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
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.
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.
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.
Cheers James, I’ve been listening to this albums for years and years and I didn’t know any of this. I had a feeling there was a lot of sentimental emotion behind the album, now I know the depth of it.
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
@@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
"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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@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
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 :)
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.”😳🤷🏻♂️
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
@@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.
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.”
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?
So glad to see someone say this, I don't believe him for a second lmao. Whether intended or not, this album has such an intensely personal energy to it
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
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.
29:09 About how I felt when I discovered mt saint michel's last 30 seconds as a kid over 20 years ago. And then there's Kesson Dalek and Avril the 14th. Both of them sadly so short! It's lovely to see people still appreciating this :)
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...
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
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!
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.
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
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. 👍😎👍
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.
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!
This was an awesome review/reaction. A lot of people will listen to the music of electronic artists and go on and on about how far afoul it falls of standard musical conventions and composition. You’re a friend from far away as far as I’m concerned if you can enjoy stuff like this with such an open heart.
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.
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.
@@nathantaaron In fact all of them are. Ziggomatic, Cymru Beats, Taking Control. They're all just chaotic percussion, and melodic synths blended together.
Never listened to this album before, although I've heard some of his music. Reminds me of Autechre. However, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed listening to the album more while listening to your experience at the same time. I don't think I'd listen to it without your musings. If they make a Director's edit, so to speak, with an added commentary, then yours is mandatory.
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.
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!
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.
Kudos for taking on this one. So much going on to pick apart. That smile during Vordhosbn as the beat kicks in sums it up pretty well - Richard's beats are just supremely satisfying.
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.
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.
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.
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 ❤
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."
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.
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!
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...
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.
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!
This is one of my favorite videos on youtube. Great job thank you. 💓 Aphex Twin has been one of my absolute favorites since I was at least eleven. I’m twentysix now, saw him live in my hometown last summer. He has this mark, not only on our hearts 😄 but on his sound. He can be very very different, from himself, all over the place but yet, the most concistent; music, person, and feeeling. Big up ✌️
Great choice of artist/album to talk about. Never new exactly how he recorded the prepared piano stuff but to me it sounds like a real piano, prepared and controlled by midi. It sounds metronomic. Phenomenal this album!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Great video :) The first time i heard Mt st. Michel was the only time I've had my breath literally taken away by music. Like beyond finding something beautiful, I literally had to take a few seconds to gather myself when it ended. That was my biggest "Ok he's my favourite ever" moment. Over 10 years later and he's still my favourite musician.
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
The greatest reaction video I have seen. So thorough and honest. I love this album and for me it is up there with the most important albums of all time!
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!
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!
I haven't listened to DrukQs much for decades, but hearing it reminds me of listening to the album on my headphones during a coach journey up the Dolomite mountains while on a family holiday in Italy when I was about 15. I'd listened to the album before but didn't really get it until listening to it on that coach trip, surrounded by that amazing scenery. There was a kind of resonance between the music and the winding roads and tunnels, the oncoming traffic, the mountains, the scattered villages in the valleys, the spikey layers of foggy cloud. It sent me into a weird kind of trancey day dream state.
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!
this album was one of my first ventures into experimental music back when i was a teenager, im so glad someone with a background in music covered the project in its entirety and picked it apart :D i love how you approached the material and the observations you made, you certainly influenced how i analyze music now
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
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
What I wouldn't give to listen to that album again for the first time. I'm gonna put this on our Aphex Twin Fan Page which you should join if you haven't. Awesome break down.
Fascinating Analysis, you're so open to letting this music affect you, I'm sure R.D.J creates his masterpieces with the same level of playfulness and emotional unguardedness. love to here some of your own music. Thought about sharing a platlist? Grew up listening to Afx, think it has modified my DNA. Strongly recommend listening to Lanark Artefax. Less dense but equally chilling and euphoric at the same time. Great work ixi.
It’s awesome to hear you articulate these songs in ways I’ve only thought of since it was released but could never put into words. I don’t know if anyone else has commented this, but you need to watch “Rubber Johnny.” It’s the exceedingly disturbing official video for Afx237 v.7.
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!
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!
Its one of the best pieces of music Ive heard to this day, mind you I grew up during the progression of breakbeats/jungle/breakcore/d&b so its insanely exciting for me, i used to blaze one up strap on the headphones and paint some stuff, its very emotional and a mental journey imo. Good to see you review this and dissect the notation and structures.
This is a fantastic video and I love your style of review. There are a couple places in the album where I find the resonance between tracks really moving. The transition between Lornaderek, and QKThr, for example, puts a lump in my throat every time. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the chordal relationships (or lack thereof) between tracks like these.
The transition between Lornaderek and QKThr is always so tough to listen to when I’m going through the album. It is probably up there as one of the most touching, emotional pieces of music I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. It produces a deep nostalgic sadness that I just can’t describe, I’m glad someone else noticed this part in the album it is really intriguing to me.
