Announcing: Autechre Listening Club

At the request of the deep cuts paid subscribers, we're getting our IDM on

Since I’ve spent every waking moment listening to post-rock recently, I realised an edition of In My Ears this week would be a bit redundant. Instead, I wanted to take the opportunity to announce the latest artist in our Listening Club sessions: the one and only Autechre.

Rob Brown and Sean Booth have been breaking new ground in electronic music for more than three decades. Their approach is like nothing else out there: frequently described as ‘cold’, ‘mechanical’ or ‘austere’, the playful creativity of their music is often overlooked, not to mention the humanity that seeps through the digital facade.

Paid subscribers have been requesting a Listening Session so we can experience Autechre’s music together – and who am I to stand in the way of such a great idea?

I’ll be running this latest session on Thursday 26 March at 21:00 GMT.

The question is: which record do you want to listen to? I’ve laid out all of the options below, and paid subscribers can vote in the poll at the bottom. And of course, if you’re not yet a paid subscriber, upgrade today and join us.

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LP5

A record that marks their shift toward more abstract structures, the pair blend fragmented melodies with intricate, glitchy rhythms that straddle the line between mechanical and strangely organic. Often seen as a bridging work, it connects the more accessible releases of the mid-90s with the far more experimental territory they would explore in the 2000s.

Confield

Possibly my favourite Autechre record, Confield is a landmark in algorithmic composition, where tracks evolve unpredictably through complex, generative processes. The album is dense, plunging the listener into disorienting textures that challenge traditional notions of rhythm and structure.

Anti/Garbage

Two of the best EPs the duo ever put out, this pairing lands with punchier beats and clearer grooves – not to mention some of the most beautiful ambient passages they ever produced. Anti is especially notable for its political stance against UK anti-rave legislation (for more on it check out this September edition of In My Ears).

Quaristice

Quaristice is a record which embraces brevity and spontaneity, featuring shorter tracks that present like snapshots of larger sonic experiments. Its loose, sketch-like quality shows a playful side of Rob and Sean’s process, while still diving deep into digital abstraction and rhythmic fragmentation.

SIGN

One of their most recent ‘studio’ records (whatever that means when it comes to Autechre), SIGN offers a comparatively warm and immersive listening experience, emphasising lush synth harmonies over percussive complexity. It stands out in their catalogue for its emotional resonance, showing a more meditative dimension to their sound.

If you’re not a paid subscriber, you can tap the button below to get access to the poll and session, plus all the deep cuts extras:

If you’re already a paid subscriber but not signed up to the Discord yet, tap the button below and I’ll approve your application: