After
Tri Repetae++, the stunning leap forward with which
Autechre astounded the techno world, the duo's fourth proper album came as a disappointment to many. The waves of polar static and mechanic clicks which distinguished
Tri Repetae make
Chiastic Slide little more than a variation on a form. Even worse, the album has too few ideas for its near 70-minute length, and the duo seem content with short loops being repeated and repeated over again for up to ten minutes on a single track. Though several songs are on a par with
Tri Repetae -- and that's being generous --
Chiastic Slide just can't compare with
Autechre's earlier work.