Oversteps (album)

Oversteps
Studio album by Autechre
Released 22 February 2010(download)
23 March 2010 (CD/LP)[1]
Recorded 2008-2010
Genre Ambient, IDM, electronic
Length 71:16
Label Warp
WARP210
Producer Autechre
Autechre chronology
Quaristice.Quadrange.ep.ae
(2008)		 Oversteps
(2010)		 Move of Ten
(2010)

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.

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
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [7]
BBC Musicpositive[8]
Drowned in Sound(9/10)[9]
musicOMH[10]
NME(8/10)[11]
The Observerpositive[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 tracks written 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

  1. 1 2 "Autechre: Oversteps". Warp Records. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bennett, Matthew (11 March 2010). "Autechre Interview". Clash. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sisson, Patrick (22 March 2010). "Autechre Oversteps". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Autechre will leave you hypnotised". Metro. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Oversteps - Autechre". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Oversteps - Autechre". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Bush, John. "Oversteps Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 Kennedy, Matt (17 March 2010). "Autechre Oversteps Review". BBC. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Clarke, Paul (15 March 2010). "Autechre Oversteps". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  10. ↑ Judy Clarke (2010-03-22). "Autechre - Oversteps". musicOMH. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  11. ↑ Hoban, Alex (19 March 2010). "Album Review: Autechre - 'Oversteps' (Warp)". NME. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Grundy, Gareth (21 March 2010). "Autechre: Oversteps". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  13. ↑ Mike Schiller (2010-03-31). "Autechre: Oversteps". Pop Matters. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  14. ↑ Ian Mathers (2010-03-10). "Autechre - Oversteps". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  15. ↑ Shukla, Mark (3 March 2010). "Autechre - Oversteps". The Skinny. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  16. 1 2 Clay, Joe (20 March 2010). "Autechre: Oversteps". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011.
  17. ↑ Matthew Laidlow. "Autechre - 'Oversteps' - album review". Virgin Music. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  18. ↑ Brandon Bussolini (2010-03-26). "Autechre Oversteps". XLR8R. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
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