More orchestral manoeuvres in the dark with “the Rochdale Kraftwerk” laying down the rules and the beats

Of the stable of artists that emerged from Warp Records’ early 90s heyday it is not the cartoonish Aphex Twin or the soft focus Boards of Canada that loom largest but Autechre, the least fathomable of the stable, who have probably been most influential on modern music making. They show no signs of letting up and for a duo well into their 40th decade they can’t be accused of resting on their laurels or relying on tracks they made in the 90s to draw a crowd. You’re about as likely to hear something played from their first few LPs as Inspiral Carpets are to do a set of Sun Ra covers.

Their M.O. these days is to make entirely computer generated music, in sharp contrast to the contemporary trend for Modular Synthesis – an expensive hobby that’s a sort of model railway enthusiasts approach to music making and requires amassing a vast array of component parts just to make a few bleeps and drones. Autechre work entirely with their own intricate coding using customised software and have essentially built their own unique, virtual rig of music making tools – much like Kraftwerk’s mysterious Kling Klang studios, except that it lives inside Sean & Rob’s laptops.

As a live act, they have always been a testy and somewhat challenging proposition not least because it’s hard to frame them in the right context. Their roots are very much in the underground dance scene and all-night clubbing but you can’t really dance to Ae. If there are identifiable beats, they’re mangled and maddeningly complex. They have a knack of tracing the contours of their electro and hip hop roots while being singularly un-danceable. Ae is the very definition of Electronic Listening Music but often presented, live, in a way that isn’t conducive to listening. In the past, Ae gigs tended to be after-hours affairs in sweaty clubs but perhaps with band and audience now 50-somethings there are some concessions to us ‘old-uns’. Tonight they play New Century- a regular 7-11pm gig venue – or it least it usually is. They easily sell out this 1,300 capacity venue as they do similar sized venues around the world.

The emails start coming. Autechre will start at 10 and go on past 11pm. Is this so Autechre can hold on to some notion of being ‘after hours’? All this does is pitch tonight in a dead spot between gig and club night and make for a more expensive ride home for anyone outside the M60..for the sake of 30 mins over normal curfew. At the risk of sounding like a total square, that ain’t cool.

The next email arrives – Autechre will play in complete darkness. Well this is something they’ve done for years, it’s part of their schtick and as a ruse it’s a simple but quite clever solution to the fact that there really is “nothing to see here”. Two blokes from Rochdale in North Face jackets fiddling with laptops is not a visual spectacle so, turn all the lights off and it becomes entirely about the sound. This time they’ve added some rules – the bar will close for the duration, do not move unnecessarily (!), no filming on phones, no flash and only put your phone light on if you need help. (To be fair some of this to make tonight more inclusive – and New Century is a properly accessible venue and has a raised area for those who need it, which is well used tonight)

Rules of engagement established, Autechre appear and gradually the lights dim which gets a massive cheer – and we’re plunged into darkness. It’s a good trick and the only concession to staging. The pesky Fire Exit signs will always prevent Autechre getting the bible black night they want – as does the glow of their laptop screens and LEDs – so its a grey, shadowy murk rather than a total blackout. It’s quite funny that people still seem to face the stage and some daft sods point their phone cameras into the darkness, force of habit.

You could argue why not stay at home, turn all the lights off and listen to their latest Live LPs. I guess the answer is, you get to hear it thru a very powerful soundsystem in a venue and it does sound colossal, but in many ways it feels like this gig would work better seated. Indeed Autechre did a very successful seated performance at the Barbican recently. It’s hard to immerse yourself in the music when you’re stood in a packed, humid venue trying not to bump into the person next to you. It’s also surprising they don’t use a surround sound system and the stage is the focus when there is nothing much on it, so why not set up in the middle of the room? 15 mins in, something goes wrong and the sound cuts out which rather breaks the spell. There’s an awkwardly long break while it gets sorted with a few false starts which is the cue for some gobshite near me to start complaining loudly and expressing his boring opinions- they get it going again and the sound does seem more hefty than before and drowns out the fuckwit.

Autechre live and recorded works tend to be separate things- apart from some very early gigs they have never ever peformed tracks from their records as such – everything is semi-improvised and usually prepared specifically for each tour. However on this occasion they’ve already released some live recordings of earlier shows which means there are actually some familiar pieces in the set- to the point that cheers go up on occasion – much like a jazz band they have set pieces and themes that reoccur so amid the intense barrage of beats and soundwaves there is some order in there somewhere. And yes someone has gone to the trouble of comparing live recordings and numbering specific tracks that reoccur in sets.

As I try and get comfortable there are times when the music is truly remarkable – this is a very beat-heavy set and occasionally threatens to slip into an almost conventional drum & bass or electro rhythm before it’s derailed by some deliberate shift or curveball. Earlier on there is a bit of light and shade and even quieter passages of synth pads and crisp lead parts before the relentless beats slam back in. There are things that resemble basslines and huge droning chords and often it becomes difficult to know what is being played, what is just forming from the clash of sounds in the air or whether my brain is filling in the gaps as it tries to make sense of the barrage of sounds and the sheer velocity of audio information thundering out of the speakers. It’s those moments where you remember why you are here. It’s not easy, it’s not comfortable but there is nothing quite like hearing Autechre in full flight in the dark.

So, a challenging evening in several respects- and it made me think Autechre need to think about creating a truly immersive experience which needs to go beyond a gig venue or a club with speakers and a stage – and maybe just present this as what it is, an evening of contemporary experimental electronic music rather than an awkward mix of the former and a messy club night. They’re missing a trick somewhere.

Of course they will, and should, take no notice of me and do whatever they want to do. Contrary bastards.

Rave on!