Anodyne: The Remixes EP 12": Resident Advisor Review

The presence of electronica behemoths Autechre and The Black Dog will, for many, be the main draw for Anodyne's Remix EP. Anodyne and Lackluster, however, have been around nearly as long, both having released music since the mid-'90s. Perhaps this EP will be a vehicle to elevate them, then, because—if you'll excuse the crassness—it's pretty fucking awesome. Built as it is on three tracks from Anodyne's Corrosion LP earlier this year, which was a storming, dark journey through various rhythmic styles told by distorted drums overlaid with otherworldly ambience, the remixers each turn in similarly epic, and very different, offerings.

My personal favourite is Black Dog, although this is a more subjective opinion than with most releases, due to the variety. They offer clever techno, while Autechre, unexpectedly, go for huge synths over a simple looped drumbreak (it's the Funky Drummer, no need to trainspot here) and Lackluster turns out the glitchy electronica. While based on a tight, 4/4 punch-punch-punch-crack pattern, Dog's remix is filled with knife sharp digital rhythms which oscillate and bounce around, treading the border between electronica and techno in a supremely funky, jet-black cool manner. Epic pads command the track towards the end, emotive and cinematic.

Even those who thought that Oversteps earlier this year was more accessible than usual will be surprised by Autechre's remix. It's very straightforward. They basically slow down the original and thicken up the pads—but once you get past this initial surprise, it's a striking, classic piece. The pads themselves are monumentally thick and intense in typical baroque style, and their acute grasp of both production and atmosphere are present as ever. It's not as mind-expanding as the likes of "Fold 4, Wrap 5," for example, which slows to half speed every two bars, but it's both refreshing and interesting. For those who don't agree, Lackluster provides a shrieking, stuttering and complex anger of digital rhythms, as silken synth lines float and build into twisting sculptures. It's flowing and, despite the chaos, quite sedative, until about a minute from the end when alarms sound and it starts slamming massively, piledrivers deconstructing the terrain in an apocalypse of tectonic destruction.

Words / Daniel Petry
Published / Wed, 15 Sep 2010