Autechre - Quaristice

Probably their most varied and eclectic work since the seminal LP5, Quaristice finds Booth and Brown in playful mood, indulging a huge range of atmospheres and approaches over 20 tracks and 73 minutes. "We're really just trying to create atmospheres... the feeling of being in a certain environment or place," says Booth, speaking to The Skinny this month, and this is born out by the lush, cinematic quality that permeates the album, and the fact that a number of tracks eschew beats altogether. There's immediacy here too: chenc9 is an urgent, propulsive track that rides atop an old school acid bassline, whilst Simmm is a breezy, winsome number that shimmers with chiming melody and metallic textures. Such variation means that Quaristice feels less like a cohesive album than some of their other works, but such concerns are really beside the point. This music is fearlessly experimental, yet utterly engaging - a vindication of Autechre's earnestness in pursuing their own unique trajectory. [Jay Shukla]