Warp Records is one of those labels that releases so much stuff that it's kinda hard to keep up with 'em. They don't have U.S. offices, as far as I know, so their stuff is released over here primarily by indie labels. Matador's pushing the majority of Warp releases-- they've got Red Snapper, Two Lone Swordsmen, Boards of Canada and a bunch of others; Trent Reznor's Nothing imprint issues the better known stuff like Squarepusher, Plaid, and these guys, Autechre.

Autechre have, over the past few years, become one of the best- loved acts on the Warp roster, and with good reason. Their sound is distinctly their own-- they generate the weirdest noises they can extract from their various pieces of analog and digital equipment, and turn it into a mindfuck of skittering madness.

Last year's full- length, LP5, was one of their most diverse and innovative works to date. The majority of its tracks seemed to start with minimalist percussion, and gradually build on the rhythm by dropping in more noises until the songs became complex works of sonic terrorism. But we're not so lucky this time around. EP7's tracks start out complex and kind of meander for a few minutes before blending seamlessly into the next number. (It should also be noted that while I believe the band classifies EP7 as an EP release, it is, in actuality, another full- length album. Here, we're presented with 11 new songs and over 60 minutes of new music.)

The problem with EP7 lies with its lack of diversity. These songs all sound reasonably similar, offering very little in the way of originality. It's hard to differentiate between the tracks, and after 20 minutes, it even begins to grate. On LP5, the songs were their own distinct entities, with each cut bringing something new to the table. EP7 just seems to wander around aimlessly, alternating between prime Autechre cuts and uninspired filler.

"Ccec" adds a layer of chopped up, unintellegable rap lyrics to their usual mix; "Liccflii" presents a barage of speedy, cut-up beats and an array of musical plings and plangs; "Maphive 6.1" is an eight minute long epic, and perhaps one of EP7's most compelling cuts, offering what sounds like an Aphex'd timpani and toy piano; and "Pir," the album's closing track, brings us a gorgeous ambient melody over-- you guessed it-- standard fucked-up Autechre percussion.

Sadly, the guys seem uninterested for much of the rest of the record. Perhaps they realize they've become one of Warp's most revered assets and can therefore spend most of their studio time slacking while still receiving tons of critical acclaim and watching their album sales skyrocket. Whatever the case, EP7 isn't their most shining hour. If you want the good stuff, reach for their earlier work.

-Ryan Schreiber