I listened to DrukQs and it did weird things to me

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  • Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
  • For song & album requests and to support my channel and musical projects, please consider joining my Patreon (I can't monetize my videos): / iximusic 🙌 You can also commission me to analyze your original music or do a piano cover. 🎹 And I teach private & group lessons, do film/video game scoring, and music transcriptions 🎶 TIPS: www.buymeacoffee.com/iximusic 💄
    ___________
    🙏 SPECIAL THANKS to my Patrons, without whom these videos would not be possible, credited at the end of this video!
    ___________
    Chapter markers:
    0:00 - Intro
    0:07 - Jynweythek
    1:55 - Vordhosbn
    4:55 - Kladfvgbung Micshk
    7:35 - Omgyjya-Switch7
    14:07 - Strotha Tynhe
    18:18 - Gwety Mernans
    22:41 - Bbydhyonchord
    23:52 - Cock/Ver10
    26:49 - Avril 14th
    27:22 - Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount
    33:39 - Gwarek2
    36:26 - Orban Eq Trx4
    38:16 - Aussois
    39:14 - Hy A Scullyas Lyf A Dhagrow
    41:27 - Kesson Dalek
    45:21 - Thoughts on Disc 1
    46:05 - Halloween costume
    46:15 - 54 Cymru Beats
    49:07 - Btoum-Roumada
    51:07 - Lornaderek
    52:55 - QKThr
    56:46 - Meltphace 6
    59:46 - Bit 4
    1:00:08 - Prep Gwarek 36
    1:01:34 - Father
    1:03:31 - Taking Control
    1:05:07 - Petiatil Cx Htdui
    1:07:34 - Ruglen Holon
    1:09:56 - Afx237 V.7
    1:12:25 - Ziggomatic 17
    1:16:20 - Beskhu3epnm
    1:18:47 - Nanou2
    1:24:06 - Goodbye!
  • Розваги

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,2 тис.

  • @iximusic
    @iximusic  Рік тому +141

    For song & album requests and to support my channel and musical projects, please consider joining my Patreon (I can't monetize my videos): www.patreon.com/iximusic 🙌 You can also commission me to analyze your original music or do a piano cover. 🎹 And I teach private & group lessons, do film/video game scoring, and music transcriptions 🎶 TIPS: www.buymeacoffee.com/iximusic 💄
    Oh and if you're looking for the Avril 14th video here 'tis! ua-cam.com/video/ULF7vp676jU/v-deo.html

    • @whollenbeck8
      @whollenbeck8 Рік тому +7

      Re: the piano tracks - Richard (Aphex Twin) put cutlery between the piano strings to make that specific ting sound and his piano was midi-controlled. This album is such a treat showing extreme sides of the aural spectrum.

    • @terrencebucker
      @terrencebucker Рік тому +4

      Someone might have mentioned-RD James is from Cornwall, a lot of the weird track names are Cornish.

    • @Metathronos
      @Metathronos Рік тому +2

      maybe watch "rubber johnny" the video for Afx237 V.7 if you get the time. FPr some reason the song makes a lot more sense in that context

    • @gerryfearon7905
      @gerryfearon7905 Рік тому +2

      Loved this break down of this classic album. Made me go back and listen again since I haven't listened to it in maybe 10 years. Now I notice a lot of what you described in this video.
      Im wondering, would you maybe think of doing the same for one if Boards of Canada's albums in the future? Maybe 'Music has the Right to Children' or 'Geogaddi' ? Love to get your thoughts on their work.

    • @grunskm1
      @grunskm1 Рік тому +3

      Other RDJ releases that deserve a listen (if not a review):
      The Tuss - Rushup Edge
      AFX - Analord 1-11

  • @joshbutts3143
    @joshbutts3143 Рік тому +1067

    aphex twin's music is so varied that 2 fans could both like aphex twin but not have any liked songs in common. some ppl just like the ambient stuff, some ppl only like the piano, some only like the drum breaks.

    • @KNURKonesur
      @KNURKonesur Рік тому +9

      @@gartgreenside3657 what about Popcorn? ;)

    • @tsumeristudio639
      @tsumeristudio639 Рік тому +104

      And some like all of it!

    • @djgray1200
      @djgray1200 Рік тому +6

      I actually really also like Power Pill

    • @JiggyGnorrus
      @JiggyGnorrus Рік тому

      Could be true like come to daddy and flim , total nutbag

    • @Maravone
      @Maravone Рік тому +12

      What about the Milk Man?

  • @WmRike
    @WmRike Рік тому +1147

    This record sort of got panned by the critics when it came out, but I think it's his masterpiece. What makes it even better is that it wasn't even supposed to happen. He had supposedly quit making music as Aphex Twin, but then he lost a thumb drive full of these songs and decided to release them before someone else leaked them. And then after this, we didn't hear from him as Aphex Twin for another 12 years. But yeah, there is nothing else like this record, not even other Aphex Twin records, really. It's like someone put Erik Satie, John Cage, and a robot armageddon in a blender.

    • @oliverrees9397
      @oliverrees9397 Рік тому +48

      I honestly couldn't have put a better comment in so I won't. I totally agree it's a fantastic album and is truly one of his underrated masterpieces

    • @gertrude8883
      @gertrude8883 Рік тому +20

      Yes !
      Plus this album got a very powerfull identity, melting ancient and new sounds, it's like a journey in a distorded past time...

    • @Mr13Ganache
      @Mr13Ganache Рік тому +20

      Totally agree. When I used to work in a record store, I was styling Aphex Twin as the Erik Satie of elecronic music to convince people to listen to his work.

    • @AKAtAGG
      @AKAtAGG Рік тому +5

      you nailed it here mate. I loved it immediately - I am a huge AFX fan - and as you say critically it was absolutely mauled. Those same critics now see it as one of his best works (his best, for me, I agree with you there 100%), and I am stumped how they didn't love it immediately.

    • @MFKitten
      @MFKitten Рік тому +1

      I think it was an ipod he lost?

