Autechre digital exclusive ep
Gescom, an umbrella project featuring Booth and Brown, also issued their self-titled debut EP in 1994. Also that year, the duo remixed tracks by Saint Etienne and the Higher Intelligence Agency subsequent years would also bring mixes of a diverse array of acts from Lamb and Stereolab to Scorn and Merzbow. Later in the year, Autechre released their second full-length, Amber, which explored their ambient side more than their previous work. This groundbreaking move changed the way a lot of electronic artists approached composition, and ushered in a new era of experimentation. In 1994, Autechre released the Anti EP as a form of audio protest against that year's Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which sought to prohibit raves, defined as gatherings that played music "wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats." Autechre designed the EP's track "Flutter" so that none of its beats were repetitive.
Incunabula, as well as subsequent Autechre albums, reached a wider audience through stateside licensing through Wax Trax!/TVT. The album's most memorable track, "Basscadet," became the subject of Basscad,EP, released as a CD, EP, or a triple-10" vinyl box set. Incunabula, the first Autechre full-length, was released in late 1993, and became a surprise success, rocketing to the top of the U.K. After sending a tape off to Warp Records, they appeared on the label's seminal Artificial Intelligence compilation in 1992, establishing themselves as innovators of U.K.-based techno fit for home listening rather than clubs. The duo's first official release as Autechre was "Cavity Job," a hardcore techno 12" that also appeared in 1991. First going by the name Lego Feet, they issued a self-titled release of adventurous, playful, experimental electro on the Skam label in 1991. Happening upon some bargain-basement analog gear in questionable circumstances, the pair began experimenting with their own music before they were out of high school. Sean Booth and Rob Brown, both from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, met through a mutual friend, trading junked-up pause-button mixtapes of their favorite singles back and forth.
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The relatively compact SIGN, released in 2020, was a bit closer to their ambient-leaning material, while its companion PLUS was heavier on beats but still highly abstract.
After making a slight return to their more accessible side with 2008's Quaristice, they began releasing some of the most ambitious works of their career starting with 2013's two-hour Exai, and continuing through the eight-hour NTS Sessions in 2018. Their sound gradually became glitchier and less melodic throughout the decade, culminating in 2001's polarizing Confield. After helping to establish the template for what the press would soon dub IDM with their 1993 debut, Incunabula, Autechre continued releasing classic full-lengths such as 1995's Tri Repetae and 1998's LP5, in addition to equally vital EPs including 1994's Anti and 1999's album-length EP7. As demanding as their work can be, they've frequently received praise from critics, and their influence is inescapable - legions of electronic artists have emulated their style, from their inscrutable track titles to their fluid yet metallic sound design. Rooted in vintage American electro as well as ambient and musique concrète, their sound has constantly evolved from melodic, intricately programmed techno to vast, algorithmically generated sprawls that challenge the conventions of rhythm and structure. Autechre have remained one of electronic music's most groundbreaking and influential duos since they began releasing material in the early '90s.