tbh I understand the criticism in this thread and for the most part this is exactly what the good people of ILM made one thousand posts about when Syro was released. 90s Aphex was cool in that his tunes were more conceptual and memorable and you could write about them in a way that was intriguing and fun. it had the prankster and outsider element to it. whereas his new music is knotty and technical and quite frankly a lot of it sounds the same as itself. it's no fun to write about. hence why so many Syro reviews made an entire paragraph describing the last track.
this EP definitely feels distinct though - it has that aural rollercoaster feel to it that a lot of the good Aphex stuff does. sounds awesome too. suddenly I'm interested in this guy again.
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:33 (five years ago) link
Abundance feels like tornado Wallace on speed.
One thing I can get behind with this ep is the merger of frenetic percussion with ambient synths or vocal melodies. Abundance borders on r n b with those vocal loops but does not deploy them enough to make that concrete
Often the drums are pitched to the music which is fucking solid
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:41 (five years ago) link
Also frog otm
One thing I can get behind with this ep is the merger of frenetic percussion with ambient synths or vocal melodies.
Put that way it *does* sound like completely new territory for Aphex Twin ;-)
― the sun-dried raisins of muesli (Noel Emits), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:49 (five years ago) link
Lol :)
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:52 (five years ago) link
Syro was more melodic than this. He has been branching out, even though timbrally it feels like all's said and done at this point in his 'late' period.
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 19:01 (five years ago) link
What you mean I don't know good music, I have Disco Duck on 45
― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Wednesday, September 19, 2018 5:48 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I have the album!
― Mark G, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 20:18 (five years ago) link
90s Aphex was cool in that his tunes were more conceptual and memorable and you could write about them in a way that was intriguing and fun. it had the prankster and outsider element to it. whereas his new music is knotty and technical and quite frankly a lot of it sounds the same as itself. it's no fun to write about.
Just FTR, my personal reception of new Aphex has nothing at all to do with what it's like to "write about it"...
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:18 (five years ago) link
So far I'm really enjoying this. It has a lot more personality than the other stuff he's put out this decade. Yes, it sounds like an Aphex recording, but it also sounds very much of the moment in terms of production quality and complexity.
I like the middle section on the first track where the drums sound like they are speeding out if control. And I agree that the second track is taking its cues from Jlin.
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:36 (five years ago) link
xp I mean, you can substitute whatever...talk about, think about, be inspired by, etc. etc. for me my entryway into Aphex was the cover to the Richard D. James album + some article talking about how he was making rhythm tracks out of Coke cans + that thing where he hid his face in the spectrogram of a track. having no clue what IDM was I had to know what this kind of music sounded like. of course it wasn't just the gimmicks that made this stuff so classic, using more tangible melodies had something to do with it. like a lot of "outsider" stuff that becomes famous it's some combo of weirdness and accessibility.
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:42 (five years ago) link
again, from a casual fan's perspective, there's a lot more to chew on here compared to Cheetah, Syro, or the Acoustic Computer whatever EP (which I really liked). it's 28 minutes but I feel like I'll get the most mileage out of this record than any other I've heard so far in 2018.
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:45 (five years ago) link
Aphex is good and talented and we should be glad he still does his things. We’re all armchair critics, what’s your contribution to society? Posts on Ilx?
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:47 (five years ago) link
Syro was really, really great. That second track!
― crüt, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:47 (five years ago) link
Is that Xmas ??
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:48 (five years ago) link
Oh that’s great !
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:49 (five years ago) link
We’re all armchair critics, what’s your contribution to society? Posts on Ilx?
I deliver babies in war zones, and post in ILX in my spare moments.