  • @user-io7kl7io6j
    @user-io7kl7io6j 3 місяці тому +51

    Aphex Twin is from Cornwall and many of the titles are in the Cornish language or referencing Cornwall. St. Michael's Mount is an island in Cornwall. Jynweythek Ylow roughly translates to "Electronic Music Machine" Vordhosbn is "Noisy Boat" Strotha Tynhe is "Tight Squeeze" Gwely Mernans is "Death Bed" Avril 14th is referencing the Kernow (Cornish for Cornwall) festival which is on April 14th. Hy A Scullyas Lyf A Dhagrow is something like "she's the one who spills the shit" or something
    Lornaderek are also his parents "Lorna & Derek" so this album can be seen as a homage to his childhood and formative years in Cornwall.

  • @dorbid
    @dorbid Рік тому +516

    Album is 21 years old and still sounds like the future. Great channel btw just stumbled across it ❤

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +31

      ha totally!

    • @tsumeristudio639
      @tsumeristudio639 Рік тому +8

      Thanks for making me feel old!

    • @dorbid
      @dorbid Рік тому +10

      @@tsumeristudio639 join the club buddy lol

    • @russianvoodoo
      @russianvoodoo Рік тому +1

      Cheezus. I always thought it was release around 2011.

    • @antonyedgar3453
      @antonyedgar3453 10 місяців тому +1

      21! Just had to check when come to daddy came out. That was such an awesome vid. Remember watching it on mtv followed by windowlicker. He was so surreal with his face on all the people and the music was just so intense. Some good memories

  • @WmRike
    @WmRike Рік тому +395

    I've always thought of Richard James as the trickster god of electronic music. He's simultaneously very serious and not the least bit serious. Also, if you do dive into his discography, he never really makes the same record twice. They're all different in their own ways.

    • @sweetwheatsy
      @sweetwheatsy Рік тому +14

      Indeed. I like to think of it as a bit analogous to Earthbound aswell, especially the music. Some of it is extremely weird and silly, while other parts of it really serious, sad and impactful

    • @redapplefour6223
      @redapplefour6223 Рік тому +9

      @@sweetwheatsy yeah, the start of cock/ver10 always sounded to me like the earthbound battle start. almost wonder if it's a sample. good comparison regardless

    • @user-sj7bn3rs1x
      @user-sj7bn3rs1x Рік тому +7

      none of his main aphex twin albums are the same, but his 5 billion eps and soundcloud songs often just cover/expand upon sounds hes already done

    • @sweetwheatsy
      @sweetwheatsy Рік тому

      @@redapplefour6223 Yo true it really does! Neat find

    • @Del-Lebo
      @Del-Lebo Рік тому +1

      Well said! I agree!!!

  • @HoShIfox19
    @HoShIfox19 Рік тому +218

    Björk included this album in her top 10 albums of all time.

    • @randomhunter8593
      @randomhunter8593 6 місяців тому +3

      I need to know the link of that!!!

    • @azteciandrumset7140
      @azteciandrumset7140 6 місяців тому +5

      Thanks to you I discovered The Black Dog, whom were also on the list.

    • @iamtheaudiophile
      @iamtheaudiophile 5 місяців тому +15

      cause its literally the best electronic album of all time

    • @Djdjipe
      @Djdjipe 5 місяців тому

      okay? or what you want as a reaction

    • @PaulBenjaminJenkins
      @PaulBenjaminJenkins 4 місяці тому +1

      High praise from one of the best popular avant garde artists of all time.

  • @theblueoddity
    @theblueoddity Рік тому +123

    Vordhosbn Is my fav track, it does weird things to me emotionally and i love it.

    • @TinWhisker
      @TinWhisker Рік тому +11

      A panic attack interpreted as music.

    • @alanwheeldon2789
      @alanwheeldon2789 Рік тому

      slow version of Vordhosbn is right nice too, brings out all the detail ua-cam.com/video/xJhdGDB8rU4/v-deo.html

    • @molochz
      @molochz 4 місяці тому +1

      @@TinWhisker It's not though.
      It's pure relaxation. You're listening to it wrong.

    • @TinWhisker
      @TinWhisker 4 місяці тому +2

      @@molochzInterpretation of art is a personal view and probably a matter of taste too.
      Therefore I'm comfortable listening to it "wrong". (Plus there's hundreds of relaxing tracks of his to vibe to) :3

    • @paranoidcomet
      @paranoidcomet 4 місяці тому +1

      Vordhosbn got me into Aphex Twin, such a great track.

  • @ugonnacryguy9571
    @ugonnacryguy9571 Рік тому +159

    this channel is such a hidden gem

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +21

      😊

    • @ugonnacryguy9571
      @ugonnacryguy9571 6 місяців тому +1

      ​@@iximusic damn that was a year ago?! i enjoy coming back to this video every few months

  • @jmdoe5822
    @jmdoe5822 Рік тому +147

    The comment about Nannou 2 - "two people saying goodbye" - is spot on. Nannou was his French / French Canadian girlfriend, who appeared on the Windowlicker EP as both a vocalist and a muse, but I think they must have split up around the DrukQs time period.
    It's interesting to compare this track to Aisatsana on Syro, which is named after his current Russian wife. That piece has a similar spacing to it. He has performed it live using a prep piano suspended on wires. As the instrument plays, it swings back and forth creating a Doppler effect, which I imagine is part of the reason for the gaps - to let the sound resonate between swings. It maybe that Nannou 2 was also intended to be performed this way.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +37

      that sounds so cool.

    • @chopperdave3868
      @chopperdave3868 Рік тому +14

      Nannou 2 and Aisatsana are painfully beautiful tracks.

  • @k.7214
    @k.7214 Рік тому +164

    "If Jynweythek hasn't been in a film, I'd be surprised." It was used in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, along with the relatively ubiquitous Avril 14th.
    Great to spend time with that last track. The ending gives me goosebumps everytime.