I totally agree I think the transitions are super important. Honestly most albums I listen to start to finish like a movie, it just a different experience imo
@@bababuoy5247 Hard agree! I feel like it is essential that Lornaderek and QKThr play together with no interruption. After Lornaderek finished and ixi stopped to talk about it I could hear the opening notes of QKThr and I started getting teary eyed!
Just entered this video. First time seeing the channel. So cool to see someone reacting to serious IDM, especially someone with a music education. There's a whole lot of material from this era, 1995-2005 or so, especially from Warp Records. I'll be curious to see how deep you go.
this is fun! i've had 20 years with aphex twin, and it's nice to see someone obviously very musical and sensitive come to stuff i already know and love. and without any hamminess or silly youtube exaggeration, too. just a bright human being having a listen with an open heart.
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
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.
Someone might have mentioned-RD James is from Cornwall, a lot of the weird track names are Cornish.
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
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.
Other RDJ releases that deserve a listen (if not a review):
The Tuss - Rushup Edge
AFX - Analord 1-11
Your level of musical knowledge combined with your childlike pure response to it is loveable.
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.
If “Eureka!” was a comment 🙌 thank you
Wtf is VORDHOSBN
Kernow bys viken
what is gwarek????
Cheers James, I’ve been listening to this albums for years and years and I didn’t know any of this. I had a feeling there was a lot of sentimental emotion behind the album, now I know the depth of it.
Album is 21 years old and still sounds like the future. Great channel btw just stumbled across it ❤
ha totally!
Thanks for making me feel old!
@@tsumeristudio639 join the club buddy lol
Cheezus. I always thought it was release around 2011.
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
Björk included this album in her top 10 albums of all time.
I need to know the link of that!!!
Thanks to you I discovered The Black Dog, whom were also on the list.
cause its literally the best electronic album of all time
okay? or what you want as a reaction
High praise from one of the best popular avant garde artists of all time.
this channel is such a hidden gem
😊
@@iximusic damn that was a year ago?! i enjoy coming back to this video every few months
Vordhosbn Is my fav track, it does weird things to me emotionally and i love it.
A panic attack interpreted as music.
slow version of Vordhosbn is right nice too, brings out all the detail ua-cam.com/video/xJhdGDB8rU4/v-deo.html
@@TinWhisker It's not though.
It's pure relaxation. You're listening to it wrong.
@@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
Vordhosbn got me into Aphex Twin, such a great track.
"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.
Goosebumps yes!. Those chords speak to me somehow. So visceral
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
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.
that sounds so cool.
Nannou 2 and Aisatsana are painfully beautiful tracks.
My favorite album from Aphex Twin, those prepared piano pieces are so magical, he's such a great composer and artist
Ikr
Fr
They really are some of my favorite piano compositions
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
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.
Yeah it kinda sounds wintery
Vespertine always reminds me of the cold, too. It’s such a melancholic beautiful album
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.
That's a God tier track, I love it so much.
i love that window feeling so much
Yup, it's absolutely nuts with a good pair of headphones. Enough to make you see double!
The ending sounds like when you open the windows driving on a motorway.
Sounds good slightly slowed too ua-cam.com/video/0c_9XvrZnEs/v-deo.html
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.
"...and we are the dreamers of dreams"
Richard D. James changed my life with music, too.
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?
i'm sorry you went to italy
@@poiewhfopiewhf I'm sorry you went to Italy? What does that mean? What a bizarre response.
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.
“Very complex drum and bass but it had like a tonal element” - an accurate description of 2000s IDM
"Organized chaos"- perfectly sums up Aphex's drums
That weird dissociative nostalgic feeling you expressed is what he does so well with his music. Like walking though another lifetime...
Yes, bits like Flim and Vordhosben and Xtal certainly have that nostalgia the first time I heard them.
The best way I've heard that described is feeling homesick of a home you never had.
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.
Calling aspects of his music a "Brain Scratch" is a new favorite of mine.
Same here.
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.
richard didn't intend to release this music in the first place though.
He was contractually obligated to release a set amout of albums I think?
@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
@@bsbx im pretty sure that was one of richards interview trolls
Same
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 :)
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
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
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.”😳🤷🏻♂️
love that visual, albeit the most violent sunshine breaking through a slated fence you could ever experience 😆
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
@@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.
My favorite song on this album. It's like everything disolves at the end.
100% agree
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!
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.”
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?
What is the story?
So glad to see someone say this, I don't believe him for a second lmao. Whether intended or not, this album has such an intensely personal energy to it
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
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.
great video. i was always overwhelmed by the density of this album and your video was an incredible overview of it. thank you.
overwhelming is a good word for it 😅
what a great record. and an insanely huge catalog he has to dive into!
