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]
| Anti EP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 3 September 1994[1] | |||
| Genre | IDM[2] | |||
| Length | 24:40 | |||
| Label | Warp WAP55 | |||
| Producer | Autechre | |||
| Autechre chronology | ||||
| ||||
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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| 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. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |