'' (combined with ''Garbage'' for ''Tri Repetae++'') [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #102
*1997: ''[[Envane]]'' [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #94
*1997: ''[[Cichlisuite]]'' (also known as ''Cichli Suite'') [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #127
*1999: ''[[Peel Session (Autechre)|Peel Session]]'' [[UK Albums Chart|UK Budget Albums Chart]] #2
*1999: ''[[EP7]]'' (CD combining vinyl EPs ''EP 7.1'' and ''EP 7.2'')
*2001: ''[[Peel Session 2]]''
*2002: ''[[Gantz Graf]]'' (also released as a [[DVD]]) [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #108
*2003: ''[[æ³o & h³æ]]'' (2xCD Minimax, collaboration with [[Hafler Trio]])
*2005: ''[[æo³ & ³hæ]]'' (2xCD, collaboration with [[Hafler Trio]])
===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'') [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #56
*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)
*2008: "[[Quaristice (Versions)]]" (Limited to 1,000 copies, contains remixes of 11 Quaristice tracks)
*2008: ''[[Digital Exclusive]]'' (3-track EP available only in the Japanese iTunes Store)
*2008: ''[[Quaristice.Quadrange.ep.ae]]'' (digital exclusive 13-track EP bundle)
==See also==
*[[Warp Records]]
*[[Gescom]]
*[[Skam Records]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://membres.lycos.fr/autechre_gescom/index.htm An Autechre visual discography]
* [http://www.warprecords.com/artists/index.php?artist=ae Autechre at Warp Records]
* [http://autechre.watmm.com/ WATMM fan-site] <!-- Currently Offline [http://forum.watmm.com/index.php?showtopic=7661 free downloads of live Autechre and Gescom performances, interviews, and radio appearances] -->
* [http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr04/articles/autechre.htm Autechre interview] with [[Sound on Sound]] (April 2004)
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A3895806 Rob Brown interview] with [[Collective (BBC)|BBC Collective]] (April 2005)
* [http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/article.php?article=879 Sean Booth interview] with [[Cyclic Defrost]] (May 2005)
* [http://www.kultureflash.net/archive/119/priview.html Sean Both interview] with [http://kultureflash.net/ KultureFlash] (April 2005)
* [http://www.barcodezine.com/Autechre%20Interview.htm Rob Brown Interview about Quaristice] with Barcode Magazine (January 2008)
* [http://www.rydia.net/~pyrop/autechre/ ''Words of Autechre''] - title theories
* {{amg|id=11:axfwxqr5ld6e}}
* {{Discogs artist|artist=Autechre}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist|id=410c9baf-5469-44f6-9852-826524b80c61}}
* [http://www.evolver.at/reloaded/CD_Review_Autechre_Quaristice "Pop Songs for Your Synapses": Quaristice-Review]
{{Autechre}}
[[Category:Experimental musical groups]]
[[Category:British electronic music groups]]
[[Category:British techno music groups]]
[[Category:IDM musicians]]
[[Category:English musical groups]]
[[Category:Music from Manchester]]
[[Category:People from Rochdale]]
[[Category:Electronic music duos]]
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