In a review at AllMusic, Rick Anderson described Ironic Universe as "[b]eautiful". He was impressed with Feder's solo pieces, adding that her "[un]traditional playing methods" produce sounds that are "startling but always strangely beautiful". Anderson was more impressed with her duos with Frith, which he said worked well because of the guitarists' "surprising level of musical empathy".[4]
Glenn Astarita wrote in a review of the album in All About Jazz that the duo's "congenial set" of "avant frameworks" is "truly fascinating". He said parts of their performance reminded him of John Fahey's "complex chord phrasings". Astarita added that Frith's solo set on the DVD "adds credence to his stature as one of the great improvisers of our time".[3] In another review in All About Jazz, Nic Jones said Feder and Frith's six duets are the album's highlights, and that while "there's ... plenty here for both the ears and the eyes", he found the predominance of solo performances "a little frustrating", adding that he hoped that next time the pair could "properly get together".[5]
Writing in Exposé, K. Leimer said on Ironic Universe the "experimental inflections" of the prepared guitar balance almost perfectly with the "radiant graces of traditional and non-traditional scales and tunings". He said the blending of these two contrasts will "convert any skeptic" of the relevance of treated instruments. Leimer described the album as "beautiful without simply being pretty", and added that the contrast between Feder and Frith's solo and duo performances "provides an excellent structural metaphor for the way in which the music itself is built".[6]
^ abcRamond, Michel; Roussel, Patrice; Vuilleumier, Stephane. "Discography of Fred Frith". New York Downtown Scene and Other Miscellaneous Discographies. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