    • @danielfeatherstone674
      @danielfeatherstone674 Рік тому +6

      Goosebumps yes!. Those chords speak to me somehow. So visceral

    • @XoeMancha
      @XoeMancha 3 місяці тому +2

      Jynweythek was in my headphones while I walked through Versaille, and when I later saw the film Marie Antoinette had used the track in a similar way I was just terribly delighted

  • @Widderic
    @Widderic Рік тому +191

    The ending to Saint Michaels Mount is insane, sends chills down my spine every listen. He cuts off gates in 16ths then 32nds, then 64ths. I like your analogy of the car window being open as cars drive pass when a synth pad with long decay is playing. He definitely takes you on a ride with that track, you have no choice but to keep up with the BPM and it is DRAINING.

    • @gorgeousrantsofwrestling5158
      @gorgeousrantsofwrestling5158 Рік тому +13

      That's a God tier track, I love it so much.

    • @7p7m7
      @7p7m7 Рік тому +5

      i love that window feeling so much

    • @hawk2million
      @hawk2million Рік тому +2

      Yup, it's absolutely nuts with a good pair of headphones. Enough to make you see double!

    • @sanfordcurtis8242
      @sanfordcurtis8242 Рік тому +1

      The ending sounds like when you open the windows driving on a motorway.

    • @metalfacemartinez
      @metalfacemartinez Рік тому

      Sounds good slightly slowed too ua-cam.com/video/0c_9XvrZnEs/v-deo.html

  • @nemogfr7029
    @nemogfr7029 Рік тому +214

    My favorite album from Aphex Twin, those prepared piano pieces are so magical, he's such a great composer and artist

  • @Dakcha
    @Dakcha Рік тому +93

    Aphex Twin is my favorite artist for many reasons but mainly because he covers the widest scope of music and emotions of anyone I know. From the ambient to the chaotic, he’s the one artist I can come back to year after year and still fall in love with music all over again.

  • @michaelkayser4194
    @michaelkayser4194 Рік тому +86

    Vordhosbn is I think an example of Aphex Twin attempting to make a "girl/boy song" -- of course he has one of those that's actually called that. The backstory as I understand it is that Tom Jenkinson (Squarepusher) once told Aphex Twin that all songs are either "girl songs" or "boy songs," and Aphex Twin took it as a challenge to make songs that could count as both, featuring both tender beauty and... pummeling chaos? Anyways Vordhosbn here has some lovely glissandos and skittery percussion but it also builds up to this gorgeous, frightening, insane whirlwind of discordant sirens and granular beats, that then ducks away to leave a kind of moody coda in its wake. Both lovely and chaotic. Nice combination.

    • @ozarkecologies
      @ozarkecologies Рік тому +3

      St. Michaels Mount is the same way!

    • @MM-vs2et
      @MM-vs2et Рік тому +2

      @@ozarkecologies In fact all of them are. Ziggomatic, Cymru Beats, Taking Control. They're all just chaotic percussion, and melodic synths blended together.

  • @jon1979roma
    @jon1979roma Рік тому +148

    When I went to Italy in the summer of 93 I bought Selected Ambient Works 85-92, from that moment on, my musical life changed.
    I brought it back home to Chicago, all of my friends freaked out. That album was on repeat for like the next 3 years.

    • @FerryFalco
      @FerryFalco Рік тому +3

      "...and we are the dreamers of dreams"

    • @chopperdave3868
      @chopperdave3868 Рік тому +2

      Richard D. James changed my life with music, too.

    • @gapenisbruzas
      @gapenisbruzas 11 місяців тому

      Hi Jon! I loved 2 mixes I had by Chicago DJs. Dj 3D and Snuggles. Did you listen to them back in Chicago in the 90s?

    • @poiewhfopiewhf
      @poiewhfopiewhf 11 місяців тому

      i'm sorry you went to italy

    • @gapenisbruzas
      @gapenisbruzas 11 місяців тому

      @@poiewhfopiewhf I'm sorry you went to Italy? What does that mean? What a bizarre response.

  • @Demention94
    @Demention94 Рік тому +102

    That weird dissociative nostalgic feeling you expressed is what he does so well with his music. Like walking though another lifetime...

    • @damianroberts4330
      @damianroberts4330 Рік тому +10

      Yes, bits like Flim and Vordhosben and Xtal certainly have that nostalgia the first time I heard them.

    • @retnuHDJ
      @retnuHDJ Рік тому +6

      The best way I've heard that described is feeling homesick of a home you never had.

  • @natalieshark
    @natalieshark Рік тому +75

    Back around the time this album came out, I was delivering pizzas. This and Björk’s Vespertine became my wintery driving music. This album will forever remind me of the snow falling on my windscreen and dark evenings with streetlights above. It’s as close to a comfort album as you can get.
    One of the things I liked about your review is how you picked up on the way in which Aphex Twin will surprise you with his changes, and how often they come just as you start to desire them. I’ve noticed time and time again that there will be moments where I zone out on a more repetitive section and the moment I notice or my attention starts to drift, he does something different.
    It was really cool to watch someone else discover this album for the first time. It certainly left an impression on me. There are few albums that have challenged me or broadened my imagination more than this one.

    • @1sheep23
      @1sheep23 Рік тому +1

      Yeah it kinda sounds wintery

    • @AllCloudsAreBunnies
      @AllCloudsAreBunnies Рік тому

      Vespertine always reminds me of the cold, too. It’s such a melancholic beautiful album

  • @NotIfICU1st_
    @NotIfICU1st_ Рік тому +335

    Love that someone dares to risk releasing music like this in the world. It gives me faith that there might be others that would appreciate my weirdest ideas that I thought I made only for myself.

    • @bsbx
      @bsbx Рік тому +9

      richard didn't intend to release this music in the first place though.

    • @KNURKonesur
      @KNURKonesur Рік тому +2

      He was contractually obligated to release a set amout of albums I think?

