So as Im still stuck on one of the 5 Autechre eps from the boxset (I believe its Chaslide Slide and EP7) I came to realize how do you listen to it. Even though it sounds good, is it more for background music or music to analyze the melodies and ryhthm.

And dont get me started on some of the Venetian Snares and Aphex Twin that includes Drill and Bass. At least with AE, your getting some sort of a feeling that has some "soul" to it.

signature pose.

Why am I an idiot. Some of it is not that simple to listen to and I was wondering how do some people connect with it. Be nice!

signature pose.

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I understand that. How do you connect with the music though? Im just trying to see how other people enjoy it.

signature pose.

>I understand that. How do you connect with the music though?
> Im just trying to see how other people enjoy it.

Folks seem agitated with you and I don't know why lol?
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I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!

Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno

Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)

>Folks seem agitated with you and I don't know why lol?

because it's like expecting the headnod in rock or jazz or country

the reasons i connect by example are much different than how howisya connects. and fuck GhettoBlack. If you're not connecting that's okay.

I listen to the various artists in all different kinds of scenarios just like most music. But I don't go to IDM for headnodding.
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Mo'Nium - http://monium.tumblr.com/

RIP Nick Ashford - http://bit.ly/rfgMKh

That's what I assumed he was going for initially (i.e. what do you latch on to?).

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I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!

Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno

Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)

I will have it on when I'm studying or want to relax, chill or nap. Knowing this, I'm not really a fan of Autechre, Aphex, Tim Hecker and the like. Not to say that they're bad, but they're just not my thing and I find them too formulaic. An artist off the top of my head that I would consider closest to IDM and I would personally listen to is Pantha Du Prince. But I definitely don't go in for the head-nod factor. In saying that, I don't know if people consider guys such as Nosaj Thing IDM but I'll head-nod to his stuff, especially songs like Light 2.

Thats not necessarily true. Some of AE's songs totally have that vibe. Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zix0nqrRrJ4

signature pose.

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Mo'Nium - http://monium.tumblr.com/

RIP Nick Ashford - http://bit.ly/rfgMKh

Since imcvspl and howisya are 2 of the posters on OKP that really follow and enjoy the genre, can you please both in precise detail explain how you both relate/connect/enjoy this music. Im very intrigued to know

signature pose.

>Since imcvspl and howisya are 2 of the posters on OKP that
>really follow and enjoy the genre, can you please both in
>precise detail explain how you both relate/connect/enjoy this
>music. Im very intrigued to know

i agree w/ "I listen to the various artists in all different kinds of scenarios just like most music. But I don't go to IDM for headnodding." i've been listening since middle school so it's second nature to me. it's not necessarily background music nor something to study. i like the sounds, melodies, and rhythms. i don't listen to it as a surrogate for or extension of hip-hop so i don't bring those hangups to it. "IDM" is a vast psuedogenre, and if you like Ae then there is plenty of other music like theirs to enjoy even if you don't like VSNARES of aphex. maybe in time you'll appreciate them, too. i guess my only advice is to keep listening. check out what other artists and releases fans consider great works and see if they do anything for you. they might not, and that's ok.

Thank you for that. I actually like it and at first I was mostly into the melodic/accessible stuff. But the more challenging/glitchy stuff is good too and it rewards repeat listening. So I guess you really gotta dig with your ears until you find that melody that they are trying to capture. After listening to this genre, it really has fucked up my ears on how I see and listen to other forms of music. For some reason, everything else sounds lifeless and boring (in a way).

signature pose.

When you see those Listening Room posts on the first page of the Lesson drop by. Listen along. Up stuff. Discuss. It's fun and provides a musical reference for further discussion.
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RIP Nick Ashford - http://bit.ly/rfgMKh

Yes sir

signature pose.

ecstasy

Reads like you're trying to force yourself to get into the genre/music. You shouldn't have to ask how to enjoy it. Either you do or don't. If you don't then stop listening and a few months later revisit the music, any maybe you'll get it by then.

