AUTECHRE – DRAFT 7.30

To prepare myself for this review I browsed through some of Autechre’s previous recordings. Then listened to “Draft 7.30” . And back to “Confield”, “Chiastic Slide” and “Incunabula”. Returned to “Draft 7.30”…

Change. Metamorphosis. Evident. Gradual. And not so gradual.
From major name of electro/ambient genre, they built on their albums constantly transforming their sound. I find track number five ‘Surripere’ on “Draft” a sum of their opus – start with ‘conventional’ (unusual word in Autechre vocabulary) ambience and rhythm that morphs, through fractures and cavalcades, into dark fragmented waves. Or something like that. Eleven minutes. Tension to the mind. Intended? Of course.

I think that each and every one of us have their own interpretation of their sculptures. Mine is not more valid than yours. I am going to write it anyway:
“ Draft 7.30” is darker than “Confield”. Percussions are deeper and sounds longer. More ‘ambient’. There is no bombardment like in ‘Cfern’ or ‘Pen Expers’. Colder, that’s the right word.
'6IE.CR' would be a typical AE track that really stands out, while my favourite must be ‘V-PROC’ – unusual but effective. Of course, it changes from complicated to highly complicated as it progresses. So as the whole “Draft 7.30”. It really is a journey for the mind. In all senses and meanings of the term. Difficult at times (in the middle of album) but still highly entertaining. Or whichever term you find more suitable…

So as for mind boggling sleeve design by Mr. Alexander Rutterford.

My sister passing by commented:” If you really like this stuff, then you’re mad!”

Oh well…