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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Quaristice
by Autechre


7.1

based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 13 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Autechre @ Warp Records

The English electronic duo releases its ninth album, which was also released as a download earlier this year.

LABEL:	Warp
RELEASE DATE:	04 March 2008
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Electronic

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Tiny Mix Tapes

After many detailed listens, the record feels like their strongest yet, a bold statement considering the importance of their previous works.

cokemachineglow

Quaristice--the band’s 9th full length, with about as many EPs--is probably the best album Autechre could have created at this point in their career.

Filter

The album is a suprisingly wonderful effort--perhaps even the duo's best in a decade. [Winter 2008, p.96]

musicOMH.com

Autechre albums have been famously challenging in the past, but Quaristice is an easier way in, and impresses with its structure, its continued innovation in texture and in the way every sound remains vital, even in the course of a seventy minute album.

All Music Guide

Not since "LP5" has being impressed been so obviously secondary to enjoyment.

Drowned In Sound

Its layers upon layers of ideas and electronic noise require a level of repeat digestion far, far removed from the instant gratification and heart-on-sleeve emotions dominating the musical landscape. And that’s never a bad thing when done with the innate skill and passion for progression heard here.

Uncut

It's their best since 1995's "LP5." [Apr 2008, p.83]

Mojo

It's a fantastic collection, there's still nothing else remotely like it. [Apr 2008, p.104]

Delusions of Adequacy

Quaristice does an excellent job of mixing the two sides of Autechre into one cohesive running narrative.

Village Voice

Quaristice demands to be heard, but stubbornly refuses to be the soundtrack of your life. That's art, and perhaps it's only pegged as "difficult" because it won't sing along with you; neither will the Chrysler Building, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful.

Pitchfork

Even while Quaristice is in some ways the most listenable album they've created in a decade, it's ultimately no easier to parse, and can be very rough going indeed if you're not in the mood for their peculiar world.

Billboard

At times it feels like a lot is going on, others not so much. The pieces are all there, but it just doesn't add up to more than the sum of its parts.

Dusted Magazine

Quaristice seems most comfortable amidst the modern scrum, a soundtrack for mundane urban maneuvers.

PopMatters

Quaristice demonstrates Autechre’s ability to pop in every few years with a firm grasp on the present state of electronic music and a strong sense of the compositional.

The New York Times

There’s a more tangible sense of calm on Quaristice (Warp), the ninth full-length release by Sean Booth and Rob Brown, electronic programmers who record together as Autechre. But it flickers and fluctuates, often dissolving out of frame.

No Ripcord

Quaristice can occasionally be on the sloggish side. However, there's a lot to admire in such a brazen display of accomplishment, and, while it may not be looking to court the most gushing of affection, this will undoubtedly prove to be one of '08's most singular releases.

New Musical Express

There are ideas here that could have been developed into a stunning 10-track album. Unfortunately, Quaristice contains 20 ‘tunes’, many of them elusively experimental ear-tormenters.

Spin

Get past glitchy irritants like 'SonDEremawe' and an artful payoff of cerebral, booty-shaking decadence awaits on their ninth album.

The Guardian

Quaristice, though it contains plenty of ingenuity and microscopic beauty across its 20 tracks, often feels trapped by its own twitchy algorithms.

Under The Radar

The music is challenging to be sure, but cannot be disregarded outright due to several moments where everything seems to click. [Spring 2008, p.88]

NOW Magazine

When you have to think this hard about music, it becomes a somewhat joyless ride, especially since Booth and Brown deny the listener a single danceable beat until track 10.

Q Magazine

While the maverick spirit that drives this pair is admirable, it doesn't make the end result any more enjoyable. [Apr 2008, p.102]

The average user rating for this album is 7.1 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Eric C. gave it a9:
What's painful for some is awesome for others. Experimental electro can be a very intimidating genre, and Autechre doesn't disprove this. You actually have to look for beats and rhythms, and the sounds they throw in may sound sensless and random. But something just clicked when I heard this album for the first time, and I actually enjoyed it. The second time, and it became my favorite album of the new year. They're ultra-precise computer tricks are beyond what most of their peers are doing (if you would dare call Does it Offend You Yeah? or Morcheeba their peers). It also doesn't hurt that this album reminds me of the score to Blade Runner (not sure why, except for the broodingly beautiful opener and closer). If you don't think that this is music, then you can't be convinced. For everyone else who is willing to get engaged in their music, then Autechre have no rivals. Also, it blows my mind how some people lable them as dance. Try to dance to them, and put it on YouTube.

Matthew B. gave it a9:
The first time I listened to this I skimmed through the beginnings of a few tracks, and thought it wasn't anything special. However this album really only comes alive when you listen to it as a single and complete musical journey. It's their best album for many years.

Saltlick Mcgee gave it a9:
I have found Autechre to be consistently fascinating, and this album is no different. I agree with that cokemachineglow guy that this is probably the best album they could have made at this point. It's actually very playful in a lot of spots. Nothing really feels rushed or cut off too soon, and nothing really drags too badly either. I already can't wait for the next one.

John gave it a9:
I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but after a few listens, I'm loving this one. Beats their last two records by a long shot.

Liam S. gave it a4:
if it wasn't obvious enough on Untilted that they'd run out of ideas it sure is now.

Steven H. gave it a3:
While suffering through this album's first 8 meandering and a-melodic noise, I had to ask myself....why am I doing this to myself? The answer was that I used to really like Autechre. The next question was...why did I used to like Autechre? The answers to that one were numerous...Tri Repetae, LP5, Innacabula, etc. The only question left is "what the hell happened?" Experimentation with sound is awesome...but to the the maximum return on these sounds, you have to make a song out of it. This album is almost completely devoid of anything resembling a song. I got into autechre because they pushed the envelope on what a song was, what a song could be....they stripped the melodies and rhythms down to their roots. Sadly on their last 2 albums, they've thrown both out the window entirely.

marc G gave it a4:
their worst lp...

Quaristice by Autechre

Quaristice
by Autechre