Anti EP

Anti EP
EP by
Autechre
Released3 September 1994[1]
GenreIDM[2]
Length24:40
LabelWarp
WAP55
ProducerAutechre
Autechre chronology
Basscadet Mixes
(1994) 		Anti EP
(1994) 		Amber
(1994)

Anti EP is the second EP by British electronic music duo Autechre,[3] released by Warp on 3 September 1994.[1] It peaked at number 90 on the UK Singles Chart,[4] as well as number 39 on the UK Dance Singles Chart.[5] It is the only explicitly political record Autechre have released.[6]

Background

Anti EP was a protest against the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which would prohibit raves (described as gatherings where music is played), with "music" being defined as a "succession of repetitive beats."[7] Sean Booth explained the band's strategy for the song "Flutter" by saying, "We made as many different bars as we could on the drum machine, then strung them all together."[7]

The packaging bore a sticker with a disclaimer about the repetitive nature of the rhythmic elements of "Lost" and "Djarum".[8] "Flutter" was programmed to have non-repetitive beats and therefore "can be played at both forty five and thirty three revolutions under the proposed law"; but following their disclaimer, it was advised that DJs "have a lawyer and a musicologist present at all times to confirm the non repetitive nature of the music in the event of police harassment."[8] The sticker acted as a seal, which was required to be broken in order to access the media enclosed in the packaging.[8]

The profits from this release went to the political pressure group Liberty.[9] The sticker ended with this last statement: "Autechre is politically non-aligned. This is about personal freedom."[9]

Despite "Flutter"'s ability to be played at 33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM on vinyl, the CD version contains the song as played at 45 RPM.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]

Ken Tataki of AllMusic gave the EP 4 stars out of 5, saying, "Beyond a doubt, this is an excellent showcase not only for the band, but also for the label that signed them."[10] Writing for Fact in 2013, Maya Kalev called the EP "a continued reminder of dance music's extra-linguistic and innate potential for subversion."[6] In 2014, Fact placed "Flutter" at number 1 on their list of the "100 greatest IDM tracks".[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sean Booth and Rob Brown

No.TitleLength
1."Lost"7:24
2."Djarum"7:19
3."Flutter"9:57
Total length:24:40

Charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 90
UK Dance Singles (OCC)[5] 39

References

  1. ^ a b "Anti". Warp. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "The 100 greatest IDM tracks". Fact. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  3. ^ Johnston, Chris (27 July 2012). "The Crate: Anti EP by Autechre". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 09 October 1994 – 15 October 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40: 09 October 1994 – 15 October 1994". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b Kalev, Maya (2 September 2013). "The genius of Autechre in 13 essential tracks". Fact. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b Gallivan, Joseph (19 July 1994). "Joseph Gallivan on pop". The Independent. London, England. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d Khal (13 August 2014). "10 Singles You Should Own on Vinyl: Autechre – "Anti" EP". Complex. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  9. ^ a b Pattison, Louis (21 July 2014). "How the Political Warning of Autechre's Anti EP Made it a Warp Records Classic". Vice. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  10. ^ a b Tataki, Ken. "Anti- – Autechre". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 February 2018.