Autechre – Warp Tapes 89-93

Excellent "old school" Autechre mixes. This is, in fact, what a lot of fans had been dreaming of: leftovers from the Legofeet / Cavity Job era.

There are a lot of "wow" moments here. I was tempted to list a few, but it is definitely better to discover them in the mix.

This would make such an amazing 4xLP set, amazing tracks across both parts!

What a shame that this material wasn't released when they made it '91/'92'ish Awesome bleep/hardcore house! It would have stood head and shoulders above most anything else, on par with Orbital.

And the tapes on the sleeve image would indicate that there is at least 10 hours of material, that has been distilled into making this 2 hour compilation.

Finally got around to listen to this and it is quite the treat. Thanks Autechre.

What a gift! I’ve long wanted to hear more of Ae’s early output, under the assumption that they indeed had unreleased tracks and jams, and this is quite a feast. As blammoAMS says, the majority of the work here is unique, and it’s also fascinating to hear – even on the roughest cuts – small elements that found their way into Lego Feet and Incunabula, especially the rhythmic parts. The essence of Basscadet, Eggshell, and Maetl can all be heard throughout, to my ear, and probably others as well. Coming from the Lego Feet era, there are also clear connections there as well, and not surprisingly the overall sound of these tapes is most reminiscent of that 1991 release – acting as a lost bridge between that one-off and fully formed Autechre. It’s also remarkable how the pieces segue into one another, even through tempo changes, creating a very fluent double-mix.

In Part 1 I find there’s more recognizable elements in the first half, with the second half presenting some lush ambient-IDM-electro, and resolving with a very cool Lego Feet/Incunabula blend. The fusion continues on Part 2 before veering off into uncharted territory for much of the runtime, then winding down at the end with some more recognizable parts and even a straight 4/4 beat.

Given the infancy of the project at the time, this is a mature work that clearly shows the direction the duo would soon take – essential listening for Ae fans and newcomers alike. Much, much thanks to Warp and Booth/Brown for putting it out at all, nevermind giving it away for free :)

Hopefully there's people out there who can assign track names (Booth/Brown certainly won't). I can spot a version of Basscadet, but for the rest it appears to be all previously unheard material.

It is really nice of them to offer these for free. Being such a big fan of Autechre, I am really grateful!