Apparat – Tttrial And Eror

An early EP by Apparat, TTTRIAL AND ERROR proudly wears its IDM heart on its sleeve, from the off-kilter rhythms and cool melodic content of the introductory "First Try." But the granular, titchy rhythm continues into "First Error" growing more chaotic, even as the overhead tones and a few keyboard chords try to assert their dominance. The children's voices on "Pressure" suggest a more bucolic atmosphere, as the deeper strings add a gravitas and the saxophone a mournful edge. "Bugs and Fixes" is much more straightforward in its ebbs and flows, its builds and releases, while "NATO" uses its disembodied voice as an anchor for contemplative growth. "ABS" is more about the throbs and strings, though, as both linger in the air, until "Shutdown" comes in to with vocal chatter to tie up the album. No errors to be found here at all

First the review on this page?! What an awesome record. Especially Pressure. This was one of the first tunes I heard that demonstrated electronic music was getting interesting again.

"Tttrial and Eror" should appeal to most fans of "Chiastic Slide" era Autechre. Fractured, punchy beats mingle with wistful synth-strings and stray samples of children's voices before bending to the breeze of a lone saxophone on "Pressure". It's a stirring piece of music, not to be outdone by "Nato"'s galloping bass kicks and diced melodic detritus. These are easily the most impressive tracks on Apparat's second album, but nothing really disappoints. All in all, it's a very listenable foray into IDM territory, avoiding the harsh and austere textures that have become so common within the genre.

Why is this such a slept-on record? Truly amazing. Short - only thirty minutes - but brilliant. If Autechre's new style disappoints you, Apparat is what you're looking for. The highlight is definitely "Pressure," featuring some of the most beautiful saxophone I've heard in a long time.