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:52 (five years ago) link
Hahaha good poster
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:53 (five years ago) link
this thread has accumulated roughly as many new answers since yesterday as the jlin thread has accumulated in three years
i think that is bad, not good
― the late great, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:54 (five years ago) link
i guess tbf half of those posts are me complaining about how overrated aphex twin is
― the late great, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:55 (five years ago) link
is the jlin thread full of trolls trying to piss on people's enjoyment of the music
xp lol
― crüt, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:56 (five years ago) link
Lol
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:57 (five years ago) link
it's not trolling to say you think music (a song, an album, an artist, artist's body of work for the last 10-15 years) isn't that good
― the late great, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:59 (five years ago) link
eg
people are fucking morons especially people who like this trash band
― crüt
― the late great, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:02 (five years ago) link
people are fucking morons especially people who like this trash band recent aphex better than jlin
fixed
― the late great, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:03 (five years ago) link
i regret nothing
― crüt, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:05 (five years ago) link
i'm not sure anyone's arguing that recent aphex is better than jlin
― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:05 (five years ago) link
I will
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:06 (five years ago) link
:P
i know, i know
just making a point about trolling vs dissent
― the late great, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:06 (five years ago) link
people are fucking morons especially people who like this trash band recent aphex better than jlin big & rich
― crüt, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:06 (five years ago) link
in fact on the jlin thread i believe i made the argument that the only person even operating at her level is afx
― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:07 (five years ago) link
Would pay crut to be my editor tbh
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:07 (five years ago) link
I’m cool with jlin if I got migraine pills handy
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:08 (five years ago) link
At least oval had sympathy for my broken discman
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:12 (five years ago) link
aw, i like black origami
― crüt, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:12 (five years ago) link
recent aphex is better than autechre tho
― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:14 (five years ago) link
I like kyanite a lot
Just like having fun cheers
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:14 (five years ago) link
Which way Dave
slam the brakes buddy
― frogbs, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:15 (five years ago) link
Feels like a road runner cartoon
― Ross, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:17 (five years ago) link
lol so many twists and turns on opinions dr
― macropuente (map), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:18 (five years ago) link
ZANY APHEX = NO THANK U
― brimstead, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 22:42 (five years ago) link
I like Jlin, and I'm glad Aphex Twin is learning something from her.
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 23:24 (five years ago) link
at least they are not Sophie.
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Thursday, 20 September 2018 00:06 (five years ago) link
I liked Cheetah better but this pretty good, especially “1st 44”
― latebloomer, Thursday, 20 September 2018 00:20 (five years ago) link
Jed - what’s that mean about Sophie??
― Ross, Thursday, 20 September 2018 05:39 (five years ago) link
RDJ supposedly used an Elektron RYTM for parts of these tracks. You can sort of recognize its 'character' in the title track, but it's not so easy to identify. the RYTM is an eight-voice, analog drum synthesizer that also plays samples. There's a Pitchfork interview with James (and his wife?) from around the time Syro came out, and they mention the drum machine a few times (a gift from Elektron?) - it's a mk1 version of the RYTM, where you have to load samples using a computer. The MKII version (with improved functionality, display, size, appearance, etc.) came out just last year, and it's a sampler in the sense that you can just plug something into its input(s) and record (anything, using a 3.5 mm / 1/4" cable) directly. You can combine those samples with the sounds of the drum machine in a variety of ways. If you're at all familiar with Elektron step sequencers you'll know that using them can take a lot of preparation and forethought... volume/filter/envelope/effects parameters, sounds, sound behavior, their frequency of occurrence, logic conditions, etc. - it's all highly programmable / malleable, to a maddening extent. The workflow of the Elektron sequencer is not at all intuitive until you understand how it works. And then there are the pads of the RYTM, which add a whole 'nother level of control. The Texas band xuiqen uses Elektron machines, and their music (on the album moiré is the next best thing to Autechre (similar to Ae). I keep reading that Autechre used Elektron machines on both Untilted and Quaristice.. most likely the Machinedrum and the MonoMachine, both of which are badass / legendary synthesizers already. They're really expensive. Getting carried away with trivia, apologies. Been listening to the Collapse CD on the stereo this evening, and it is indeed FUN :)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWyVwR_MH1V2Rzo3wisFRgNw9lmVeZi1Z (btw)
― braunld (Lowell N. Behold'n), Friday, 21 September 2018 05:57 (five years ago) link
Poll: Lets Go Deep vs Stone In Focus
― saer, Friday, 21 September 2018 17:59 (five years ago) link
It kinda sounds like two disparate tracks playing simultaneously..
― braunld (Lowell N. Behold'n), Friday, 21 September 2018 19:07 (five years ago) link
i don't know if it's because Stone in Focus is so well-burned 'in' after all these years, but it doesn't seem to match up very well, as it doesn't 'reset' on same the bar / count, so as to lock in with the other track better.
― braunld (Lowell N. Behold'n), Friday, 21 September 2018 19:21 (five years ago) link