    • @bsbx
      @bsbx Рік тому +1

      ​ @KNUR Konesur prior to the release of drukqs, he left his iPod containing a bunch of unreleased music, including those on the album. being afraid of it getting "leaked", he decided to get the quick move and release the album as soon as possible. at that time, richard was "done" with releasing new music, iirc

    • @meowmyr
      @meowmyr Рік тому +30

      @@bsbx im pretty sure that was one of richards interview trolls

    • @SlyHikari03
      @SlyHikari03 Рік тому

      Same

  • @RustinChole
    @RustinChole Рік тому +78

    Mt Saint Michel is one of the best compositions of any artist over the last 23 years.
    It still sounds like the future today. That end sequence - sounds like sunshine breaking through a slated fence as you drive along side it
    Thanks for giving attention to this masterpiece. I don’t think it often gets the praise it deserves. Critics PANNED it when it came out, I remember reading mouth agape “if it had been cut back to a 6 song EP it could be great.”😳🤷🏻‍♂️

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +20

      love that visual, albeit the most violent sunshine breaking through a slated fence you could ever experience 😆

    • @emrebaskocak
      @emrebaskocak 11 місяців тому +4

      First time I heard that song I was walking. When it got to the end I had to find a place to sit down because I got lightheaded and I was about to throw up. Not saying I don't like it, I LOVE it, but I just can't listen to it without getting a claustrophobic "get me out of here" feeling. It's the first time music has done that to me. I can't listen to it a lot because of how I physically feel and it kinda makes me nervous about getting a seizure or something

    • @RustinChole
      @RustinChole 11 місяців тому +1

      @@iximusic I don’t get the violent vibes. Not at the end, the synth pads may be my favorite ever, they’re lush, and resonate JUST right, and really that, his sped up voice singing “hello,” (incidentally the only track that features him singing unlike come to daddy and Windowlicker which featured vocals from James prominently) and what are pretty soft, bouncy drum pads are all you’re hearing, he’s just chopping them into snippets that get shorter and shorter.
      So, not violent. But fast. Bright. A speed you recognize as fast and intense but you accept without fear.
      Leaving out the production, which there could be a whole video done about, the composition is truly as great as any great track from any genre or era.
      It’s so depressing to me that he intentionally left this kind of composition and “future beat” work behind, because and I quote, “wrestling with the editing software it takes to make those fine details is just too long a process, and too frustrating.” I mean. I get it. But dude, suck it up you’re a genius. Burn a candle late into the night. His post Drukqs stuff is pretty elementary in song composition comparison. Tho I still enjoy it.
      But back in that era from the RDJ album through to Drukqs, he was like Mozart or Beethoven or something, every musician and music nerd was at once absolutely excited about each release, while only expecting not to have any idea what to expect.
      Miss that version of Aphex Twin. When every album it was like he invented a new genre of music.

    • @FelixvonMontfort
      @FelixvonMontfort 2 місяці тому +1

      My favorite song on this album. It's like everything disolves at the end.

  • @boterhammetpindakaashagelslag
    @boterhammetpindakaashagelslag Рік тому +46

    Have been an Aphex Twin fan for 25 years now.
    I love it when people are able to put the complexity of his music into words.
    Very well done and nice video overall.
    You got yourself a new subsciber. Keep it up.

    • @Cyrax89721
      @Cyrax89721 Рік тому +2

      Calling aspects of his music a "Brain Scratch" is a new favorite of mine.

    • @dittagecoeco2738
      @dittagecoeco2738 3 місяці тому

      Same here.

  • @Kaosad69
    @Kaosad69 Рік тому +70

    Vorhosbn is still the best piece of electronic music ever made.

    • @thomasdecorail8825
      @thomasdecorail8825 Рік тому +9

      That's not true. It's another track of his, "XMAS_EVET10" ;)

    • @Hasuo2001
      @Hasuo2001 Рік тому +13

      Ziggomatic 17,Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount, Cock/ver 10 are better.

    • @pyramidpusher3388
      @pyramidpusher3388 Рік тому +4

      @@Hasuo2001 TRUE

    • @adamsmith307
      @adamsmith307 Рік тому +2

      Er, no

    • @malvitt
      @malvitt Рік тому +1

      What about Meltphace 6

  • @educostanzo
    @educostanzo Рік тому +42

    I once had a job where I was allowed to hear music all the time, it didn't interfere with the tasks. This was my go to album when I knew it would be a rough day (it helps that it's 1:40 hour long). The chilling out vs amping up aspect of this album is the perfect combination, the sense of organized chaos it's so effective and beautiful to me. The textures, the timbres, the hidden melodies, gosh, I might be crazy, but I really think the music in this album has an inherent, organic beauty to it. It tickles my brain in the best possible way.

  • @jamolotl
    @jamolotl Рік тому +14

    I remember hearing this on good headphones when I was about 16 in the early 2000s. It utterly blew my mind and started an obsession with ambient and experimental electronica. I really think it's one of the most incredible albums ever made.

  • @jermaineconcern1539
    @jermaineconcern1539 9 місяців тому +8

    “Very complex drum and bass but it had like a tonal element” - an accurate description of 2000s IDM

  • @stefanpanea5236
    @stefanpanea5236 Рік тому +18

    being obsessed with Aphex Twin for more than 2 decades, this video made me feel very good and i put on the vinyl once again for a deeper listening

  • @xbenci
    @xbenci Рік тому +18

    this is the most intricate, dense and unnecessarily complex album I've ever heard. and I love every single second of it. one of the best electronic albums of all time for sure

  • @Edward-cp5ri
    @Edward-cp5ri Рік тому +11

    I personally don’t believe RDJ’s story about Druqks’ creation, lol. He never tells the truth and Druqks comes across as his most personal, purposeful album. The aesthetical shifts on the album may seem nonsensical back in the era of Kid A but in the age of A.G. Cook and Oneohtrix Point Never you can see the logic of the album: Dense, aggressive, and incredible pieces of drill and bass surrounded by oases of prepared piano, ambient pieces, and found sound. The feeling of listening to the album is like stepping into his personal space, and he’s showing you that “Yes, I may have made Windowlicker and Come to Daddy, but this is what I care about. This is what I’m proud of most. Now listen to Mt St Michel + St Micheals Mount and try not to die from it.”

