Autoclav 1.1 - Werewolf Country

On June 9, 2015, Autoclav1.1 released his eleventh full length album, entitled 'Werewolf Country', on the United States' popular WTII Records label, home to a very diverse selection of artists. This is Autoclav's second release on WTII Records. Since 2005, Tony Young has been releasing full-length albums featuring a multitude of electronic sub-genres, ranging from Rhythmic Noise and Breakcore on his earlier albums, to IDM and Ambient on his later albums. He has also released albums for Crunch Pod, Tympanik Audio and Hive Records. Most recently, he has been expanding his horizons and composing albums which contain Broken Beat and Dub, the later of which are featured on this latest release. His ever-evolving, genre-expanding style has given him the opportunity to play at some of the most well-known experimental electronic music festivals, such as INFEST and Wave Gotek Treffen, as well as numerous performances at Slimelight in the U.K.

This album is, in my opinion, quite a departure from earlier works of Autoclav's, and while I am all for artists experimenting with new sounds and bringing something new to the table, I'm a bit disappointed that this work wasn't reserved for or presented as a side-project. I hardly recognize this as being Autoclav. While he maintains and expands on his usual melodic, orchestral soundscapes, he has jumped on the IDM Dubstep bandwagon, something I feel that is starting to become played out. In my opinion, his earlier works are much more complex and meaningful. There are a few tracks on this album that preserve his reputation and solidify his rightful place as one of the more prolific artists in the IDM “scene”, but I know he is capable of writing much better music. He has the great ability to write really beautiful ambient orchestrations that invoke much emotion from within, but this seems lost within the signature wobble bass of Dubstep.

I've been a fan of Autoclav1.1 since 'You Are My All And More' came out back in 2005 and this review is no way meant to bash Autoclav on the whole or devalue his contributions to the IDM “scene” over the years. I've enjoyed watching his evolution, but I really wish 'Werewolf Country' had not been released under the Autoclav1.1 name and is not a good representation of what Autoclav is. As I said, there are a handful of tracks on this album that I really do enjoy, namely the tracks that are more IDM-prominent. However, I feel that his music on this album is “dumbed down”, for lack of a better term. I just hope that Autoclav1.1 isn't another artist that gets lost in the sea of IDM Dubstep hybrid artists that seem to be taking over the IDM “scene.” If he wants to continue making this style of music that is completely his prerogative, I just feel that he is capable of greater things. Fans of this style of music will no doubt be into it, especially if you're into Shoegaze, Witch House or Experimental IDM. If you are a fan of his noisier stuff, this may not be for you.

This album is available for purchase on CD or as a Digital Album, which includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more, at WTII Records' website.

Nov 03 2015