Garbage [Single, Import]

Garbage, Autechre | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Single, Import
• Label: Warp
• ASIN: B000006Z6M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,996 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

An AMAZING CD, at an AMAZING price ! HAPPILY shipped to you within 24 hours of your order. Free upgrade to First Class Mail.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ironically Titled Five Star Masterpiece, January 26, 2001

By 

"doktor_dog" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garbage (Audio CD)

Garbage was released just prior to Tri Repetae, in 1995, and it is the recording at which Autechre really hit their stride, their first true work of genius. The progression from their previous effort, Amber, is striking. The ironic thing is that it's rumored that these tracks were born from ideas that didn't make it onto that album, hence the name "Garbage." However, that would make sense because the sound of Garbage is still relatively soft, especially when compared to the mechanical harshness and pneumatic percussion that characterized Tri Repetae, which was released soon afterward. But unlike Amber, with which I wasn't very impressed, this shares one thing with Tri Repetae, brilliance. Like Amber, the four songs on this EP tend to be lengthy and minimal, but, unlike Amber, never in a pretentious or boring way; the material on Garbage is more along the lines of stuff created by Rapoon or Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Vol. II. What I mean is that it's minimal in an appropriate, hypnotic, spritual way, but never ostentatiously so. The manner in which these songs evolve is absolutely riveting, with a complete chokehold on my attention; you can really sense that Rob and Sean were just overflowing with ideas at this stage in their career. The textures and sounds used are exquisitely chosen. The first track, and the fourteen minute highlight of this wholly magnificent EP, "garbagemx36," is a stylistic step forward for the duo in terms of how the song is built and how it evolves. It is a harbinger of the style that would be utilized later on Chiastic Slide and especially on Tri Repetae, namely beginning with some kind of percussive sound and eventually layering many other melodies and sounds that drop in and out of the mix throughout the length of the song, resulting with something that evolves in a minimal, yet very unpredictable, subtle, and extremely interesting way. "garbagemx36" begins with a stuttering disk drive sound on which strident chirping-like sounds, soft handclap beats, and ticklish sibilants are all layered, all ending with a moving string melody. The Richard D. James influence is more evident than ever on the following two tracks, "piobmx19" and "bronchusevenmx24," the latter of which, as one might expect from the name, sounding like a reworking of one of the highlight tracks from Autechre's debut album, Incunabula. Those two tracks are very much in the style of James's SAW II; they're very organic, and they sound primitive in a deliciously errie, alien sort of way. The final track of the four, "vletrmx21," reminiscent of something that the Humberstone twins from In the Nursery might write, consists of a vast, sublime melody which can be unbearable moving when I'm in a certain state of mind, and it nicely rounds out this excellent, varied EP.

Garbage is only available as an import, but U.S. fans of Autechre need not fret; they can still luckily get their hands on these songs because they are available, along with all four tracks from the Anvil Vapre EP, on the second disc of the Wax Trax! double disc release Tri Repetae, which is similarily titled Tri Repetae++. But the fact that Wax Trax!, as much as I like them, decided to do this instead of releasing the EPs seperately makes me a bit unhappy because Garbage is so damn good that it deserves to be considered on its own and not viewed as just some bonus tracks tacked onto an existing album. That's why I went out of my way and, like the stupid obsessive completist I am, spent the extra money to get this on import so I'd have the original artwork and disc. I'm hopeless. :-)

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Autechre's Absolute Best, June 18, 2001

By 

El Reanimator-o (The CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garbage (Audio CD)

This EP is, in my eyes, the pinnacle of Autechre releases. Not to say their others were bad, but "Garbage" is so absolutely fantastic that it almost leaves something to be desired from their other work. The whole CD has a feel of loss, want, and remorse. There's a whole air about all 4 tracks that makes the album seem like a score to one of the greatest movies of all time.

Get this CD at all costs. It's just absolutely fantastic.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, shockingly disturbing, February 2, 2001

By 

Peter Leyssens (Leuven, Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garbage (Audio CD)

I've been a long time fan of Autechre, having bought Amber by accident when it came out. Ever since, when I wander into a record shop, I usually take a quick glance to see if they brought out something new. This has resulted in a collection of some of the most interesting music to be filed under "popular music" on Amazon. Autechre would probably fit better under contemporary, since their works are more comparable to e.g. La lontanaza nostalgica utopica futura by Luigi Nono than to the Prodigy. But that's just a detail.

Autechre seems to work in a very structured way, layering samples over one another to create new sounds, layering percussions over eachother to build new rythms and layering tracks onto others to construct songs. Introducing subtle changes into the chopped-up material over time results in grand pieces of impressing depth, but even that's not entirely uncommon. On the legendary "Mind The Gap" cd series from Gonzo Circus magazine, there's definitely some tracks that are as well constructed, like Benevolence from Deutsch Nepal. I also still have a harder time analyzing all the detail in the variations on the theme in the Art of Fugue by Bach.

What Autechre really excels in, is adding to these intricately constructed tracks a sense of emotion that is familiar, that grabs you and puts you off, that instantaneously moves you to tears, that leaves you all alone and very very small. It's hard to recognize this aspect on the earliest albums, specially the too diverse Amber. I was also afraid they became more oriented to the mechanics when Cichli Suite came out, but LP5 and EP7 absolutely proved me wrong. But the pinnacle is still this Garbage EP, an EP that should be bought separately because it stands on its own. The association with Anvil Vapre EP, as it's made on Tri Repetae++, is not appropriate. Anvil Vapre is as fascinating as Autechre gets when they're at their best, but Garbage is completely different. On Garbage, Autechre has left the mechanics for a large part for what they are and revert more to 80s new wave influences. The result is a surprisingly human and emotional EP. I usually don't look at titles or tracks when it comes to Autechre, but I suspect that won't do in a review.

The first track Garbagemx has some definite melancholy and small tragedy in it, but a lot of consolation and uplifting support. Like crying on your best friend's shoulder. The second track, Piobmx, dives into the hothouse of thoughts and passions. Don't turn up the volume of this EP when you're in an emotional struggle and you had a couple of drinks. Brunchusevenmx is similar but more thoughtful. And the final Vletrmx is a grand display of fear and utter horror that will leave you void. It's very hard to describe what the music does to you, because Autechre mixes a lot of subtle connotations into very strong emotions. That's why their music feels so real.

Garbage is not an EP that's easy. Autechre is never easy. But their music is as humane as music gets.