    • @user-io7kl7io6j
      @user-io7kl7io6j 3 місяці тому

      Well if you dig into the titles of the tracks its obvious it's a a very personal album. The titles are mostly in Cornish and/or referencing things in Cornwall, where he was born and raised. Lornaderek are also his parents names Lorna & Derek so I see this album as being about his childhood and formative years in Cornwall and memories thereof and possibly about his identity as a Cornish man. Maybe he just did it for the sake of it, who knows. Avril 14th is the date of the Kernow festival in Cornwall though so something must of happened at the festival to inspire such a beautiful piece of music, maybe a first kiss?

  • @the_trevoir
    @the_trevoir 2 місяці тому +4

    Your level of musical knowledge combined with your childlike pure response to it is loveable.

  • @partsmob8663
    @partsmob8663 Рік тому +20

    I really appreciate the way you've edited this, highlighting moments that caught your attention. It's super fun seeing what different people engage with in each track, as there's so much going on. And thank you for including Nanou2 in its entirety :)

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +4

      Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

  • @tweeleaf
    @tweeleaf Рік тому +120

    it’s even crazier that RDJ made this entire album with tracker software, which is a type of DAW from the late 80’s, but somehow sounds like the future.

    • @rzezniqq
      @rzezniqq Рік тому +31

      Funny how my friend and I were discussing how it was made thinking that no computer could run it as a session with a bunch of VST instruments. There was simply no processing power to run something this complex with stand alone instruments. It turned out to be a sound module for a tracker which in a nutshell is a sample triggering sequence. My mind was blown.

    • @gapenisbruzas
      @gapenisbruzas 11 місяців тому +13

      Venetian Snares aka Aaron Funk has been known to use Renoise which is a very sophisticated tracker. I started composing with a tracker in the early 90s on the Amiga ❤

    • @bharatmehra206
      @bharatmehra206 8 місяців тому +1

      @@rzezniqq what is the module called? is the tracker PlayerPro?

    • @valithrian
      @valithrian 5 місяців тому

      yes aphex uses playerpro, there's an video of vordhosbn on it@@bharatmehra206

    • @Agostoic
      @Agostoic 2 місяці тому

      The 80's are the future ;)

  • @andrewleyden2752
    @andrewleyden2752 3 дні тому +1

    Aphex Twin is Cornish but he was born in Limerick, Ireland in the same hospital I was born in. I will always treasure that coincidence.

  • @tim_brooks
    @tim_brooks Рік тому +25

    what a great record. and an insanely huge catalog he has to dive into!

  • @selwyn-lloydmcpherson2814
    @selwyn-lloydmcpherson2814 Рік тому +10

    I really appreciated the amount of care and consideration you put into this, it's one of my favorite albums and you did it absolute justice!

  • @bobthepoppop
    @bobthepoppop Рік тому +18

    1:19:08
    You played it for me by request during one of your livestreams (right before you went to the NIN show). One of my all-time favs. I felt badly because in the stream I said it'd probably be too easy for you/boring, but then you said it was played in some kind of off-key or something, and it was more challenging than I realized. It was fun to watch you play with it though. Glad you got to experience this album because that's exactly what it is. I've always viewed it as a chaotic drug trip and then Nanou2 being the morning after when everything is said and done and life is peaceful again.

  • @TinWhisker
    @TinWhisker Рік тому +27

    You probably had this mentioned a few dozen times, so apologies. But for anyone else who cares: the track naming is a mix between Welsh, Cornish and English.
    I.e. Gwely Mernans is "Death Bed" - Gwely being Welsh for 'bed' and Mernans being Cornish for 'death'.
    Kesson Dalef is "Hold it Consistent" - Kesson is Cornish for 'Consistent' and Dale'f is Welsh for 'Hold it'.
    Richard in my opinion, has a way of designing many tracks in a way that deliberately feels inaccessible/misplaced in the first part - yet once you get through, that same beginning suddenly makes sense.

    • @TinWhisker
      @TinWhisker Рік тому +6

      As a complete aside, Richard stated 'DrukQs' isn't related to 'drugs'.
      'Druk' is Welsh for 'print' - given its computer controlled, maybe the albums 'English' title was 'Print Queues' all along!

    • @mistakenot...4012
      @mistakenot...4012 Рік тому

      And on that note ‘cymru’ is Welsh for wales and pronounced cumree.

    • @mistakenot...4012
      @mistakenot...4012 Рік тому +1

      But druk being Welsh for print? Not sure where you get that from when there’s no k in Welsh.

  • @dillberrystew6205
    @dillberrystew6205 Рік тому +36

    Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount is the most insane piece of electronic music ever produced in my opinion.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +10

      yes that one will require so many more listens but I loved it!

    • @aiexhibit
      @aiexhibit Рік тому

      ​@@iximusic You will want to check out ua-cam.com/video/n0mWmHEfVDI/v-deo.html produced by Chris Cunningham. In fact check out all the videos Chris produced with Richard they are all amazing.

    • @toximan2008
      @toximan2008 11 місяців тому

      and for 2001, no less... knowing aphex, he probably had that track done for years before it came out on drukqs.

  • @plunderclat221
    @plunderclat221 Рік тому +13

    Who'd have thought that watching people listening to aphex twin would become one of my favourite things to do besides listening to aphex twin! I think that Richard's music regardless of what it sounds like, excites our pattern-loving regions of the brain. Its like he knows how to communicate to that exact part of our brain...

    • @iwouldprefernotto4381
      @iwouldprefernotto4381 Рік тому

      Perfectly put. Amid all the experimentation and sonic jokes, there's some truly sublime melodies in Aphex Twin's work - but even the more chaotic or intense sequences make a very particularly part of your brain fizz and twinkle.

