I. Introduction
II. 90101-5l-l
A. Analysis
B. Conclusion
III. Altibzz
IV. Chenc9
A. Analysis
B. Conclusion
V. Fol3
VI. Notwo
A. Analysis
B. Conclusion
VII. Perlence


xx. Final Note

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I. Introduction |
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Andrew's Guide To Quaristice:

Quaristice: The original, 20-track'd album.
Quaristice (Versions): The disc bundled with the Special Edition, that was itself limited to 1,000 copies.
Quaristice.Quadrange.ep.ae: The bleep-exclusive digital album. Combines all 4 of the digital exclusive EPs.

If you were to load up all the tracks from those three albums inside a program like Winamp, then align them alphabetically, you realize something. Not counting Japanese bonus tracks, there are 44 tracks for Quaristice. Also, the total track time comes to (on mine: 4:50:27) just under five hours. Autechre has mentioned their love for different versions of their favorite singles, not really better or worse than the original, but just the variety and the options. When you come to the conclusion that Quaristice is, in-fact, whatever you as a hardcore AE fan wants it to be (as in, your personal playlist), that's when you realize that this release is something else entirely.

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II. 90101-5l-l |
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Let's start with 90101-5l-l, the first track listed alphabetically in our 44-track'd-combination-Quaristice-playlist. Let's look at how many versions we have of this track.

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A. Analysis |
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Quaristice:
90101-5l-l: The original, one of the shortest, the most varied and in my opinion the best.

Versions:
90101-61-01: A bit more beatless, more chilled out, you can hear the beat from the original, but it's more or less an entirely different track (though all too familiar at the same time).

Quadrange:
90101-51-6: A bit in-between the more relaxing variation found on Versions, and the more "upbeat" original track on Quaristice. To me, this seems like it was for people who love Autechre's style of repetition. Has an Acid and Minimalistic vibe to it.
9013-2: When you really listen to the melody here, this serves as a prelude for the original track ("90101-5l-l"). By itself, it is mildly interesting but nothing special when compared to the tracks listed above. I would like to point out though that it _definitely_ feels like it is connected to all these surrounding variations.
90101-51-19: The longest out of all the "901" variations, and the most repetitive. Yet during all the repetition, you always are hearing something very subtle and new in the background and it rewards you if you are really paying attention (much like a lot of Minimal music). It is also the most similar to prior albums like Confield and Draft 7.30, where the track evolves over time, particularly towards the end.
9010171-121: Using a rather simple loop at first and combining the traditional, complex Autechre fanfare until said fanfare consumes the song entirely, this "version" is completely fucking awesome. The thing is though, is a track that, upon an overall glance, does not have anything to do with "90101-5l-l".

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B. Conclusion |
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The original track on Quaristice is the best out of all the versions, to me anyways. Those seeking the Autechre found on the prior albums (at least Confield through Untilted) should look to "90101-51-6" and particularly "90101-51-19". If you would like to spice up your original Quaristice playlist a bit, you should definitely consider incorporating "9010171-121" somewhere in the mix, and perhaps putting "9013-2" before the original to make it have a bit better flow as an album.

Before I continue onwards, it is obvious that Autechre didn't just go batshit insane on Quaristice with it's releases, they really wanted to give you all the different sides Quaristice could have, so for fans of their immediate prior albums, you'll have tracks that evolve over time. For those who loved Amber and Incunabula, you even saw that little prelude track. For those who love this new direction they took Quaristice, you even have another track just like it ("9010171-121"). Let's move onto our next variation:

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III. Altibzz |
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There were no versions of Altibzz featured on Quadrange, but there was one on "Versions".

Quaristice:
Altibzz: Altibzz was the beautiful, Ambient opening for Quaristice and seems like a direct nod to Autechre's past as they begin to embrace yet another evolution in their output. It feels like an absolutely perfect track, so why _not_ allow us a chance to hear what an alternative could sound like for all those who want more?

