Computer Controller Acoustic Instruments pt.2 features acoustic sounds such as prepared piano, drums, and wood and metal percussion, controlled electronically. James considers it the successor to his 2001 album Drukqs:
Part 1 is Drukqs, as that was the first thing I released that utilised computer controlled instruments, namely a modified Yamaha Disklavier, 2nd gen and a couple of midi controlled solenoid based drum mechanisms I made just after I got the Disklavier.
The EP extends the ideas of its predecessor, according to Mark Richardson of Pitchfork, who noted that "where James used to offer his electro-acoustic pieces as a showcase for lyrical melodies, about half the music here consists of crisply arranged beats, with loping drum lines that occasionally veer toward funk". Much of the album features breakbeat backing. Exclaim! stated that most tracks "fall under the label of avant-garde jazz — some of it experimental and way out there — while other parts are coherent enough to sneak into the darker corners of Ninja Tune's back catalogue."
Release
Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 was announced for release on 9 January 2015 on Warps official website. The track listing, worldwide release date and a list of available release formats were published on Bleep.com alongside pre-orders of the EP. Released worldwide on 23 January, Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 was made available as a 12-inch record pressed on 140-gram vinyl, a DigipakCD and a digital download in various digital formats, including MP3, WAV and FLAC. An alternative mix of the EP's opening track—"Diskhat ALL Prepared1mixed "—was made available for stream and MP3 download on Richard D James official SoundCloud account a day prior. In Japan, Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 was released on Beat Records and sold 3,627 physical copies in its first week of release. The EP was particularly successful on the independent charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom; it peaked at number 8 on both the Irish Independent Albums Chart and the UK Independent Albums Chart, as well as entering at number 7 on the UK Official Record Store Albums Chart, where it peaked at number 4 in its third week of release. Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 placed in three separate Billboard charts in the US. It fared well on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart, entering at number 4 in its first week of release and peaking at number 1 the following week; the EP also entered the Tastemakers Albums chart at number 24 and placed at number 10 in its second week.
Reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 received an average score of 64, based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Felicity Martin of Clash called the EP "a difficult but enriching document compiled of often-jarring, disjointed instruments," noting the "really interesting part of this extended play—it's not about making the robots feel human, but feeling as though you're in the room with them, whirring about around you." In his review for the NME Louis Pattison referred to the EP as "true, manufactured pop music" due to the instrumentation being "played not by human hands, but by signals zipping around circuit boards." He added that "as a challenge—to his audience, and to himself it succeeds admirably.". For Drowned in Sound, Benjamin Bland referred to the EP as "a welcome reminder of James's ability to utilise decidedly avant-garde ideas in a manner that, although acutely alien to our idea of musical normality, is nevertheless engaging and inspiring." Bland also regarded the EP as "highly listenable, no less so than Syro".Pitchfork writer Mark Richardson praised the EP but called it "a release for established fans." Exclaim! writer Daryl Keating offered a mixed review, describing the EP as "the compositional scribblings of a sleepless man". Resident Advisors Jordan Rothlein's review described the EP as "a moody set that sounds a bit like either Tom Waits instrumentals, a gamelan ensemble going pop, or maybe just some bits from Syro played back at a fraction of their original speed." Rothelin added that "though there's a certain pleasure in listening to an artist figure things out, a full 28 minutes feels like overkill." Writing for The Guardian, Ben Beaumont-Thomas was highly critical of the EP, saying that "if Syro was an inquisitive artificial intelligence... then is like the organic consciousness it was drawn from, its owner now tinkering with jigsaws in a retirement home." AllMusic was almost entirely negative; reviewer Andy Kellman wrote that "nothing is particularly energizing... the EP should be approached like a sequel—with low expectations."
Track listing
The track length above is valid for CD, digital download and vinyl played on 33 rpm.
Personnel
All personnel credits adapted from Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2s album notes. Performer
Richard D James – keyboards, percussion, programming, production
