Anvil Vapre

Beginning with looped blasts of static used as rhythm, before charging headlong into a pummeling industrial-strength breakbeat, "Second Bad Vilbel" kicks off Anvil Vapre with fire. This album is another definite milestone in Autechre's transformation from an intelligent, dance music group to a much more interesting beast. The use of low rumblings, haunting song breaks and drones, and generally user-unfriendly textures establishes clear connections to the Throbbing Gristle/Cabaret Voltaire school of protean noisemaking, while the sharp, spot-on percussion slams -- at times suddenly shifting tempos -- still make everything danceable in unexpected ways. "Second Scepe" is calmer in comparison, building up the rhythm, in part, from a series of abbreviated vocal samples and a minimal keyboard bassline. "Second Scout" has a good, deep, funky, techno feel to it, with squelching bass and echoing synths that sound like Derrick May pursuing his George Clinton fascination to another level. "Second Peng" concludes the release on another high note, carefully building and combining a variety of rhythms, keyboard loops, and background sounds to create an excellent, slow pounder of a track. ~ Ned Raggett|