EPs 1991 - 2002

Album Review

Over the course of their career, Autechre have proven themselves to be masters of the unexpected, constantly evolving their sound in ways that are often perplexing, pushing the envelope in directions that listeners didn’t even know existed. While their albums typically represented new sonic leaps, the five-disc box set, EPs 1991-2002, captures those moments between the leaps, showcasing the English duo's experiments as they transitioned from budding techno tinkerers to mad scientists of the highest order. The set begins with their first single, 1991’s Cavity Job, which marks the first time this rare release has been issued on CD. Also included are Basscad EP (1994), Anti EP (1994), Garbage (1995), Anvil Vapre (1995), Peel Session (1995), Envane (1997), Cichli Suite (1997), EP7 (1999), Peel Session 2 (1999), and Gantz Graf (2002). While the early EPs off a nice reminder of Autechre’s roots in techno and hip-hop, it’s not until the later discs that things really seem to heat up for them, with EP7 ringing in the current, more generative sound that found them moving further away from anything resembling a traditional structure in favor of a style that’s more atonal and percussive, eventually culminating in the spastic, constantly shifting aural assault of “Gantz Graf.” What really ties the set together, however, is the packaging. Stark, minimal, and austere, the collection has a physical presence that seems to embody the spirit of the band, offering no explanations or assistance in the way of liner notes or even a detailed trac klist that points out what songs come from which albums. Instead, like Autechre themselves, EPs 1991-2002 simply presents the listener with the music the band has made and lets them come to grips with it on their own terms, allowing them to draw their own conclusions about what they’re hearing without any unnecessary assistance from its creators.