# Exai

Exai is the eleventh studio album by British electronic music duo Autechre. It was released on 7 February 2013 through Warp Records, with physical versions arriving on 5 March 2013. Prior to the release of NTS Sessions 1–4, Exai was Autechre's longest album to date.
Critics responded positively to the album, noting its complexity and its use of sounds from previous albums. Some critics also criticised the length of the album and the tracks selected for inclusion. Exai was followed by a companion EP named L-event which released on 28 October 2013.

## Background

Autechre are a British electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth. The duo released their first record under the Autechre name, Cavity Job, in 1991. Their first album, Incunabula, was released in 1993 and became a surprise success. Throughout their discography, the duo gradually moved into less melodic and more experimental and glitchy music, notably with the release of albums like Confield, Untilted and Quaristice. Critics have described their newer sound as cold, distant and complex.

## Recording

Brown and Booth have stated that they primarily compose their newer music with the use of something known as "the system"; a large network of synthesisers, software and other digital processes built primarily in Max. The duo have said in later interviews that the process is not entirely generative. Instead, human input is still required to make changes and "guide" the system during track creation.
For Exai, the duo decided to move away from MIDI which was used during the recording of Quaristice, stating that it "wasn't quite what [they] wanted to be doing". Exai and its tracks were the product of a variety of trial runs with their new system, which were then processed and edited into standard tracks. In an interview with Resident Advisor, Booth stated that Exai was discussed as a project at least a year before its release. According to Booth, most of the tracks ranged between two or three years old by the time the album came out.

## Composition

Exai has been described as electronic, experimental, IDM, abstract and ambient. Exai is spread across 17 tracks, making it a double album. Andy Kellman of AllMusic commented that many of the tracks on Exai were thrilling, and noted their accessibility. Kellman discussed tracks such as "recks on", calling it crisp, industrial and a hybrid of beats and bass; he also said that it was among one of the heaviest tracks Autechre had produced. Reviewing Exai for BBC Music, Chris Power called the track "Flep" a unique breakbeat-powered track. The longest track on the album, "bladelores", is an echoing atmospheric track that contains a wave of pads surging throughout.
In a review for The Quietus, Charlie Frame called the ten-minute track "irlite (get 0)" a battle between a sub-bass and a variety of random synth stabs. Frame also discussed "bladelores", calling it a highlight of the album and described the structure of the track's gradually slowing beats, until it changes into a track adjacent to ambient music. Discussing Exai for Pitchfork, Grayson Haver Currin stated that the track "T ess xi" made use of "fluorescent soul keyboards" as a basic building block in its composition. Currin also discussed "deco Loc", describing how the duo used cut-up vocal samples and other repurposed sound which created appealing soundscapes and atmospheres.
Lee Wang of Slant called the album's closer "YJY UX" a moody and empty ambient track featuring "groaning" basslines. Wang also noted "T ess xi", a track reminiscent of Chiastic Slide. Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor described how "jatevee C" was similar melodically to Incunabula. The track "tuinorizn" contains stuttering dubstep. Josh Becker of Beats Per Minute called "cloudline" a "malformed ode to trip-hop". Becker also compared "Fleure" to "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors" by Radiohead, noting how it placed Exai within the genre of glitch.

## Release

Exai was announced on 13 December 2012, originally planned for release on 5 March 2013. The album was released unexpectedly early though digital platforms on 7 February 2013. Exai was officially released on 2xCD by Beat Records in Japan on 27 February 2013, and on 4xLP and 2xCD by Warp on 5 March 2013.
Autechre typically release companion projects to accompany their albums; this includes Cichlisuite for Chiastic Slide, EP7 for LP5 and Move of Ten for Oversteps. A companion EP to Exai, titled L-event was announced on 16 September 2013. It was released on 11 October 2013 on digital platforms, and on 28 October 2013 on both CD and LP.

## Reception

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Beats Per Minute | 84% |
| Calgary Herald | |
| Clash | 8/10 |
| Exclaim! | 7/10 |
| Mixmag | |
| Pitchfork | 5.9/10 |
| PopMatters | 9/10 |
| Record Collector | |
| Resident Advisor | 3.5/5 |
| Slant | |
| The Irish Times | |
Exai was received positively by critics. At Metacritic, which aggregates scores from mainstream critics, Exai has an average score of 80 based on 26 reviews, indicating a score of "generally favorable".
Matthew Bennett of Clash gave Exai an 8/10, noting the mixture of Autechre's older hip-hop sound and their newer programming. Lee Wang of Slant gave the album 4/5, writing that the album represented a "career-spanning work" that drew inspiration and ideas from throughout their entire discography. Brandon Bussolini of XLR8R wrote that the album "more consistently evokes the club" than other projects the duo had previously released. For Exclaim!, Nick Storring stated that Exai was not cutting edge, but that it was still full of detail and intensity. Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor compared the tracks on Exai to data overload, moreso than their previous projects. Concluding his review, he stated that it felt like the duo were more confident in their sound, but that the album's only real cohesion was its "resistance to linearity and conventional melody". Tom Fenwick of PopMatters stated how Exai didn't mark a major shift in sound, but instead expanded on it. Fenwick also commented on how the album offered "unfathomable depths" for dedicated listeners. For the Calgary Herald, Francois Marchand gave the album 4/5 stars and said that while approaching Exai was difficult to new listeners at first, it was one of the duo's most accessible albums.
In a review for Pitchfork, Grayson Haver Currin had a more negative outlook of the album, criticising both the tracks selected and their length. AllMusic's Andy Kellman also commented on the track list, writing how it could have been edited down. In a review for The Quietus, Charlie Frame commented that Exai drew ideas from throughout Autechre's discography, but that the album's sound remained very similar to projects such as Oversteps and Move of Ten. Mixmag's Joe Muggs wrote how understanding the album wasn't easy, but was rewarding to the listener. Josh Becker of Beats Per Minute gave a positive review, and commented that Exai instead "implies melody" rather than displaying it outright. Writing for The Irish Times, Jim Carroll gave the album three stars and commented on how Exai was as intense as other releases from the duo, and that the album was open to taking risks. For BBC Music, Chris Power called Exai "often abrasive and fidgety" and commented on the easiness in seeing the album as the "first chapter of late-period Autechre" due to the duo revisiting past sounds.

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Sean Booth and Rob Brown

## Release history

| Country/Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue number |
| Japan | 27 February 2013 | Beat Records | 2×CD | BRC-365LTD |
| Europe | 5 March 2013 | Warp Records | 2×CD | WARPCD234 |
| Europe | 5 March 2013 | Warp Records | 4×LP | WARPLP234 |