That's my method at least^

I like IDM, or whateverthefuckyouwannacallit, btw and had to use that method above for Aphex Twin.

Balam ACAB - wander / wonder

Tycho ....2 differnt lps..both are awesome chill but with a bit going on technically .

beats beats beats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FMdoyVSDMY

(afropunk discussed in detail in that video)

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=2735106&mesg_id=2735106&page=

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"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician." © Miles Davis

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

i had similar experience. i only checked out 2 albums. there were some good moments that got me going for a minute but for the most part it was hard to become engrossed in. i get restless easily with certain kinds of music. i like chill out music but not that quite minimal-listic sounding.

I see the OP's point, there's a big diff between some of the tracks that genuinely got play in a club as opposed to the albums that get used as background house cleaning music...but they all got the same IDM tag.

>So as Im still stuck on one of the 5 Autechre eps from the
>boxset (I believe its Chaslide Slide and EP7) I came to
>realize how do you listen to it. Even though it sounds good,
>is it more for background music or music to analyze the
>melodies and ryhthm.
>
>And dont get me started on some of the Venetian Snares and
>Aphex Twin that includes Drill and Bass. At least with AE,
>your getting some sort of a feeling that has some "soul" to
>it.

Interestingly enough, have been going back and starting to listen to autechre with more seriousness, pursuing a more chronological approach and will probably fill in EPs later (except where they are readily available, as w/ TVT version of tri-repetae. Previous exposure is more limited to individual songs and mixes, and had never felt compelled - but knowing how strongly some appear to feel about them (e.g. howisya, random anonymous internet reviews) I thought it appropriate to go back and delve into their catalogue.

I've only made it to tri-repetae so far. Regarding the first two (incublabla and amber), I felt somewhat like I do about a lot of the early Warp that I am familiar with (polygon window, b12, etc), that in this early period there is sometimes more of a 'Warp' sound with individual takes on that sound rather than strong individual statements. I don't mean that it was conceptually designed this way, more that many of those artists are perhaps too nascent and closer to their mutual influences/scenes than fully developed as individual artists. Tri-repetae and the accompanying EPs start to feel more unique/in-control, which seems comparable in my memory of time where, say, RDJ starts to become a more unique force.

I like that there is a harder edge to some of the autechre stuff, which is an appropriate direction to take that sound, and maybe not explored enough, and it is not particularly unique to electronic music that a more casual audience would reject a more rhythmic music versus something with harmonic/melodic intimations. Even with RDJ, there are multiple sides to his stuff and "flim" is often celebrated where "bucephalus bouncing ball" is not, which is unfortunate because the latter is equally enjoyable.

At any rate, I look forward to chiastic slide as 'literature' suggests this is a breaking point for a lot of listeners.

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http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

there is a reason why those albums remind you of each other, and they actually were thematic/conceptual to some extent:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_%28series%29

do make sure you check out the lego feet reissue from this year (technically late 2011). that was autechre's first release before they were autechre, and it really puts everything into perspective and i think would appeal to you. the first autechre single, "cavity job," is also illuminating.

>there is a reason why those albums remind you of each other,
>and they actually were thematic/conceptual to some extent:
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_%28series%29
>
>do make sure you check out the lego feet reissue from this
>year (technically late 2011). that was autechre's first
>release before they were autechre, and it really puts
>everything into perspective and i think would appeal to you.
>the first autechre single, "cavity job," is also
>illuminating.


That didn't even occur to me in writing that even though I'm aware of the 'Artificial Intelligence' series -and so indeed this could be the over-arching thing that I was sensing. Do you know, though, whether in designing this project if there was some kind of directive given to the various artists in designing their respective music? For some reason I had always figured it a marketing device rather than an actual musical guideline. (edit: as in, some of their music may have already been going in this 'listening direction' anyways)

Thank you for the lego feet comment; I think I had seen you mention it somewhere in skimming but maybe I didn't know it was them. This is more how I like to explore an artist in general, chronologically, feel their development even if I'm not always good at articulating it.

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http://soundcloud.com/ajiav
http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

>That didn't even occur to me in writing that even though I'm
>aware of the 'Artificial Intelligence' series -and so indeed
>this could be the over-arching thing that I was sensing. Do
>you know, though, whether in designing this project if there
>was some kind of directive given to the various artists in
>designing their respective music? For some reason I had
>always figured it a marketing device rather than an actual
>musical guideline.

i don't know for certain if it was a directive from warp to create a certain kind of music, although i would assume so. those artists had different sounding music released previously, sometimes under different names and on other labels, but i also think they were all carving out a post-rave/non-new age chillout sound in their own way at the same time. i do think they came into their own after those albums, but it's also not their starting points even in the cases of first official albums.


>Thank you for the lego feet comment; I think I had seen you
>mention it somewhere in skimming but maybe I didn't know it
>was them. This is more how I like to explore an artist in
>general, chronologically, feel their development even if I'm
>not always good at articulating it.

lego feet was a rare release until this year, and now there is twice as much material (a lengthy album worth) from that era.

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"I ain't no entertainer, and ain't trying to be one. I am one thing, a musician." © Miles Davis

"When the music stops he falls back in the abyss."

lemme go listen again so I can speak in better terms than vagaries (or at least less-vague vagaries). Having been listening chronologically, I've been trying to sit with 'em before moving to the next one and so this is the one I've heard the least but initial impressions I was feelin' it more, ya dig?

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http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

kinda flipping through tracks for some more specific comments.

In general, getting more dexterous at what it may be that 'they do.'

Broadly, the compositions are typical in terms of electronic music, 'adding' and 'removing' of sequenced patterns, which is the long-form or macro focus (using 'macro' and 'micro' as terms of convenience with regards to individual systems). That there is a focus on micro-elements and smaller, individual rhythmic cells is a lot of what, to me, makes this album interesting and unique. Layering of rhythm patterns within these smaller cells so that what seems to start out simple becomes increasingly dense, and then, not content to simply add or remove, tiny variations are made within individual patterns, some of which may only occur once and lending (along with the layers) to a sense of increased subtlety.

Harmonic elements are more for textural purposes than actual harmony, and are subservient to the rhythmic cells - either contrast against them in broad strokes (portamento bass in "clipper") or are decayed quickly enough and sequenced tightly enough that they become another layer of rhythmic interplay. They don't seem to lean towards sine waves or sawtooths as much as somewhere in the middle, triangles, almost as further indication of how the rhythm and the harmony meets in the middle.

On previous albums I feel intimations of some of these ideas, but maybe not as mastered or as fully expressed. I don't think I sum them up entirely and there's a risk of simplification, but trying to quantify something of why it feels 'better' to me than the previous albums and a little more unique.

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http://soundcloud.com/ajiav
http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

and so the greater dexterity is being able to balance these different elements, making the intense focus on the smaller scale gel with a longer piece that still has build-ups, etc., and a larger 'flow'. a good 'vibe.' and so on. celebrating repetition and variation in a more extreme way.

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http://soundcloud.com/ajiav
http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

The discussion and Payam inspire me to go ahead and order chiastic slide.

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http://soundcloud.com/ajiav
http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

oh yeah, yeah, that too.... *off to amazon or some other fine retailer* (ty for reminder)

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Games without front ears / born without ears

Listening to it first time at work. Best thing I've heard from them (still going chronologically) and the most 'masterful' - it's impressive the progress that has taken place w/in four albums.

Indicative of the same thing you expect from a musician as they become more skilled, increasingly subtle and decreasingly stiff, to the point I'm surprised at so many reviews describing autechre and this release in particular with words like 'abstract' 'repetitive' or 'machines,' as this feels very organic in its constant shifting - I realize that it is indeed the textures (rather than the compositions) that people are responding to when they are turned off, further illustration to me of how much music appreciation is a matter of conditioning.

Deft in altering things without drawing attention through abrupt changes, they aren't just adding and removing things so much as varying what's there, and again everything more subtly. If not paying close attention it's hard to notice where the changes are occurring, giving a broader sense of track evolution. Even a track like "Recury" that is built around a repetitive core rhythm is very successful in off-setting the repetition via the tide of other sounds/textures; it's an easily appreciable idea when heard but comes across enjoyable --- in this track the difficulty of making repetition accessible is pulled off. "Pule" is a good example of using pitched sound rhythmically and texturally rather than harmonically, similarly complex and subtle. (edit: I'm not highlighting these as the most representative or 'best' tracks, rather because they stand out for using different ideas or application)

Wiki article says something about it not being seen contemporaneously by critics as a step forward following tri repetae. It's hard for me not to see it as progression, but I have the luxury of hindsight and a more experienced ear; who knows if I would have felt similarly then.

I have lego feet as well but haven't heard it yet, don't want to over-saturate.

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http://soundcloud.com/ajiav
http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

Im glad you enjoyed it, Justin. Yes, go slow with each release because you will find something new will every listen. You are really in for a treat as you go down their discography.

signature pose.

thanks! - also, i was thinking they may not quite be 'headnod' like you say, but I don't think they are entirely un-funky, either... not the kind of thing I can quantify, though

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http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

i'm with you, especially with those mid to late '90s releases, they definitely were using some interesting beats and grooves... not just from a hip-hop perspective either, but just in and of themselves

I was kind of lost when I first got into the genre, thats why I was a little confused on the music and made the remark/post about not having the headnod rhythm to the music. But now that I understand who they are and what theyre about, Ive grown to like them differently and appreciate the aestethic that they bring compared to other electronic artists.

Side story: Just got back from the music store and was discussing Chiastic Slide with the guy working in the Electronic section. He said he read an interview of AE a while back and they were talking about how the influence of taking mushrooms was the reason they chaged their sound with the CS album. He said it was mushroom season and they started experimenting with it and the music so it came out more "complex" and "abstract" sounding compared to their previous releases, Tri-p and Amber.

signature pose.

"Did a lot of mushrooms that year (laughs). It might have something to do with that, maybe. No idea, really, couldn't say. We had a lot going on in our heads; yeah, a lot of realizations took place, you know, so. But that kind of happens a lot, you know, I think the less sort of methodical and contrived you are the more that happens."

>"Pule" is a good
>example of using pitched sound rhythmically and texturally
>rather than harmonically, similarly complex and subtle.

*insert "trap" joke/link*

>*insert "trap" joke/link*

I'm staying far away from that subject....

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http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

it's one of the tenets of the new "trap" sound they harp on not being found in various other music, thus making it something new, despite it having been done in hip-hop and IDM since the '90s as you just pointed out

SSSSSHHHH... if you get them agitated, they'll start attacking me about urban dictionaries and not knowing what trap REALLY MEANS.

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http://soundcloud.com/ajiav
http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

i've bought LP5 but haven't listened yet --- occasionally other IDM stuff from circa the same time that I never heard, e.g. early black dog, but I try to keep one foot in "historical" electronic music anyways. otherwise, getting ready to switch to computers for recording purposes but not going to have much time for it until summer.

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http://www.last.fm/user/ajiav

Games without front ears / born without ears

So funny you upped this post because I was looking at it last night thinking that ive come a long way the past few years. But I would have to argue with you when you said there is no headnot factor in Jazz, rock, or country music. To some degree, there is some sort of consistent rhythm.

signature pose.

>So funny you upped this post because I was looking at it last
>night thinking that ive come a long way the past few years.

ehh


>But I would have to argue with you when you said there is no
>headnot factor in Jazz, rock, or country music. To some
>degree, there is some sort of consistent rhythm.

snot what i said son!