  • @ronpudding9598
    @ronpudding9598 Рік тому +75

    This album was my introduction to the music of Richard D. James, and the first time I listened to it I didn’t even know what to think because I had never heard anything like it before. It sounded so surreal and otherworldly. It’s my favorite record of his.
    It’s a very divisive one, some critics really panned it. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts!

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +15

      I read some criticism on it, but it was all in comparison to his earlier work which I haven't heard.

    • @321gillespie
      @321gillespie Рік тому +5

      @@iximusic Richard D. James Album next please! :⁠-⁠D

    • @night_speed
      @night_speed Рік тому +12

      I love this album but it's definitely an intense one to start with. Most people start with either The Richard D James Album or Selected Ambient Works 85-92. I don't think I would have liked Drukqs as much if it was my introduction to Aphex Twin. It was the first album of his i had actually anticipated coming out. I'm definitely glad I was familiar with his body of work up until this came out. I also think that if it weren't for this album I would never have gotten into Venetian Snares. On a side note I've been a fan of Aphex Twin and RDJs music for about 25 years, in fact ever since I heard the track At the Heart of it All on Nine Inch Nails Further Down the Spiral in 1995. Somewhere in that time I developed a pretty serious heroin addiction and after 12 years finally got clean and sober. A few months after I got out of rehab for the second time I went to my first sober concert and it happened to be Aphex Twin in Brooklyn, NY. I never thought I'd ever have the opportunity to see him live and i never thought I'd be so happy to be clean and sober except for Nine Inch Nails on The Fragility 2.0 tour it's the best show I've ever been to hands down. I'd been to so many shows and literally couldn't tell you if they were any good or not because I was nodding off most of the time. I stood in the front row of Meat Beat Manifesto and missed 90% of the show because I was high and drooling on myself so it was a big deal for me to finally get to see Aphex Twin and actually experience it. And that show proved to me that I can still go out and have an amazing time without having to flood my brain with opiates and dopamine. I will be 5 years clean on the 28th of this month.

    • @JiggyGnorrus
      @JiggyGnorrus Рік тому

      What about the Richard d James album? My favorite, but I love em all

    • @Bobbias
      @Bobbias Рік тому +3

      @@night_speed damn man, congrats on getting and staying clean!

  • @tbablue
    @tbablue 10 місяців тому +5

    Loved your intelligent reaction. Subbed.

  • @explodingmonad4535
    @explodingmonad4535 Рік тому +14

    Some songs is like going through a gallery and you meet an evolving sound sculpture. A premise and a developing punchline.

  • @itachi999987
    @itachi999987 Рік тому +3

    That's why Richard called it "Braindance"

  • @C-Llama
    @C-Llama 2 місяці тому +3

    I've watched a lot of other music reactions and it's really refreshing to see someone who's both a musician that can appreciate what they're listening to musically, and someone who actually has interesting things to say about the feeling of each track other than "woah that's crazy" or "hah I like this one."

  • @brianm22
    @brianm22 8 місяців тому +4

    Hearing you speak, makes me realize how little I know about electronic music and just music in general. I’ve been listening to Aphex twin for 20 years, and never realized some of this music could be put to words. Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge.

  • @n.b.lovespencer8589
    @n.b.lovespencer8589 Рік тому +5

    Thank you so much for reviewing this. I’ve been waiting so long for someone to find such appreciation in this album with such great insight. This has been my top album of all time since I heard it in 2004

  • @arasharfa
    @arasharfa 5 місяців тому +4

    I can't live without this album. it's the soundtrack of my life.

  • @kdiggedydawg
    @kdiggedydawg Рік тому +12

    Now THIS I am interested to hear!
    Richard's music is always either or: you don't understand it or find it to just be noise, or it just clicks and is amazing, mind bending and beautiful.
    Very excited to hear your thoughts on it!

  • @youngwillstopher4113
    @youngwillstopher4113 Рік тому +2

    This video brought such a huge smile to my face. I love this album and it was so great to somehow re-experience that first time listening feeling again, through you. Thanks so much!

  • @def0rm0
    @def0rm0 Рік тому +52

    Used to listen to this album all the time in highschool. During study hall, on the bus, lunch.. I have ADHD and his music oddly kept me calm. Like all my thoughts faded because my mind wanted to concentrate on all the sounds, tempos, changes, etc...

    • @DrDeepstack
      @DrDeepstack Рік тому

      Interesting

    • @archaelia
      @archaelia Рік тому

      Yo I know this is a bit late to reply to but, I have ADHD and coveted this album growing up for the same reasons!! He helped me to discover the power of music on the mindbody+soul thing. Special place in my heart and brain for Richard's works here. Everyone seems to have such a storied past with this album. I love it

    • @vagataria
      @vagataria 11 місяців тому

      ⁠same here! It helped me focus, emptied my head and relaxed me in someway

    • @poiewhfopiewhf
      @poiewhfopiewhf 11 місяців тому

      same

  • @Fabian_drop02
    @Fabian_drop02 9 місяців тому +5

    My very favorite album of all time. I bought it the day it was released. I listened to both disks back to back and on repeat that whole weekend while tripping face🤯.....it changed the way I understand music. 👍😎👍

  • @batatereluelimusic
    @batatereluelimusic Рік тому +5

    Love your energy and the introspection you bring to these tracks

  • @alb_reuel
    @alb_reuel Рік тому +4

    great video. i was always overwhelmed by the density of this album and your video was an incredible overview of it. thank you.

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому

      overwhelming is a good word for it 😅

  • @catlvr-kg9ol
    @catlvr-kg9ol Рік тому +9

    Love hearing a pianist analyze Richard’s work! ❤

    • @fanculo619
      @fanculo619 5 місяців тому

      Richard is my lord and savior

  • @johnnytacos5529
    @johnnytacos5529 Рік тому +73

    This is so great, but I gotta ask. What musical path takes you to Venetian Snares without ever driving past Aphex Twin's house? It's blowing my mind. It's like being really into tiki bar rock but not knowing Jimmy Buffet. I'm fascinated!

