Aphex Twin - Syro

[Synthestesia]

[untitled]

New review from The New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/ ... -principle

As most of it reads like the STASI file of RDJ, I have taken the liberty to paste together what refers to the album proper:

“Syro” itself is a kind of perversion, simply because it is so comfortable with the pleasurable. Until now, James seemed to like nothing more than making things difficult for his public—whom he’s confessed to hating—and himself. [...] Now he’s made the kind of album that could earn him young fans who have no idea they’ve been listening to James knockoffs for decades.

“Syro” may be Aphex Twin’s most complex, self-referential lark of all. It is not a recapitulation of Aphex Twin as he sounded in the nineties but a re-creation of the nineties as heard through the filter of his work. There wasn’t a single artist of note who wasn’t listening to Aphex Twin at the time, and with “Syro” James reminds us of his influence on the era.

“Syro” takes all these years of work and smooths out the edges. Tracks change from bar to bar, but they are less like being poked in the shoulder by your little brother and more like running water. The opening song, “minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix],” could even be fairly described as funky; while a host of sounds swirl and chatter and drop out, an easily identifiable bass line and a linear melody run through all the distraction. On this song, as throughout “Syro,” there are traces of human voices—James’s own, his wife’s, his parents’, and those of his young children. It would be misleading to say that “Syro” has a lot of what you’d call singing, but it does seem to be a landscape in which humans are welcome. Previously, Aphex Twin records sounded as though they might be mildly hazardous if repeated too often.

“Syro” is no less overprogrammed and hectic than James’s previous music, but it is arrayed in a way that feels confident rather than pointlessly detailed. He has described the album as the end of a certain era of work, and though it’s unclear why it took him thirteen years to get around to doing it, that’s exactly what it is. “Syro” is Aphex Twin saying, “Yes, that was me,” rather than “Here is the new frontier.”

[untitled]

tbh, if he hadn't all that gear to make it, and all that gear to make you believe he made it with all that gear thats so out of reach of most people i think there wouldnt be so much a fuss with this aphex guy. its what makes him different and he bloody well knows it. this fetish actually turns me off.

give me boc anyday with a few broken machines on little money.
burial does it well too, you don't need all that shit.

while the fetish would also turn me off, please consider that handling that kind of tonofgear - as a single person - takes more than just practice and intelligence... it takes courage, taste and intuition. he is like an explorer in the jungle of sound, both literally (dnb ftw) and figuratively. would our world be better off if RDJ didn't have a ton of gear? no way man. tonofgear is his destiny and he's handling it surprisingly well! all hail RDJ our captain!

the only other artist that comes close (at least in terms of quantity) is Legowelt... and I don't really like Legowelt (although I love his samplepacks )

[Cupz]

If you dont like syro, just wait 20 seconds.

[thepastinsidepressant]

the only other artist that comes close (at least in terms of quantity) is Legowelt... and I don't really like Legowelt (although I love his samplepacks )

legowelts gone very digital now though and you can hear it 'crystal clear', he loves his synths more rather than boxes too.
much prefer the old bunker gritty stuff, less house.

yea respect with all the gear, its what he likes, but not at all necessary. its a huge selling point for him, its rare.
listing off all the gear, it kinda is like, well skrillex, deadmau bla de blah, these are my toys, show me yours.

i'd much prefer to see burials humble gear list or even boc's (i doubt they'd be bothered in their own humble non-show off selves)

my point is, i'm not bothered with what one has in quantity or value, i just ike to hear it.

[re-phaelam-ed]

its not just a kit list...i think i lists what tracks each piece of gear was used on.

thats what the dots represent. I'm sure his gear list is MUCH bigger than that.

[untitled]

these are my toys, show me yours.

If he got, instead of the 5 studios, a diamond encrusted BMW... would you have been happier? Leave the man alone

i'd much prefer to see burials humble gear list

Crusty laptop?

[Negamuse]

Its always struck me as funny that electronic music producers are so shy about revealing how they make their stuff. When you compare it to other genres, I mean, it just seems like there's a lot of jealous guarding of secrets there.

The last time I saw a producer do a kitlist on a sleeve was 808 State on Ex:El

[thepastinsidepressant]

Crusty laptop?

less is more in my book, always and you are here on the boc forum. broken up crusty gear is better.

[thepastinsidepressant]

Its always struck me as funny that electronic music producers are so shy about revealing how they make their stuff. When you compare it to other genres, I mean, it just seems like there's a lot of jealous guarding of secrets there.

The last time I saw a producer do a kitlist on a sleeve was 808 State on Ex:El

i think for many its irrelevant, it spoils it a bit as well but also teaches others to do their own thing rather than become
slaves to sponsorhip/endorsements etc. i'm not bothered in the slightest in salivating over aphex gear list or what he used here and there, i just listen to the stuff. its interesting, impressive but a glance is all i can afford.

[thepastinsidepressant]

these are my toys, show me yours.

If he got, instead of the 5 studios, a diamond encrusted BMW... would you have been happier? Leave the man alone
op?

i'd say skrillex would be mad jealous. sorry, i don't handle show offs, braggers, arrogance pretty well. i avoid those people like the plague tbh.

[untitled]

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/80100

[Negamuse]

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/80100

Ahhaha. Hmm. Well, I suppose there's always the chance he's trolling.

[untitled]

[re-phaelam-ed]

Its always struck me as funny that electronic music producers are so shy about revealing how they make their stuff. When you compare it to other genres, I mean, it just seems like there's a lot of jealous guarding of secrets there.

The last time I saw a producer do a kitlist on a sleeve was 808 State on Ex:El

Ae posted their list several times...and even showed how they do some stuff in max.
no one can do what they do...even if they tell ya.

hell, they could rock with a spoon, a tube of toothpaste and hammer.

[skam]

my personal opinion is that the only tracks I can listen to off this are xmas_evet10, produk29, and psuedotimestretch. the other are a meh, but I can listen to the whole thing without a problem.
7/10

[lightsoutnepal]

CIRCLONT6A is meh? Man we must be spoiled now. This album is insanely good.

[skam]

CIRCLONT6A is meh? Man we must be spoiled now. This album is insanely good.

it's okay I guess, I can see where people would like that track but it's not really my type

[Aesthetics]

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/80100

Ahhaha. Hmm. Well, I suppose there's always the chance he's trolling.

I don't think he is trolling. If he does then he had it well-thought out. I spoke with the one who did the OOR interview and he told me how much he is into conspiracy stuff and that he knows much about it. It's also up my alley so perhaps I want to believe he is not trolling .

Anyway, still waiting for my copy to arrive....... After TH I hoped Warp/Bleep learned their lesson but it doesn't seems like it. If my package doesn't arrive tomorrow I will mail them.

[Moloch]

Is that Aphex yellow logo that comes with the 3-LP edition supposed to be a sticker?