Autechre, New Century. 22nd February 2025

New Century is sold out tonight. If you’re here late, you’ll have to take my word for it, as you’ll not see a thing. That’s because Autechre have turned off all the lights and are performing in the dark. I’ve got to say it’s insanely liberating. It probably wouldn’t work for a lot of bands, but for an electronic duo it feels like a stroke of genius. This isn’t dance music after all, no one’s moving, we’re all just stood, totally immersed. Well aside the excitable Italian next to me. I’ve still parked myself down the front though, one the sound is better and two there’s more room. Everyone always gets bottlenecked at the back of this room when it’s busy. Autechre have evolved a lot over the years, with over a dozen records under their belts, it now seems they’ve given up that caper for something with more freedom, live performances untethered by album and song structure. Despite following them since the late 90s, this is my first time out with them, so I’ve nothing to compare it to, well aside live recordings, but as is always the case, being in the room is a different experience. Although an odd one. Gigs are often about the communal feeling, but this is quite isolating. Granted I spend most of the set with my eyes closed, reaching an almost meditative state. In fact I’m amused when I open my eyes to find I’ve turned to face the speakers, clearly my ears looking for some balance to match the rest of my senses. Plus this way I avoid being distracted by the Italian, who’s insistent on dancing like he’s in a primary school interpretive dance lesson. You know the ones, when teachers in the 80s would put on a BBC tape of space sounds in the parquet floored main hall and tell you to lose yourself. Fair enough, you certainly can get lost in Autechre. There’s plenty of bass and plenty of space, but they’re pretty uncompromising. 20 minutes in when they have some technical issues, it’s not immediately obvious. Bass unfurls, then stops, initiating boos from the crowd, but it feels like it might be part of the set, until the silence sets in and the crowd get restless. They want bangers, but really I think they’ve come to the wrong gig. When the speakers crackle again and they reach for the heavy artillery it does pack a punch, makes the floor buzz and offers some light trouser waft. But it’s just one element of a vast array of layers. Steely stabs, mix with warm drones and industrial shards, pops and trills. Listen carefully and you can separate the patterns, getting lost down different aural pathways. Everything becomes inconsequential in an abstract zen sound-bath and honestly you really do have to experience it yourself, but that’s my interpretation and I absolutely loved it.