Autechre

Rob Brown and Sean Booth formed Autechre in 1987 in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Their early influences included 1980s electro and hip-hop, which shaped their initial sound. They began by creating tracks with inexpensive equipment, including a Casio SK-1 sampler and a Roland TR-606 drum machine. Their first release as Autechre was the 1991 single “Cavity Job.” In 1992, Autechre signed with Warp Records, contributing tracks “Crystel” and “The Egg” to the seminal compilation ‘Artificial Intelligence’. This period established their reputation for innovative electronic music.

Autechre’s career has been marked by a consistent evolution of their sound. Their 1993 debut album, ‘Incunabula’, released through Warp Records, was a significant milestone, reaching number three on Music Week’s Independent Albums chart. This was followed by ‘Amber’ in 1994, which showcased a more ambient direction. Throughout the 1990s, they released acclaimed albums such as ‘Tri Repetae’ (1995), ‘Chiastic Slide’ (1997), and ‘LP5’ (1998), which moved their sound towards more textural and abstract compositions. Their work became increasingly experimental with releases like ‘Confield’ (2001) and ‘Gantz Graf’ (2002), which featured complex programming and unconventional rhythms.

In later years, Autechre continued to push boundaries with large-scale projects and digital releases. Albums like ‘Quaristice’ (2008), ‘Oversteps’ (2010), and the extensive two-hour ‘Exai’ (2013) demonstrated their commitment to evolving their sonic palette. Their output expanded further with multi-part digital releases such as ‘elseq 1–5’ (2016), a four-hour album, and the eight-hour ‘NTS Sessions 1–4’ (2018), showcasing their continuous exploration of new electronic forms and computational music.