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Review:
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A long time ago i ventured into the world of
geekdom in quest of this EP. I got distracted, but eventually
tracked down a copy. And so, this is the review i promised you,
way back when in my
Nona Delichas review. Better late than never, i suppose.
Autechre have decided that since their place in the pantheon
of Electronic Music Gods is assured, they are going to go all
out for experimentalism. That is to say, Autechre started off
as kinda wierd, but since then mainstream music has embraced
the glitchy beats they pioneered, so in order to stay relevant
they are becoming even wierder.
Granz Graf is experimentalism in the sense that
the artists apparently are really curious to not only see what
they can do, but also to see what they can get away with. This
EP has recieved rave reviews, and electonic music geeks online
have discussed it in excrutiating detail.
And, on the one hand, i agree with the "group think" consensus:
this music is pushing boundaries, and it sounds fresh, new,
and pretty interesting. However, that is geek talk: the average
human would be frightened and annoyed at this EP. Please note
that the term "experimental" in music is an eltist term: this
is not music for the masses. None of the songs on here will
ever be played over the loudspeakers at a sporting event, or
piped into a mall. The main audience for this is geeks (like
myself) with too much time on their hands, and other electronic
musicians who are short on inspiration.
That said, there are three tracks full of innovation and inspiration
available here for any young electro composer who wishes to
learn from them.
The first is Granz Graf itself. This is a tune built
out of agressive beats, out of computer manipulated noisy percussion
hits. They build into an oddly catchy syncopation, and then
disintigrate into a clattering mettalic fury of beats.
Up next is Dial, which is an oddly catchy tune. It is
a weird song with frentic beats, half-heard vocal samples, and
waveringly distorted piano. Odd, and yet, it's kinda fun. That
is what Autechre do best -- make you scratch your head in wonder,
and yet keep you coming back for more. This song is complex,
but still has a playful element to it. It's my favorite on this
EP.
Finally, the EP ends with CapIV. This song features
subdued piano and noise, and builds to a real cacophany. Again,
it's interesting, kinda pretty at times, and very complex.
Overall, this is another fine Autechre release. It's about
20 minutes of very experimental electronica, which is the perfect
length if you ask me. If you like Autechre's stuff, then this
is a fine purchase. If you are one of the billions of music
consumers who do not really care to have their boundaries pushed,
then you probably want to pass on this one. |
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