Customer Reviews

Envane

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Autechre have put out a number of EPs over the years, and honestly they've all been great. They've often been previews of changes in the Autechre sound to come (take, for example, "Grantz Graf," "Cichli Suite," or "Anti"). And they've been a nice offering to hard-core fans endlessly chomping at the bit for the prolific duo's next album. And though they're obviously much shorter than the albums, they almost always comprise some of Ae's best material. "Envane" is one of the cooler Autechre EPs, and at least is a vital Ae recording. Its also kind of an unusual Ae recording.

The first track, "Goz Quarter" starts out with a beat that sounds like a sprinkler head (almost identical to the sound at the beginning of "Cichli Suite"). This sound soon drops out of the mix, as the music thoroughly evolves so that by the end of the track there are no remaining elements from the track's beginning. Low keyboards and lush synthesized strings carry a generally simple melody over the industrial blips, clicks, and "electric cricket" chirps familiar to Ae fans. A truly odd twist is the highly atypical addition of actual turntable scratching(!), as well as some hip-hop vocal snippets (which we don't hear again from Ae until EP7, if I'm not mistaken).

Next is "Latent Quarter," which could fit nicely next to material from "Chiastic Slide." Over a static-obscured mess of beats ("dirty beats," one reviewer called them), a nebulous but lilting keyboard melody holds court here. I suppose its a fairly typical Ae track, which is to say its excellent.

"Laughing Quarter" is a major step and an outstanding track of the same level of quality as classics like "Cipater" from "Chiastic Slide." Both this track and "Envane"'s fourth track seem to me to be very early previews of "LP5" even. Dense, multi-layered beats with interesting things happening on every level of sound - perfect headphone music. This track doesn't pursue a melody or pattern so much as just push the listener forward all the way to the end of the track. Listening to tracks like "Laughing Quarter," I'm shocked that no one has put Ae to use in a film score.

Finally, "Draun Quarter" pairs a fairly cheery beat with some truly somber, melancholy, and outright dour synths. This is one of Ae's better "down" numbers, and another essential Ae track. Again, this sounds to me like a hint at the Ae sound that would dominate from about 1998-2000.

This is a fabulous Autechre collection. It works as a whole cohesive album (though a short one), rather than a collection of disparate works-in-progress. Do note that the EPs regularly fall out of print, so grab `em while you can. But if you've already missed out, fear not. Warp re-presses each of them every year or so it seems.

This is likely my favourite Autechre release. Contrary to Amazon's track listing it is four tracks long:

1. Goz Quarter 2. Latent Quarter 3. Laughing Quarter 4. Draun Quarter

"Goz Quarter" is very interesting. It contains some recording scratching, actually which really adds to the skewed hip-hop style of the track.

The second piece is quite obscure sounding, full of really dirty samples and weird dusty beats.

"Laughing Quarter" is mildy reminscent of some of Richard D. James' work. It's fairly lively for an Autechre track and it's quite aggressive.

"Draun Quarter" has a pleasant melody a top quite repetitive rhythms.

This is one of Autechre's strongest releases. It ties with "EP7" which is a great "album" (it claims to be an EP). Though "Envane" was pretty experimental at the time, "EP7" is further withdrawn from mainstream techno. In fact, Autechre is beyond "IDM" in my opinion. They are on the same plateau as a lot of classical electro-acoustic musicians/ composers. They come from a far less academic perspective, which gives them an interesting and unique sound.

With _Envane_ Ae have released likely their most direct and gripping tunes ever. It's a perfect mesh of the wierdness they've been exploring lately with their latest full lengths and the emotional bonds they created with their previous albums. The opener, Goz Quarter is a serene, plesantly stoned hip-hop eipc that seems to take place inside an ant hill, with warm wikka-wikka scratching throughout that envelops you like a favorite blanket. On the tail end of the disc, Draun Quarter manages to invoke images of giddy kids playing with jacks and grotesque battlefields littered with bodies at the same time. Ten minutes of the most comforting pensiveness you're likely to experience. Autechre prove yet again that they can rattle the listener's mind like no one else...but we already knew that, didn't we?

This CD is proof Autechre isnt one of those bands that puts out its throwaway tracks on EPs before releasing the full-length. Probably Autechre's most consistent release ever - all 4 tracks could have been standouts on a full-length - Envane has an even balance between complex beat experiments and beautiful ambient pieces. The cover art is similar to that on "Chiastic Slide" but the music is closer to "Tri Repetae"-era AE.

A generous helping of Autechre's unique sounds, with (1) Goz Quarter a scratchy, trippy number; (2) Latent Quarter the most "industrial," and least satisfying for me; (3) Laughing Quarter my favorite, uptempo and urgent with a hypnotic, flowing quality and probably the most accessible for first-time listeners to Autechre; (4) Draun Quarter, ambient and dreamy. I do not think this is their best work, Tri Repetae being my choice, but still 4 highly enjoyable pieces of the most evocative sculpted sound around.

