Confield
Confield's name and its digitally dissected geometrical artwork are illustrative analogies to Autechre's working methods. Sean Booth and Rob Brown use specially developed software to shape, slice, and dice beats and sounds. Despite the English duo's past as acid-house-loving hip-hop kids, the music they make now is resolutely undanceable. In fact, anyone who tries to move toConfield's nine tracks is cruising for a date with the chiroprator. Over and over Autechre render their rhythms irregular by cutting segments out of a pattern or by putting them into reverse. They aren't completely averse to melody, and the opening track "VI Scose Pose" proves that they can compose a lovely one. More often, however, their focus is on wedding fractured rhythms and intriguing textures, like the bell-like sound waves that pulse through the transmission-trouble beats of "Parhelic Triangle."--Bill Meyer