Inspired by the Gateways to Geekery articles on the AV Club website, I
realised there are many musical delights I have discovered and believe that
quite often, it can be daunting for an otherwise avid fan to break into the
work of the more prolific of artists. There are a number of artists, whose
breadth of artistic output is so dense and sprawling that many are too scared
to dip in their toes and sample the joys that their art could bring.
In the first of these articles, I would like to dicuss the
musical ouput of Irish born, Cornish electronic musician, Richard David James,
known to most as the iconic 90’s techno producer Aphex Twin.
Wherein does the difficulty lie?
One of the most notable features of James’ musical output –
and certainly one of the first things a fan will mention – is the sheer range
of names under which he has openly or secretly released music. To date the list
includes (but is potentially not limited to) Aphex Twin, AFX, Gak, Polygon
Window, Caustic Window, Bradley Strider, Powerpill, The Tuss, Soit PP, Diceman,
Blue Calx and Q-Chastic. The latter few pseudonyms were used for the release of
single songs on various compilations and “The Tuss” is one of his few nommes de
plume which has never been confirmed by James’ himself but the musical style leaves
no doubt for the fan.
As well as the vast list of names and musical styles, some
of the difficulty with James comes from the fact that some of his most
celebrated (once again, amongst the more avid of his fans) have never seen the
light of day and exist either as occasional one-off or short run, white label 12” records or are
passed between fans as digital recordings of varying quality.
Another barrier (or draw, depending on your outlook) is
James’ elusive nature and playful approach to the media. Much for which he is
famed could well have been an elaborate ruse or downright untruth leaving both
the mainstream media and fans on the back foot as to the various stories and
legends attributed to their hero.
Where to start with James’ work depends on how au fait you
are initially with the genre in which he works (and which he subverts). I will
assume that the majority of people approaching James’ work fresh are not
familiar with electronic music in general, as those who are are more than
likely already familiar with his work. As the casual dabbler becomes a fan, it
can be quite interesting as already familiar music is uncovered from various
television advertisements and televisual documentary series.
Gateway Album(s)
Selecting a single album as a starting point for James’ work
is no easy task as his sound and style changes so distinctly between albums.
There are two potential starting points: Syro (2014) and Richard D James Album
(1996).
To the uninitiated, both albums sound like nothing else you
will have ever heard, though the most recent album is his most accessible
overall. The ten tracks on display are very tuneful and display James’
diversity as a composer and prowess as a
crafter of unique sounds and studio wizard.
The first track, “Minipops
67 (Source Field Mix)” is playful and fluffy and is followed by “Xmas_Evet10 (Thanaton3 Mix)”,
one of James’ most gorgeous and dense creations. The third track, “4 Bit 9d Api+e+6” has shades of 1980s
funk, which at times reminds me of Prince and then “180db_” shows off how James
can make something distinctly Aphex Twin
with as few elements as possible in this stripped back dance floor track.. The
rest of the album rises towards a rhythmic and melodic crescendo before gently
leaving us with a contemplative solo piano piece named after James’ wife
“Aisatsana”.
The latter release is
also very melodic but ferocious in its rhythmic style and comes in at a very
short 32 minutes. This was the first Aphex Twin album I bought and sat down a
listened to in its entirety. It is unlike anything else and frantic though it
can be at times has a delicate touch and is melodically rich and is therefore a
good gateway into his work. The opening track “4” is gorgeous, and its name
makes more sense since James unloaded close to 200 of his unreleased studio
tracks onto Soundcloud in early 2015 (before promptly removing it all within a
few weeks) as one of those was titled “3” and was reminiscent of this album
opener and shows that its name comes from its place in an unknown (to all but
James) series of melodic songs in the same vein. Also notable is “Fingerbib”,
the title a reference to a 1970s/1980s UK Television puppet show “Fingerbobs”,
which is a gorgeous, playful track. The entire album is flawless from start to
finish.
Venturing Further
The next steps with
James work depends on how much you like electronic music. Some of it is more
repetitive and less melodic to the uninitiated, though there are many exceptions.
His first official album is 1992’s “Selected Ambient Works
85-92”, which is a lovely collection of early ambient works, which are
predominantly gentle and rhythmic. The “Come to Daddy Mini Album” (1996)
comprised of two four track EPs also contains some of James’ most gorgeous and
interesting tracks after the incessant violence and heavily metal insanity
(this is a good thing) of the opening, title track.
“DrukQs” (2001),
James’ magnum opus – a double album comprising a wealth of various styles
including some frantic paced mayhem, gentle prepared piano pieces (which may or
may not be played by remote control robots) and ambient interludes.
Strap Yourself In
James has two magnum
opi, the first of which is 1994’s “Selected Ambient Works Volume II”. Another
sprawling work this is a double album (triple on vinyl) of emotive soundscapes.
It is dense and rewards multiple listens with each listen uncovering something
undiscovered from the last.
AFX’s Analord series, is an eleven recrord
(rounded out with additional digital downloads) series focusing purely on the
sound of analogue synthesisers, though until “Syro” contained some of James’
most melodically complex work. There is a lot to love in this series, though
depending on your taste can take some picking and chosing. The physical
releases are rare and expensive and the digital releases were only available
from the now defunct label co-owned by James, Rephlex Records so listening to
these could prove difficult.
Analogue Bubblebath 5, is one of the easiest on the ear of
the AFX Analogue Bubblebath series, though this again has never been officially
released and only exists on a very short run of unlabeled vinyl with very few
copies in existence.
“Surfing on
Sinewaves” is the single release from 1992 under the Polygon Window pseudonym
and is very distinct in style and form, though its cold, machine like quality
makes it essential listening for the discerning fan.
Listen below to a four hour chronological mix of James' music in two parts featuring James under many of his guises.
Listen below to a four hour chronological mix of James' music in two parts featuring James under many of his guises.
