Customer Reviews

Gantz Graf

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all , I would like to make a comment: Autechre are , for me that is , the best electronic act ever and the most consistent one as well. But I'm not in the opinion that I was biased about this album or subjective in anyway. If Autechre would start making House music, or other form of non-musical-"electronic"-garbage I'd be the first to admit that the guys have lost it. But I don't think that'll ever happen. These are guys with premium taste and I only see them getting better in the next few years.
Before plugging my headphones and listening to Gantz Graf I expected it to be more confield-esque material, but Sean Booth and Rob Brown have even managed to go futher than that. These guys take IDM into new realms of the Avant-Garde with each succesive release, and Gantz Graf is no exception. Yes - I found Gantz Graf to be even wilder than Confield's ear throbbing experiments. If you're an Autechre fan , I think you must get this. If you're not, this material would be too difficult for you , and is no starting point for a listener - Autechre have developed their music through their albums taking giant steps and you better step a few years backwards before you try Gantz Graf.

Gantz Graf is a violent explosion of sound bits. The other two tracks are less violent, but still constructed of bits. I don't think Ae use a single sound element that lasts longer than a few milliseconds. It's like sonic pointillism.
Is it any good? Yeah, of course it's good- tightly constructed, well-mastered, relentlessly pushing the barrier of music. Like all Ae, it's a quality product. However, I can't imagine being in a mood where I would think "Gee, I think Gantz Graf would fit perfectly..."
However, I do find the Gantz Graf single more satisfying than Confield was. Maybe this is just because the dense constructions of late-period Autechre lend themselves better to small chunks (Confield seemed to lend itself well to large headaches).
In any event, Autechre has passed beyond the "event" horizon. They are spiralling toward some center of sonic abstraction, their releases becoming exponentially more exotic and alien. They're never coming back to earth.

You could cheer them on and parade your "official intelligent person" IDM stripes in public all you want, but admit it: the first listen to _Confield_, particularly the middle three tracks, conjured images of Booth and Brown at the controls of an airplane, attempting to pull some wild stunt-dive, about to crash into the ground, with the tower barking incessantly: "Pull up! Pull up!"

Well, guess what: electronica's dynamic duo seems to have avoided a stylistic plane crash. _Gantz Graf_ provides exhilaration, and a bit of relief, as Autechre storm the barns. On the other hand, perhaps a plane crash would have been a bit more astounding. Autechre does 'pull up' a little; Gantz Graf suggests is that the Third Autechre Style (First: Incunabula-Chiastic Slide, Second: Chiastic Slide-EP7) may not be as different from the other two as the (I suspect deliberately) often unpleasant and inaccessible Confield might have suggested.

The first and titular track is an attack that starts out with roaring, slamming cycles and horrifyingly dissonant appregiated piano chords. Although the melody is briefly maintained, the track soon undergoes some _Confield_-like rhythmic disintegration, sliding into some wailing synth chords reminiscent of the end of "Eidetic Casein" before at last stuttering to a halt. It's the track on the EP most obviously reminiscent of _Confield_, but it has a sort of intensity or immediacy about it which a lot of Confield lacks. The track starts with an almost rockish feeling, which somehow manages to remain as the loops fall apart. For a similar feel, listen to "Second Bad Vilbel".

"Dial" is longer, and probably the most orderly track Autechre has released since _EP7_. A fairly steady thump with slowly morphing secondary rhythms backs up a melody that is a war between eternal descent and ascent. After the fiery "Gantz graf", this song turns down the heat in order to let the menace of the first track slowly simmer and build, until it transfers without a pause into:

"CapIV", while not the best, the most telling track on the EP. The secondary rhythms of "Dial," continue, altered, while a soothing chord progression (the antithesis of the piano in "Gantz graf") with stately three-bar slowness reminiscent of _Incunabula_ or _Amber_ arises from a the mayhem, before finally altering and receding slowly into an ever-accelerating loop of rapid clicks.

What have we learned from Gantz Graf?

1) Autechre's new music will not necessarily be aggressively difficult. This music is difficult, but doesn't eschew the pleasant, intuitive touches and traditional emotional signals that marked their older music (simple melodies; slow, stately chords; even danceable rhythms [while it may not be your average night at a club, "Dial" can be danced to]). _Confield_ wanted to beat its listener into appreciating it; _Gantz Graf_ seduces. Some may think that this is backsliding or cowardly or not Intelligent enough. Maybe, I guess. I must confess to liking "VI scose poise", "cfern" and "eidetic casein" more than any other tracks on _Confield_, and the _Gantz Graf_ is moving in the direction of those tracks rather than, say, "sim gishel" or "bine".

