Warp Autechre - Confield

Confield, the sixth album from Warp duo Autechre, takes a step sideways from their usual techno with the contents closer to the fusion of shattered synthetic elements with organic melodic constructs that dominated their early work than the robotic clangs and clinks, which defined much of LP5. As such, while the opening "VI Scose Poise" prevents delicate orchestration from straying into orbit by way of sheer percussive filaments, "Pen Expers" is obtuse in its contrast--the soundtrack for a 23rd Century retro b-boy, making shapes on a lino of titanium. And so it goes on, Brown and Booth unrelenting in their desire to twist something beautiful from shattered arrangements--non-noises and static colliding in the ether to form rich melodies or subtle changes in beat dynamics before the CD skips and drag these elements back into crunching electronics. Emotional yet hard to handle, lush while still abrasive--an album of contrasts which is certain to satisfy Ae veterans as well as those new to the sound. --Kingsley Marshall

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