My one perennial criticism of Autechre is that many of their tracks go nowhere, eventually deteriorating but hardly ever evolving into greater complexity. People often talk about how forward-looking/avant garde/cutting edge Ae are, and while I tend to agree I often find their sonic structures to be very conservative. Because of this, I've learned to approach their music looking for interesting moments in a track--eg. the drum stutter in the middle of Eidetic Casein, the drum breakdown in the middle of Under BOAC--not for interesting tracks as a whole.

Happily this EP contains both some interesting moments, but also some intriguing changes in melody and mood. As the titles suggest, the four tracks (Goz Quarter, Latent Quarter, Laughing Quarter, Draun Quarter) belong together and seem cut from the same sonic cloth. Goz Quarter starts with the Oval-like sound of a skipping CD before a quirky, funky melody comes in. After about two or three minutes the track transitions and becomes much darker, with a fragile melody. Though part of me wishes it remained funky throughout, it's still a very successful track. Latent quarter starts wonderfully when the beat comes in at just the right moment. Again, midway, the track shifts in an interesting way. Laughing Quarter is to me the only slight disappointment; it's a good track but as with so many Ae tracks it doesn't really go anywhere. Draun Quarter is as emotional as others have said; the beat, which sounds like syncopated crickets or cicadas, remains the same throughout, but the repeated blows of the drum soften up the listener until s/he is permeated by the melody (one of Ae's best ever!). Overall a tight, uncompromising, but also creative EP.

Probably Autechre's best overall release. Goz Quarter is my fav. track, it's an extremely rhythmic hip-hop affair with some very pleasant melodies. Definately one of their best ever tracks. Latent Quarter is slow to get going, but once it does it really hits the right spot. Laughing Quarter is probably the weakest track, but considering the overall quality of Envane, that's not saying much. It has an extremely loud and agressive beat and actually quite danceable. Draun Quarter is an excellent ambient affair, it really plays with your emotions.

One of their best Eps. if you can find it, buy it. It is worth it just for laughing quarter.

This is just one of the few shorter EP's or similar to CD singles that Autechre has put out over the years. I don't know why they do this but it does feed our quest for more Autechre until they put together a complete album.

Are you addicted to Autechre yet? Many of us are. I think there should be a club. Here's a list of the releases so to make sure that you have all that is available:

Incunabula (1993), Amber (1994), Tri Repatae (1995), Chaistic Slide (1997), LP5 (1998), EP7 (1999), Confield (2001), Draft 7.30 (2003), and Untilted (2005).

Now that you have all those, you will probably want to start collecting their various EP's, which are:

Cavity Job (1991), Basscadet (1994), Anti- (1994), We R Are Why/ Are Y Are We? (1995), Garbage (1995), Anvil Vapre (1995), Envane (1997), Cichlisuite (1997), Peel Session 1 (1999), Splitrmx12 (1999), Peel Session 2 (2001), and Gantz Graf (2002).

There may be a few others, but they have become very rare. Very hard to find. I've discovered more tracks by Autechre and various other "remixed by Autechre" releases all over the IDM sound genre. Plus, some artists like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Boards of Canada and the such have released similar recordings as that of Autechre, but Autechre will always be the leader of this sound.

And here's another little secret for you. Autechre has released recordings under another pseudonym, Gescom. There is nothing on CD available from Gescom, but that doesn't mean you can't find these recordings through various person to person music swap sites.

Look for these Gescom albums and EP's (I think they are only available on vinyl, and maybe only in the UK and Europe):

EP1 (1994), EP2 (1995), Motor (1994), The Sounds of Machines our Parents Used (1995), Keynell (1996), MiniDisc (1998), This (1998), That (1998), and Iss:sa (1999)

There are various takes and re-developed versions of Keynell. Just knowing that Gescom is so scarce, especially in America, it only makes it all the more totally cool to be Proudly Unhipp, and to actually have these recordings.

I find a sense of comfort in the lunacy that is Autechre's music. I have to listen to some Autechre every day. It's gotten harder to listen to regular music any more and it is certainly difficult to revert back to regular music immediately after switching off Autechre. Autechre is like a drug, a stimulant, a natural high. It's a sound that inspires motivation in what ever you are doing. And yes, I can get mildly depressed if I don't have some Autechre at my immediate avail. If I've got a lot of work to do, then I know I'll get it done (and fast), if I've got Autechre playing in my background.

So, you other Autechre addicts out there, please share your story. Let us all know what Autechre has done for you, too. Has Autechre changed your life, in a positive or negative way? We need to let other people know how Autechre has an indirectly strange way of promoting better psychological health and a more positive vision about life.

3 1/2

Usually the Autechre EP's come through, Envane is no exception. Laughing Quarter ranks amongst their best old-school progressions, overshadowing most of the brief excursion.