Autechre
Anti EP

This mini EP, straddling between Incunabula and the subsequent Amber, has remained relatively unknown to many people. Released as an interlude between the two "masterpieces," it is a small gem of rhythmic textures accompanied by restrained emotions. The results of these three experiments revealed in the minds of the two Autechre still confused, swirling ideas. The result obtained is therefore attributable exclusively to a stage of their career, unrepeatable because unique. It was a time when they still had to discover the coldness in harmonics, and their music, although complex, still had a soul.

Lost and Flutter (n1, n3) are structurally different but conceptually close: in them, atmospheres very akin to the early Boards Of Canada can be perceived, from which they might indeed have drawn inspiration. The melodies are relaxed, melancholic, suspended, and timeless. It's nostalgic music, seeming to continually recall pleasant past events, never to be repeated.

Djarum works as an effective break between the two, endowed with remarkable "humorous" energy, with Ae seeming to mock themselves.

Lost remains the track with the most regular rhythm that, densely reverberated, accompanies from the beginning almost to the end. The rhythm remains always in the foreground, highlighted, emphasized. It gradually takes on a soul, gaining more courage thanks to the introduction of sound effects, micro partitions, and refined sounds, to sketch a melody, materialize a sensation, describe a thought.

Many times I've wondered what these artists might think when composing these small electronic gems, whether they were aware of what their music could convey.

The interlude of Djarum seems to be heavily indebted to a certain "sound" of declaredly jazz derivation, which is not difficult to reach, despite the relentless hysterical rhythms contaminating it. It’s the least "serious" piece of the EP, where the two guys deal with samples of "funny" and pounding sounds, with a pleasant and carefree humor. In a live concert, if properly pumped, a piece like this would make a good impression!

Flutter closes the trio in a simple but effective way, it’s a really sweet track (for the standard). It only has more sophisticated rhythms to remind us that, after all, we are not dealing with children's music. Beyond that, it seems like listening to the soundtrack of an eccentric fairy tale, it sounds very muffled, enchanted.

The brilliance of such a piece, the insight that, in my opinion, makes it strong, is the closure of it, entrusted to a slow fade-out effect that seems to lead you by the hand towards silence, a reassuring silence. Simply fantastic, they managed to turn silence into music!