Traditionally I see most Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) as being repetitive, boring, overdone and harsh. Bands like Venetian Snares just can't seem to figure out when enough clicks and bleeps are enough. I usually see the whole IDM realm as tired and uninspired; it's like the shred guitar of the dance world. Very technical beats using a lot of bizarre sounds to make said beats and glitch work left and right. With this in mind I was hesitant to see
LP5 by Autechre as anything more than another self-indulged, pretentious IDM album.
When I first listened to the CD, I picked up a very different vibe going on. What surprised me about the first song, "Acroyear II" is how prominent the melody of the song was. Even the beat had a dark melody to it. It allowed me to appreciate the music more because I didn't feel like I had to really focus on the beat alone. I could actually feel the music, which is a first for me as far as IDM goes. The second song, "777" has an interesting rhythm going on with some strange percussive sounds compiling the overall beat. But other than that, the song lacks in that it falls into the boring/repetitive spectrum IDM has ultimately made for itself.
"Rea" is the most beautiful song on this album. The texture of the beat is sublime and fits the melody perfectly. You really can melt while listening to this song. It's got emotion to it which is something lacking in the IDM world in general. It's IDM with soul. Midway through the song the tempo slows down and you're treated to a sluggish rhythmic pattern and a chill melody. It ends and so does my overall interest in the album.
It's not like the rest of the album is bad, it's a great album, but it just doesn't manage to hold my interest like "Rae" did. There is however, one exception; the song "Under Boac."
This song has one of the most interesting beats I've heard in electronic music. The feeling of this song is frightening, sporadic and absolutely chaotic; all with a well placed lo-fi sound that runs throughout it. From a beat fanatic's point of view, this song is the epitome of what good beats incorporate. From a normal listener's point of view, this song is undeniably interesting.
On goes the album and you get a few flashes of innovation and true art but with it comes the overall sense of boredom. There is only so much grainy synth laid over such intense beats one person can take at a time. For fans of IDM, this is an excellent purchase/download. For those of you new to electronic dance music, this is also an excellent purchase. If you want to try to taste all the genres encompassed in electronic music, IDM will be one of them, and this is a great place to go for that. As for people not into any electronic music, you may want to download a couple songs. However, I would not expect you to have some greatly altered disposition towards this style of music after listening, but it really depends how open minded you are to such a genre.
In the genre: 4/5
Outside the genre: 3/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended Tracks:
Rae
Under Boac
Corc