Versions:
Altichyre: Similar to the original only in the sense that the melodies sound vaguely similar. This sounds just as relaxing as Altibzz, but with a very sinister feeling to it. I personally feel the original was "better" as an opening, though this could have _easily_ sufficed. The atmosphere feels like not so much a nod to their past as it is walking away from it. (also: the track title itself seems like a different way to pronounce "Aw-tek-er"

Conclusion:
Both are lovely tracks. While the first has this more nostalgic feeling about it that makes it better suited as the opening track, these are easily interchangable.

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IV. Chenc9 |
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Bnc Castl does not actually feature any variations...unless you got the Digital Exclusive EP which has "Blyz Castl", which I have not listened to. If you are interested in this variation, see my "Final Note" below. Anyways, there are two additional versions of "Chenc9", one of Versions and one on Quadrange.

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A. Analysis |
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Quaristice:
Chenc9: For being just shy under 5 minutes, this track changes up quite a bit. The thing I loved most about Quaristice was how it always seemed to incorporate incredibly Ambient music with what appears to be the most experimental Autechre has ever been, and it is no exception here. Seems to feel a bit like video-game music on a hardcore drug of some sort, until the middle or so when you come down from said drug (or whatever it sounds like to you).

Versions:
Chenc9-x: The most direct variation we've encountered so far, this track starts off exactly the same as "Chenc9". To me this track is _very_ cool and definitely could have been directly interchangable with the original, had the rest of the album been tracks that were this length in particular. This version to me starts out energetic (like the original) but eventually feels like music that is losing hope or faith in itself and over a rather long process, starts slowly driting off into a glitchy and distorted death. Very awesome listen in general.

Quadrange:
Chenc9-1dub: Definitely a very strange take on the original, shorter and in general more attention-grabbing. To me the complexity of this particular track is one of the reasons this guide is so damn hard to write: It's hard to describe what feels indescribable! Far more melodic towards the end, but in a rather anxious sounding way. In comparison to the two tracks above, which start out very lively then sorta calm down in the second half, this starts out calm (but crazy) and becomes even calmer upon it's closing.

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B. Conclusion |
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The two versions were very interesting and great listens, and all very different. It is now when you'll realize that either one of these tracks could have been on the original album, and these songs are all equal in terms of their quality and should be interchangable depending on your personal preference. This is what Autechre was trying to do: Somehow make the album customizable. Another thought: The original, bleep-exclusive album had 20-individual track arts, and I imagine that Autechre might have been thinking "Let them pick which album art they feel best represents this album!""

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V. Fol3 |
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Quaristice:
Fol3: This track was always the one track on Quaristice that I didn't really get. Either because it is just Avant-Garde/Noise/Electronic fuckery, or because maybe it just simply isn't very good in comparison due to the utter lack of melody. This basically one of if not the most Avant-Garde-sounding track Autechre ever made. It has a lot of detailed things which are happening amongst what seems like a vaccum sucking in a paper being folded or something of the sort, but it might not matter if you are not liking the initial premise.

Versions:
Fol4: You know what's cool about this track, is if you are playing "Fol3" and then have your next track be "Fol4", they transition perfectly (as if they were always supposed to be played togther). This is significant for a few reasons, because after listening to Fol4 you realize that Fol3 was simply an introduction/build-up to this track which unfolds quite amazingly. You realize that this is a track that needs a bit of time before you completely can wrap your head around the genius of the track.

Conclusion:
"Fol4" is the superior track, I believe, between the two "Fol#" tracks, but frankly and if anything, they are meant to be heard together. The track itself (Fol4) is just what would have happened if you continued to evolve "Fol3", and honestly what this proves to me is that Quaristice was not meant to be listened to as a conventional album, but as your own customized playlist.

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VI. IO |
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Despite "FwzE" being a great little track, it has no variations on either Versions or Quadrange. "IO", does, however. One variation, which appears on Versions.

