Oversteps (album)
| Oversteps | ||||
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| Studio album by Autechre | ||||
| Released | 22 February 2010(download) 23 March 2010 (CD/LP)[1] |
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| Recorded | 2008-2010 | |||
| Genre | Ambient, IDM, electronic | |||
| Length | 71:16 | |||
| Label | Warp WARP210 |
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| Producer | Autechre | |||
| Autechre chronology | ||||
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Oversteps is the tenth album by electronic music duo Autechre, released on Warp Records. The album was made available for official download on bleep.com and the Japanese iTunes Store on 22 February 2010; the CD and deluxe vinyl editions were released on 23 March 2010. Critics were generally quite positive about Oversteps, with many considering it more accessible than previous albums.
Contents
Background and production
In a March 2010 interview with Clash, Autechre members Sean Booth and Rob Brown said they did not know if any other music influenced the development of Oversteps; Booth commented that "I don’t own a single record that sounds like 'Oversteps'".[2] The dynamic between the duo in the studio was called "hilariously accommodating" in the same interview, with Booth stating "I don’t mind backing down".[2]
Autechre streamed a twelve hour webcast in early March 2010, coinciding with the album's release,[3] as they had with the releases of Untilted and Quaristice.
The album artwork was created by The Designers Republic.[4]
Release
Oversteps was released on 23 March 2010.[1] Before its release, numerous fake versions of the album showed up on Internet websites, just as had happened with the previous three sets.[2] Brown said it was "becoming a bit of a tradition" at the time of the album's release.[2] Oversteps peaked at No. 15 and No. 46 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums and Heatseekers Albums charts, respectively, the week of 10 April 2010.[5]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [7] |
| BBC Music | positive[8] |
| Drowned in Sound | (9/10)[9] |
| musicOMH |  [10] |
| NME | (8/10)[11] |
| The Observer | positive[12] |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.2/10)[3] |
| Pop Matters |   [13] |
| Resident Advisor | (3.5/5)[14] |
| The Skinny | [15] |
| The Times | [16] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [16] |
| Virgin Music | (7/10)[17] |
| XLR8R | (8/10)[18] |
Oversteps received generally positive reviews, with most agreeing it is one of the band's most accessible albums to date. Matt Kennedy of BBC was highly complimentary, and noted that while "Oversteps is certainly no exception to their outwardly difficult aesthetic.... Beneath the icy exterior, deceptively warm hearts beat".[8] He added that, as per usual, the album was not immediately accessible, but that repeatedly listening to it is "the only method of absorbing Oversteps’ depths", concluding, "Autechre continue to test themselves and listeners alike with stunningly intricate results."[8]
Paul Clarke of Drowned in Sound agreed, saying Oversteps "initially still seems as imposing as an abandoned warehouse surrounded by nine feet of razor wire", but "does have entry points for the casual listener".[9] He compared it to mid-1990s sets by fellow IDM group Future Sound of London, saying the album's songs "all seem to blossom out of each other to immerse the listener in a synaesthetic environment."[9] He concluded his review on a similar note as Kennedy, saying, "Oversteps is still a challenging listen, and one which reveals endless layers of new detail with each spin. But it’s also their most instantly rewarding—and arguably best—album to date."[9]
Patrick Sisson of Pitchfork Media said the album recalled earlier works such as Amber, saying, "the ambience and atmospheres of Oversteps are haunting."[3] He also called the album "less rigid" and "almost organic", concluding that Autechre were "still incorporating new designs, not merely repackaging the previous products."[3]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Sean Booth and Rob Brown.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "r ess" | 5:13 |
| 2. | "ilanders" | 5:32 |
| 3. | "known(1)" | 4:43 |
| 4. | "pt2ph8" | 4:10 |
| 5. | "qplay" | 4:39 |
| 6. | "see on see" | 4:37 |
| 7. | "Treale" | 6:05 |
| 8. | "os veix3" | 4:38 |
| 9. | "O=0" | 4:53 |
| 10. | "d-sho qub" | 6:26 |
| 11. | "st epreo" | 4:08 |
| 12. | "redfall" | 3:49 |
| 13. | "krYlon" | 6:09 |
| 14. | "Yuop" | 6:22 |
| 15. | "Xektses sql" (Japanese bonus track) | 3:01 |
|
Total length:
|
74:17 | |
References
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