2) What most clearly defines Autechre's new style is an expansion of the looser rhythmic regulations and improvisation that first emerged on _LP5_, and also absolute attention to the structure of the entire song. Ever since _tri repetae ++_, when Autechre's songs started to end on different samples than the ones they started with, Autechre's songs have increasingly eschewed the traditional basic techno structure (now let's add *another* rhythm line!) for songs that go somewhere. This quality is now universal.

3) I can breathe a little easier as we wait for Autechre's next album.

Being relatively new to Autechre (well, within the last 4 months) I have quickly come to adore everything they have ever released. Perhaps I am lucky to be able to tap into their conceptualities (their music is very subversive in a way, undermining structures and rhythms, and yet they create the most beautiful melodies I have ever heard; you just have to find them). I've made the journey from Incunabula all the way through to Draft 7.30. And, despite being worried about reviews - Confield being controversial and difficult, for instance - I have found all their output accessible. But Gantz Graf, along with the amazing Confield, I find are most representative of Autechre - this combines, as stated above, their deeply experimental layering of rhythms within rhythms, cut up, edited, twisted beautiful white noise, and their teasing subterranean melodies. This is what Autechre is all about - challenging and beautiful music. And this CD is worth it simply for the superb Cap IV, which starts off with a gorgeous piano melody and becomes utterly, desperately, jaw-droppingly frantic. Listen to this in the dark, with headphones, and you'll think you've taken something. Autechre is almost a spiritual experience!

this album is somehow more accessible than confield, though i am not sure why. its still pushes the limits on sonic manipulation. the first track, gantz graf, is overwhelmingly experimental though after a few listens a structured rhythm and melody can be discovered. dial follows afterwards, and while sounding more tame, takes from the off melodies from confield and makes them a bit more disturbing. the last track, capIV, would actually be a pretty simple song if were not for the noisy, chaotic, and sometimes annoying percussion in the background though the awesome piano makes up for it. overall, i find this to be a very entertaining listen and that pushes in good direction from confield.

Don't listen to this 19-minute 'EP' if you don't have 'Throbbing Gristle', 'Coil' or their ilk in your sonic vocabulary. This is deconstructed, driven techno with attitude - industrial-strength IDM.

"Gantz Graf" - the track - is just a four minute throbbing IDM noise-fest. Good fun and a strong hint of what's to come.

"Dial" is a bobbling jaunt with a shifting-chordal-melody accompaniment. "CapIV" seemlessly morphs from "Dial" - so well in fact that I couldn't distinguish between the two the first time I listened to them - even though they are vastly different tracks.

There is no doubt that the beats are the winners here, not that there is ever really a race between beats and themes in the Ae sound - they are an integral part of each other. For a believer in the Buddhadharma like me, this is a aural teaching on the interdependent and ultimately empty nature of sound. Ae make sounds like these just because they can (action is only possible through emptiness). And we are much better for it!

This cd is a delightful little 'teaser/sampler' between two incredible albums - the irrepressible 'Confield' and the exuberant and more spacious 'Draft 7.30'. Brief though it is, it would be worth paying more than its $7 price-tag to sample its 'throbby/happy' ebullient nature.

I'm giving this 5 stars ONLY to balance the scales. It's hard to rate a 20 minute CD 5 stars. As far as quality over quantity, here is a textbook case. 3 longish tracks segued together to form one epic tune. The audio equal to gazing bug eyed into a strobe light that someone keeps monkey f**cking with, faster, slower, faster, slower, dimmer, brighter, etc etc... This is what the Residents might sound like if you were having a seizure with headphones on. Not everybody's bag, but I'm all about it. This is the first decent blast since lp5 from 'da boys. Warning: this is not ambient or mellow, this is seriously electric and intense!

...well at first it is, anyway.

Anyone who is just getting into Autechre, or interested in getting into them.. DO NOT start here!! You will most likely be turned off. My first listen had me wondering what in the world I was listening to. It seems like nonsense at first. After about 6 or 7 listens I began to notice beats, structures, patterns and sounds I didn't notice before. Now when I listen to this CD, I hear it as music. But that first listen will always be so alien for everybody.

Good stuff if you're up to the challange of listening.

After buying confield I wasnt too sure whether my money would be spent wisely on this one but I was soon pleased to know that this is a great little disc. It only has 3 tracks but none of them are really terrible like some people here think. I think it's definetely a different approach than confield thankfully and assuming the amazon[.com] release has the dvd included with it, you MUST get it because you'll be holding in your hand simply one of the most impressive multimedia presentations : D

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. Plus, this EP of Gantz Graf comes with a DVD or three tracks done with unique visuals.

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 (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 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.