Quaristice:
IO: "IO" was quite the entertaining track. Featuring vocals and what might just be lyrics distorted beyond all recognizability before breaking down into absolute insanity mid-way through, it was definitely one of the more memorable songs from Quaristice, particularly because it came in the beginning. Simply because the track does contain lyrics, it is interesting to think what a different version might sound like.

Versions:
IO (Mons): This track is honestly rather disappointing in terms of expecting it to evolve into something mind-blowing like so many other, longer Autechre songs. The first half is more or less the exact same track as "IO", and the later half the only thing that really feels like it is changing are the distorted vocals becoming harder and harder to even tell what they are. That's pretty cool, I guess, but for the majority of the second half it seems to be repeating the same few instrumentals, perhaps to shift your focus on the changing vocals?

Conclusion: After listening to "IO (Mons", you realize that "IO" is perfect as it is. You also begin to realize how complex and well-made the entire Quaristice selection can be, through comparison.

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VI. Notwo |
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Notwo is the 19th track on the original album, and the second track which re-visits Autechre at their early stages, as it has a more Ambient appeal about it.

Quaristice:
Notwo: Notwo is an incredibly sinister sounding Ambient track which once again reminds you of albums like Amber...say wait a minute...what else was sinister sounding that we heard already? That's right, the variation on Altibzz, "Altichyre". Hmmm...perhaps those two tracks are designed to be heard together? Regardless, the track seemingly contradicts itself, because it feels incredibly uneasy and anxious, but at the same time you'll find yourself incredibly relaxed as it plays.

Versions:
Nofour: "Lustmord" is the first thing that pops into my head as this track plays. Tracks like Notwo, Altibzz, Nofour and Altichyre make me wonder what a full-blown Ambient album would be like from the new Autechre. This is an incredibly jarring Ambient track (even though there is not much happening, that is kinda the point), but originally this track's purpose was to be the closing for the actual "Versions", disc. The ending bits of the track consist of a gap of silence and what seems to be something similar to static, so as a full track to be put into a playlist, it will not work very well.

Quadrange:
Notwotwo: Is Autechre confused on what to name their track? "No two!" "Wait, No Four!" "Wait, No Two, TWO!" Anyways, while "Nofour" is a completely different track from Notwo (though it's still Ambient/dark-sounding), Notwotwo is a direct extension of the original "Notwo", in fact around 5:25 there is a period of silence (very close to the original track length) and the track continues into something else entirely. Keeping the original melody of "Notwo", it adds in what sounds like layers of additional audio to answer the question "I wonder what "Notwo" would've sounded like had it continued?"

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B. Conclusion |
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"Notwo" is perfect the way it is, really, but for those looking for an extension and further Ambient bliss, do not delay on checking out "Notwotwo". "Nofour" is rather amazing in it's first half, but due to the fact that it was a track for the end of Quaristice (Versions), it does not work in the manner of a track for a playlist.

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VII. Perlence |
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There are no versions of "Outh9X" or "Paralel Suns", though there are seven versions of one of the coolest tracks on Quaristice, one stretching to nearly an hour.

Quaristice:
Perlence: As I said, I always considered Perlence to be one of the coolest tracks on Quaristice and the way it seems to be build up only to go into an audio-like seizure just blows my mind every time (that was the best description I could make for it). Autechre obviously loved this track as well, and took it quite a few ways. Let's look at them, shall we?



Final note:
There was also a Digital Exclusive EP released on the Japanese iTunes store in 128kbp/s, though being that most people do not prefer digital music below 192kbp/s, we are going to ignore this release (one of the biggest reasons hardcore music fans don't take iTunes seriously). It was three tracks, the tracks being:
Tracklisting:
1 IO (mons) (7:40)
2 90101-51-4 (7:40)
3 Blyz Castl (5:36)

If you are curious enough, I'm sure it's on P2P somewhere.