Autechre: Oversteps

Label: Warp

Album No. 10 from this slippery, idiosyncratic UK duo might be their best — and not coincidentally, least glitchy — since 1994’s classic Amber. Actually, let’s clarify that: Autechre remains as glitchy as ever on Oversteps, but rather than resulting in clotted-up antirhythms tumbling over themselves their clandestine computer techniques are more folded into the music, which offers more distinct ambient rewards than anything we’ve heard from this group in a good long while. In other words, the musical logic of Oversteps is one that will make sense to your ears (and mine), not just inside of the minds and working partnership of Rob Brown and Sean Booth. The chiming crystal ambience of “See on See” could be a latter-day Eno piece, while “Treale” depicts Brown and Booth’s unique take on hip-hop production (stable beats, enough space for an MC but no real need for one). And in the best way, “Known(1)” takes ‘70s prog-futurism and catapults it into the future for real. The song titles only get more typically cryptic from there (“D-Sho Qub,” “Pt2ph8”), but on Oversteps, Autechre is as accessible as they’ve been in ages — and it’s a very good thing. (Deluxe vinyl edition includes three albums of material and a digital download.) (ML Thrope)