Untilted
| Untilted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 April 2005 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 69:50 | |||
| Label | Warp | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Autechre chronology | ||||
| ||||
Untilted is the eighth studio album by the British electronic music duo Autechre. It was released by Warp Records on 18 April 2005 in Europe and 19 April 2005 in North America, and by Beat Records on 9 April 2005 in Japan. The album charted at 199 in the UK.[1]
Untilted was said by critics to have a greater focus on consistent beats and rhythm compared to Brown and Booth's other works, such as Gantz Graf and Draft 7.30. The album received mixed reviews from critics; some enjoyed the melodies and ideas presented, while others thought the music was unenjoyable and alienating.
Composition
[edit]Untilted has been described as abstract,[2] electronic[3] and IDM.[4] Repetition was noted by critics as a large focus point of the album.[2] In comparison to the duo's other works, such as Draft 7.30 and Gantz Graf, Untilted has a greater focus on rhythm and consistent beats.[4] Collin Buttimer described the album as being "very much fascinated with rhythm and metamorphosis".[5] Tracks throughout the album often evolve into something different than how they opened.[3]
Opening track "LCC" begins with a fast tempo and a forward-driving structure, before the tempo later slows down with the focus shifting to the melodics of the track.[5] "Ipacial Section" establishes a "frantic" rhythm, with different elements being introduced over time, until the track "[sounds] much different than it did to begin with".[4] "Pro Radii" begins with industrial sounds, which a Pitchfork review compared to "stomping through a foggy alley using meter-thick blocks of iron as shoe souls [sic]".[3] The track also features contrasting "booming bass tones" and "smaller, staccato click-beats".[2]
"Augmatic Disport" uses rhythmic patterns and "jittery drum'n'bass stutters" to create an effect that is "simultaneously nightmarish and exhilarating".[5][2] "Iera" makes use of ambient electronics, which are "tinged with a schizophrenic twist".[6] "Fermium" progresses from fast-paced and energetic sections to slower, more subdued passages with synthesised sounds.[2] "The Trees" borrows elements from rave music, and begins with frantic percussion, eventually evolving to "dizzyingly complex heights" before "dissolving in static".[4][7] Closer "Sublimit" was originally one of Booth and Brown's longest works.[5] It contains "beats wrapping furious trails around each other faster than the mind could follow".[8]
Reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [10] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[11] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| The Independent | [2] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10[3] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[4] |
| Stylus | B−[12] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [13] |
| Uncut | [14] |
| URB | [15] |
Untilted received mixed reviews from critics. John Burgess of The Guardian stated it was most likely to "alienate all but their most ardent fans," saying that "fractured, seemingly random beats are [its] cornerstones, with precious melodies hidden under many layers of noise." John Bush of AllMusic criticised the album's lack of innovation, but noted that Autechre had "[returned] to the green fields of their youth after a few years sowing their wild oats." Scott McKeating of Stylus Magazine praised the composition of the tracks, remarking that "there is flesh, bone, and brain beneath the near industrial barrage of beats." Andy Gill of The Independent gave a more negative review, calling the album "just a clutter of clicks and bleeps, the electronic equivalent of Tourette's."
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Sean Booth and Rob Brown.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "LCC" | 7:46 |
| 2. | "Ipacial Section" | 9:57 |
| 3. | "Pro Radii" | 8:42 |
| 4. | "Augmatic Disport" | 9:27 |
| 5. | "Iera" | 4:55 |
| 6. | "Fermium" | 5:45 |
| 7. | "The Trees" | 7:26 |
| 8. | "Sublimit" | 15:52 |
| 9. | "Zurich 2001" (Japanese bonus track) | 1:52 |
| Total length: | 71:42 | |
References
[edit]- ^ Colin Buttimer. "Autechre Untilted Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Gill, Andy (15 April 2008). "Album: Autechre". The Independent. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Leone, Dominique (20 April 2005). "Autechre: Untilted". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e O'Neil, Tim (1 June 2005). "Autechre: Untilted". PopMatters. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Buttimer, Colin. "BBC - Music - Review of Autechre - Untilted". BBC Music. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ Chapson, Heidi (1 June 2005). "Autechre - Untilted". Exclaim!. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b Burgess, John (15 April 2005). "Autechre, Untilted". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ McMillan, Scott (24 March 2010). "Autechre – Oversteps". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "Untilted – Autechre". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ McLean, Euan (18 April 2005). "Autechre Untilted". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ^ McKeating, Scott (19 April 2005). "Autechre - Untilted - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006.
- ^ "Autechre – Untilted". Tiny Mix Tapes. 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2005.
- ^ Unlike their many imitators, Autechre's music refuses to relax, ensuring them a longer radioactive half-life. [May 2005, p.106]
- ^ They still manage to inject their manic bursts of beats with gentle, even sweet melodies immersed deep in the cacophony. [May 2005, p.84]
External links
[edit]- Untilted at the official Warp discography (features audio clips).
