In an August 2018 interview with Pitchfork, Sean Booth and Rob Brown stated that they were hesitant to do a residency when approached by NTS, having already produced a set for the station in 2016.

Like other Autechre releases of the past decade, the music is a product of what the duo refers to as "the system": "a labyrinthine compendium of software synthesizers, virtual machines, and digital processes.

[6] In approaching the project as a radio show, "tracks were put together and edited with that in mind", with "versions and repeats of ideas that have occurred in earlier material."

The duo "spent ages sequencing" the album's component parts with an emphasis on "deep mixing ... where you've got things you aren't necessarily aware of at first listen.

"[1] Reviewing the album for AllMusic upon its physical release, Paul Simpson concluded that "By nature, the daunting NTS Sessions is Autechre's most challenging work, but for those who are dedicated, it's also one of their most rewarding.

However, due to the limitations of physical media, the album's CD and vinyl versions spread the material across multiple discs, or records: