As one of many electronic giants signed to Warp Records, Autechre’s near-40-year legacy has an intangible place in electronic music. The Mancunian duo’s live sets are constructed via hardware married with algorithms and software of the duo’s own making, resulting in mind-bending sequences, punchy drums, and mangled soundscapes. Pair all of the above with their unique conduct of playing in total darkness (hence the lack of photos for this article), in a warehouse, and you have a one of a kind show that, quite literally, cannot be repeated.
Kicking off the stormy night was South Wales-based electronic act Maes Y Circles, whose thick, transcendent arpeggios and astonishing visual effects disregarded the moniker of ‘support act’ with the presence of a main event. Perfectly contrasting them were MDX, the travelling support of the tour, whose drilling percussive grooves inspired a bounce you couldn’t resist and brought a taste of dark, fluid dance music that Cardiff could do with more of.
With anticipation at boiling point, the duo’s entrance was cued by the complete dimming of lights, and Autechre took the stage, faintly lit by their own machinery. A couple of escape lights, of course, still glow around the venue, and the shapes of surroundings can be surveyed, but most details are lost in the shadows. You are not physically lost but provided the space to lose yourself in the music, especially considering that everyone is encouraged to remain stationary. It is worth noting that Autechre do not allow any recording at their shows, although devices are not confiscated and flashlights can be used to alert security to any emergencies.
Starting off slowly, a heavy bass that rattled my trouser legs was accompanied by melodic glitches and glassy synth sweeps to ease in the crowd, but it wasn’t long before deep kicks and fat, cracking percussion began to unfold in spacious rhythms. As time went on, the glassy synth textures became progressively sharper, with their newfound shrillness bestowing an increasing sense of tension upon the room, and as metallic screeches were introduced, the calm before the storm, which had been masterfully built up, dissipated.
From here on out, the percussion simply exploded. In what could jokingly be likened to the longest jazz drum solo known to man; I don’t think one drum sequence looped from this point onward. Never before and never again (unless, at another autechre gig!) will I hear chaos so organised live. Occasionally, a warped vocal sample would blare out before abruptly cutting, the surreal nature of which cannot quite be explained in a darkened environment surrounded by potentially 200 other people. To close your eyes during the set is probably the closest you can get to the feeling of being played music in the womb.
The music felt completely formless, but there was a logic behind the sound design that somehow weaved it all together. Autechre curated a palette of hammering drums, alien synth flares and viscous warbles without one sound ever trampling on another. A clear achievement considering the flurry of noise produced by the duo.
Autechre also know how to play a crowd. Bearing withness to an increasing intensity, a mass hypnosis overtook every figure in the room. We erupted into cheers at a conclusion that we knew was coming, but left me baffled at how the 90 minutes had passed so quickly.
Through their performance style and the nature of the music itself, the duo creates a living organism that takes all focus away from the individual and places it on the music itself. With an experience you could truly get lost in, Autechre’s gig in Cardiff was a real triumph.
Maes Y Circles: Instagram | Bandcamp
MDX: Instagram
Tour poster is property of Depot.
Words by Jasper Nicholas.
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