    • @iximusic
      @iximusic  Рік тому +31

      I was recommended Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works Vol II and I wasn't feeling it so I never explored further. glad I finally did!

    • @xn4pl
      @xn4pl Рік тому +10

      I was introduced to this type of music through Xanopticon and Igorrr, only looking for similar stuff later I found about Aphex Twin and Venetian Snares. So there's definitely a lot of ways to get into this stuff.

    • @KNURKonesur
      @KNURKonesur Рік тому +25

      Don't think we can talk about parking in Venetian Snares' and Aphex Twin's garages without stopping by for tea at Squarepusher's along the way?

    • @kohhna
      @kohhna Рік тому +1

      @@xn4pl Hard Core! I like it.

    • @josef2012
      @josef2012 Рік тому +1

      Great question.

  • @kelpkelp5252
    @kelpkelp5252 Рік тому +2

    Thanks for spending the time with this album. Have loved it since release.

  • @carlkellner1310
    @carlkellner1310 Рік тому +6

    I really love seeing your appreciation of this album. It's one of those desert island records for me - listening to this record for the first time 15 years ago unlocked something in me, some weird kind of freedom/fearlessness/melancholy/cruelty/tenderness that I still haven't quite recovered from.

  • @q3dqopb
    @q3dqopb Рік тому +5

    This video is so entertaining! This is one of my favorite albums of Aphex Twin. Seeing a professional musician, a professional pianist react to it is so much fun, whether she likes a particular track or not. I like how sincere she is describing her perception of the tracks, and I like watching her facial expressions during the key moments that I remember by heart. Such a great idea, and such a great implementation!

  • @rickrukkus
    @rickrukkus Рік тому +3

    Fav album of all time. Glad to see you enjoying this classic. love these reaction vids going into depth about the music subbed!🤘🏻

  • @arasharfa
    @arasharfa 5 місяців тому +2

    I love your outlook on music and your way of describing his music is capturing everything i love to think about when i hear it.

  • @friendprices4511
    @friendprices4511 Рік тому +4

    I got this album the day it came out, and still never get tired of it. It's a perfect album. Your reactions are priceless, keep em coming.

  • @321gillespie
    @321gillespie Рік тому +10

    As a long time Aphex fan, it's fascinating to get another's reactions to this one. Thanks, ixi. Great critique! :⁠-⁠)
    If it's helpful, RDJ often uses/samples audio from self made field recordings.

  • @HominidInterneticus
    @HominidInterneticus Рік тому +5

    I haven't listened to aphex in a very long time. It's going to be fun rediscovering it through your ears. Looking forward to this

  • @pariah206
    @pariah206 Рік тому +1

    Thank you for taking the time to go through this experience for us. Fantastic.

  • @christhesmith
    @christhesmith Місяць тому +1

    Sometimes i doubt my genius radar....thanks for the calibration!

  • @dillipphunbar7924
    @dillipphunbar7924 Рік тому +34

    Strotha Tynhe - To Squeeze To Tighten. Gwely Mernans - Deathbed. Gwarek - Arch. Hy A Scullyas Lyf A Dhagrow - She Shed A Flood Of Tears. Kesson Dalef - Harmonious Voice (lef means voice but dalef has no meaning, so this is only a rough translation)

    • @multiz0rak
      @multiz0rak Рік тому +3

      i was sure tynhe is tiny 🤭

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Рік тому

      Is it Scottish?

    • @Floam27
      @Floam27 Рік тому +4

      @@te9591 cornish

    • @te9591
      @te9591 Рік тому +3

      @@Floam27 yeah, i can hear the gaelic breath wotk when i try to pronounce the words.

    • @simonjenkins2744
      @simonjenkins2744 Рік тому +1

      @@te9591 No Gaelic in Cornish. Cornish is a Brythonic language.

  • @lorenzosala9289
    @lorenzosala9289 Рік тому +10

    I listened to this album for the first time when I was 16. It totally changed my views on electronic music.

  • @BadSoviet
    @BadSoviet 9 місяців тому +2

    Listening to you describe these songs is so insightful and beautiful. I really enjoyed this.

  • @yutaka_too_much
    @yutaka_too_much 2 місяці тому +2

    Last time my mom took me to Japan to see family, back in 2001, I listened to this album over and over and over again, everyday.
    My mom's family is in rural middle of nowhere with not much to do, so this album really kept me company.
    This album changed my entire view and approach on music and art in general.
    My entire perspective on reality.
    This is my first time tuning into your channel, and I'm already a huge fan!!
    Subscribed

  • @r3p3ntiv3
    @r3p3ntiv3 Рік тому +3

    At the heart of it all from furthur down the spiral is so mesmerizing and moving. I'm sure you've heard it. I love the sound of Trent and Richard's style combined. Thanks for the awesome video! You have an instant subscribe from me. Your taste in music is gnarly. Rock on!

  • @PowerStreak
    @PowerStreak 10 місяців тому +5

    I bought this album on release when I was 17 and it was truly mindblowing. It's up there with Chu Ishikawa's scores for the Tetsuo movies in terms of redefining what music could be for me.

  • @TonGolem
    @TonGolem Рік тому +1

    Your video just made my day! Love how you enjoy and appreciate his art.

  • @MrSharps02
    @MrSharps02 Рік тому +1

    wonderful video! i feel like this album has been a part of my life for so long that i've heard it back to front, but you still showed me tons of new ways of listening

  • @tannermilliken1370
    @tannermilliken1370 Рік тому +4

    This has always been one of my favorite albums of his! And it is truly unique even for Aphex Twin!❤

  • @ronaldfarber589
    @ronaldfarber589 Рік тому +13

    So refreshing to see someone unpretentiously breakdown why the aphex twin is so good, great to see a music lover discover and enjoy this for the first time! 😊 P.S. you might enjoy "Squarepusher -Hello Everything" if you loved this!

