autechre (LP5)

Manchester natives and unblushing fans of Miami bass music, Sean Booth and Rob Brown have been terrorizing techno enthusiasts since the late '80s with their haywire electronic compositions. Autechre is the latest chapter in the group's sonic assault on the senses, expanding on the disorienting arrangements of the group's previous work with even faster rhythms and more-perplexing song arrangements. In comparison, the jagged compositions of Aphex Twin sound as if Elton John wrote them. Still, there is something hypnotic about the way the abstract soundscapes unfold, even if the closing track, "Drane2," does contain a wily 10 minutes of silence. --Aidin Vaziri