Draft 7.30
The fertile sonic imagination of Autechre wanders through the digital wilderness onDraft 7.30, burying understated melodies with dense noise from the avant-garde fringe. Since their more mainstream dance beginnings, Autechre’s Rob Brown and Sean Booth have operated in the same non-rhythmic, wired turf occupied byOval,Plaid, and other experimental techno artists. But they’ve always retained an echo of their earlier accessibility, using recurring themes that give their music aBoards of Canada-like elegance. On the other hand, recent work like 2001’sConfieldhas involved a more cerebral mix of order and chaos that lacks such carbon-based ballast.Draft 7.30goes even further off into the land of 1s and 0s, manipulating theories and formulas with a fascination usually reserved for higher math classes. Your ability to listen and enjoy will depend on your tolerance for difficult concepts and willingness to embrace chaos.--Matthew Cooke