Oversteps and step overs

Recently I've been listening a lot to the music of Autechre, marvelling at their way with sound, colour and structure. Their new album 'Oversteps' is out next week, and a few weeks ago I interviewed the band's Rob Brown about their music.

For a duo who profess to having no musical education, the instincts for musical motifs and their development is uncanny – and just goes to prove that while musical schooling can be incredibly useful, a sixth sense when writing it is as important, if not more so. The band are far from alone in this – many of today's top pop / electronic artists don't have any musical education, surviving on raw talent, instinct and experience. It's like football I guess – some of the world's best players don't need to train, while others, David Beckham for instance, got to an even higher level through relentless practice.

It's one of the areas where pop and classical differ most. Classical music is taught thoroughly, and opera singers especially are advised not to approach the music of certain composers – Wagner for instance – until they have built up a solid experience and allowed their voices to develop fully. It explains why many of the leading singers are in their fifties at least.

But back to Autechre. In the interview with Rob Brown, he confirmed my sentiments. The pair are at their happiest in the studio, trying out ideas, moulding them together, seeing what works and what doesn't, drawing on their influences and imagination to bring something totally unique.

If I heard their music without knowing their background, I would suspect them of having a classical past, and when reviewing previous album 'Quaristice' two years back, suggested a similarity in approach to the music of Anton Webern, due to the way they use small pockets of sound and melody as part of a bigger whole. No Autechre album proceeds without a challenge to the listener, but this is music that rewards those prepared to take up the baton.

Ultimately, though, their music proves a great thing – that to be successful, you don't necessarily need to train first. A little instinct goes an incredibly long way.