Autechre is an experimental Electronic Dance Music duo consisting of Sean Booth and Rob Brown.  Autechre have released a steady stream of albums and singles on influential Electronica label Warp that have continually pushed the boundaries of experimental electronic music.

Early Years: 1991 to 1998

Sean Booth and Rob Brown started experimenting with samplers in the late 1980’s and by the start of the 1990’s were DJ-ing on a Manchester pirate radio station where they began dropping some of their early experiments in production into their radio shows.  Buoyed by positive feedback they released their first single ‘Cavity Job’ (Hardcore Records 1991). 

Riding on the success of their first single Booth and Brown sent a demo to influential Electronic label Warp who subsequently signed the duo who by this stage had started calling themselves Autechre.  Autechre’s first album for Warp was ‘Incunabula’ (Warp Records 1993).

Throughout the remainder of the 1990’s Autchre build a reputation both as experimental producers but also as an innovative live act.  Tracks such as ‘Second Bad Vibel’ (Warp Records 1995) showcased their blend of fierce breakbeats, Glitch percussive sounds and dark brooding synths. 

Later Years: 1999 to present

By 1999 Autechre’s sound had started to lose some its roughness and tracks such as ‘Dropp’ (Warp Records 1999) still featured the percussive Glitch noises of earlier releases but more cleaner, more processed beats.  The tighter production style however didn’t mean less of a focus on the sonic weirdness, as seen on the succession of squelches, beeps, and occasional beat that is the track ‘Gantz Graf’ (Warp Records 2002).

As something of a return to their roots, in 2008 Autechre released the album ‘Quaristice’ (Warp Records 2008), a montage of analogue sounds that contrast with the clean, sterile digital sound of much contemporary Electronic Dance Music.

Autechre’s most recent studio album to date is ‘Oversteps’ (Warp Records 2010).

Autechre stand out as one of the most experimental and innovative of Electronic Dance Music.  A key component of the Intelligent Dance Music movement, Autechre’s music is not always easy to listen to but rarely shies from pushing sonic boundaries.

Krzysztof Pretkiewicz was born in Poznan, Poland in 1984 and as a youngster was influenced by artists including Depeche Mode, Mike Oldfield and Jean Michel Jarre.