  • @armorykittington
    @armorykittington Рік тому +2

    I felt so many things. I've listened to so much Aphex it's hard to imagine hearing it for the first time, but your piano-brain made it feel fresh, again. I've laughed and cried so many times through this video. Thank you for making this. lol I'm legit still crying, but out of joy. I've been up all night, but you've just made my day. :::3

  • @iconoclast137
    @iconoclast137 Рік тому +1

    you're awesome. i love your analysis of this album, it's one of my favorites of aphex

  • @allanpage
    @allanpage Рік тому +4

    I love seeing people listen to aphex for the first time. Thank you for this. Just craziness. He's amazing.

  • @pariah206
    @pariah206 Рік тому +4

    I am loving this reaction. It's so bittersweet that you've never heard this album before but I love seeing your initial reactions and totally vibing to how you digest it. Love love love it. Truly transcendental music though. Sounds like a literal trip though hahaha probably why it's titled drukQs

  • @estebantascon-rada4664
    @estebantascon-rada4664 Рік тому +2

    Estoy agradecido por encontrar este canal, y ver que haces un review sobre un álbum que amo.
    Gracias.

  • @darkalman
    @darkalman Рік тому +3

    Been listing to this album all evening now... THANKS! >.>

  • @ianchandler2359
    @ianchandler2359 Рік тому +5

    I think you nailed Aphex twins entire catalogue in one phrase “organised chaos"

  • @trBass
    @trBass Рік тому +1

    I stumbled across your video and DrukQs is one of my favorite albums. I love how you managed to make one of the most interesting "reviews" or reactions to this LP I've seen so far. Thanks for this!

  • @drcustomblades2984
    @drcustomblades2984 26 днів тому +1

    Such a great ear !! Great video!!

  • @erroristic
    @erroristic Рік тому +6

    I love seeing people hearing druqs for the first time, that album was and is mindblowing. And yes, he does a lot of thinking about tonalities, especialy those of micro variety. He is a master of musical dissonace reaching far beyond western harmonies.

  • @pedromonkeypedro
    @pedromonkeypedro Рік тому +5

    Great overview as always. I recommend doing Squarepusher next. =)

  • @joseepp1712
    @joseepp1712 8 місяців тому +1

    the best reaction/analysis ive seen for my fav album of all time, loved the video!

  • @grandaddy0807
    @grandaddy0807 Рік тому +2

    I really enjoyed this video. Been a massive Aphex fan for 20 years. Cool to see a professional reaction/breakdown. Cool channel

  • @Penguin8Penguin8
    @Penguin8Penguin8 Рік тому +5

    Love your analysis of his album! My favorite (more recent) album of his is Syro

  • @clemensbecker1708
    @clemensbecker1708 Рік тому +3

    hi there! many thanks for this video, been looking forward to something like this, somebody listening to an aphextwin album for the first time. its nice to see someone be so positive about their experience! regarding aphex twin "covers": you should most definetly check out "alarm will sound performs aphex twin". many songs from dukqs are on it. it's a blast! all the best and keep it up!

  • @silaseaton8966
    @silaseaton8966 4 місяці тому +2

    Wonderful content! It is also worth noting that some of these tracks work together in an intricate and challenging DJ puzzle.

  • @xndormedx
    @xndormedx Рік тому +1

    This may be my favorite reaction to Aphex Twin EVER!! what a good video! love u!

  • @vincentrose9114
    @vincentrose9114 9 місяців тому +3

    Some of the piano pieces on this record make me tear up. The answering machine message from his parents also gets me feeling misty. This is a wonderfully strange and beautiful album.

  • @majormajormajortom
    @majormajormajortom Рік тому +4

    YES. Aphex Twin content is surprisingly lacking on this website, and it's about time that is rectified.

  • @williambryan8341
    @williambryan8341 Місяць тому +1

    Wow....this was a treat! Your musical mind is open in the best of ways. I've been an Aphex Twin fan for so long that I've fallen in and out of love with many of his pieces over the years. I do consistently come back to his style because I find something reassuring inside of his controlled chaos style of artistry.
    He's known for his reclusiveness but I got to see him headline the 'Day for Night' festival in 2017 on my 40th birthday and that was a memory I'll never forget.

  • @Dripht
    @Dripht Рік тому +2

    I love this album and the way you explained how the different elements of the songs kind of relate to our psyche was so cool. Lots of the songs that I considered “filler” or just didn’t enjoy before now have so much more meaning to them. Keep up the great work!

  • @icywhiterocks
    @icywhiterocks Рік тому +3

    I've been listening to this album for 15 years, the roller coaster ride he takes you on is what keeps it so entertaining. His very fast pace songs are my favorite, just glad he brings you back down with some soft calming sounds before dropping you off a cliff again. Great review, good take on Richard D James.

  • @MM-vs2et
    @MM-vs2et Рік тому +3

    Wow you just put words to a lot of my thoughts on this weird record. It was my first RDJ record and its still my favourite(though the others are very close behind). I suggest I Care Because You Do if you're looking to dive into the discog of this mad genius. It's a nice pallet cleanser moving forward and it has my favourite track of all time. Thanks for making this!

  • @bluebell2334
    @bluebell2334 7 місяців тому +1

    very nice video, I quite enjoyed it having listened to this album a lot in the background before.

  • @devonmccollister1470
    @devonmccollister1470 Рік тому +7

    QK THR is a harmonium.."plenty harmonium" is the alternate title.u can really hear the inner workings of the instrument on the track which gives it a very solitary feeling...I've always pictured an old widowed man alone in a church playing that peice and closing it up and sitting it in the silence..

    • @colinmackay1516
      @colinmackay1516 Рік тому

      I think the cover of the album is a harmonium with the words on the keys.

  • @basspuff514
    @basspuff514 Рік тому +3

    What a fucking masterpiece, one of my fav albums.