29:09 About how I felt when I discovered mt saint michel's last 30 seconds as a kid over 20 years ago. And then there's Kesson Dalek and Avril the 14th. Both of them sadly so short! It's lovely to see people still appreciating this :)
Loved your intelligent reaction. Subbed.
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...
Interesting
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
same here! It helped me focus, emptied my head and relaxed me in someway
same
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!
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.
ah I think I remember now!
Wait, Bobs here!? Love your videos!
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
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. 👍😎👍
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.
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!
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.
Wonderful content! It is also worth noting that some of these tracks work together in an intricate and challenging DJ puzzle.
This was an awesome review/reaction. A lot of people will listen to the music of electronic artists and go on and on about how far afoul it falls of standard musical conventions and composition. You’re a friend from far away as far as I’m concerned if you can enjoy stuff like this with such an open heart.
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.
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.
St. Michaels Mount is the same way!
@@nathantaaron In fact all of them are. Ziggomatic, Cymru Beats, Taking Control. They're all just chaotic percussion, and melodic synths blended together.
Never listened to this album before, although I've heard some of his music. Reminds me of Autechre. However, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed listening to the album more while listening to your experience at the same time. I don't think I'd listen to it without your musings. If they make a Director's edit, so to speak, with an added commentary, then yours is mandatory.
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.
I really enjoyed this video. Been a massive Aphex fan for 20 years. Cool to see a professional reaction/breakdown. Cool channel
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!
I read some criticism on it, but it was all in comparison to his earlier work which I haven't heard.
@@iximusic Richard D. James Album next please! :-D
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.
What about the Richard d James album? My favorite, but I love em all
@@night_speed damn man, congrats on getting and staying clean!
Kudos for taking on this one. So much going on to pick apart. That smile during Vordhosbn as the beat kicks in sums it up pretty well - Richard's beats are just supremely satisfying.
If you haven't taken on Selected Ambient Works volume 2 yet, now is a good time - it was just reissued in an expanded edition.
Vorhosbn is still the best piece of electronic music ever made.
That's not true. It's another track of his, "XMAS_EVET10" ;)
Ziggomatic 17,Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount, Cock/ver 10 are better.
@@Hasuo2001 TRUE
Er, no
What about Meltphace 6
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.
Feeling the same, especially a big fan of the first tetsuo film and it's soundtrack
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.
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.
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.
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 ❤
@@rzezniqq what is the module called? is the tracker PlayerPro?
yes aphex uses playerpro, there's an video of vordhosbn on it@@bharatmehra206
The 80's are the future ;)
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."
Love your energy and the introspection you bring to these tracks
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.
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!
And on that note ‘cymru’ is Welsh for wales and pronounced cumree.
But druk being Welsh for print? Not sure where you get that from when there’s no k in Welsh.
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...
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.
I listened to this album for the first time when I was 16. It totally changed my views on electronic music.
Fav album of all time. Glad to see you enjoying this classic. love these reaction vids going into depth about the music subbed!🤘🏻
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!
This is one of my favorite videos on youtube. Great job thank you. 💓 Aphex Twin has been one of my absolute favorites since I was at least eleven. I’m twentysix now, saw him live in my hometown last summer. He has this mark, not only on our hearts 😄 but on his sound. He can be very very different, from himself, all over the place but yet, the most concistent; music, person, and feeeling. Big up ✌️
Love hearing a pianist analyze Richard’s work! ❤
Richard is my lord and savior
Some songs is like going through a gallery and you meet an evolving sound sculpture. A premise and a developing punchline.
well said!!
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
Great choice of artist/album to talk about. Never new exactly how he recorded the prepared piano stuff but to me it sounds like a real piano, prepared and controlled by midi. It sounds metronomic. Phenomenal this album!
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.
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.
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.
Thanks for spending the time with this album. Have loved it since release.
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.
Great video :)
The first time i heard Mt st. Michel was the only time I've had my breath literally taken away by music. Like beyond finding something beautiful, I literally had to take a few seconds to gather myself when it ended. That was my biggest "Ok he's my favourite ever" moment. Over 10 years later and he's still my favourite musician.
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
Incredible video. I loved seeing your reactions to these songs for the first time and I really enjoyed what you had to say about it.
I can't live without this album. it's the soundtrack of my life.
The greatest reaction video I have seen. So thorough and honest. I love this album and for me it is up there with the most important albums of all time!
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!
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!
YES. Aphex Twin content is surprisingly lacking on this website, and it's about time that is rectified.
I haven't listened to DrukQs much for decades, but hearing it reminds me of listening to the album on my headphones during a coach journey up the Dolomite mountains while on a family holiday in Italy when I was about 15. I'd listened to the album before but didn't really get it until listening to it on that coach trip, surrounded by that amazing scenery. There was a kind of resonance between the music and the winding roads and tunnels, the oncoming traffic, the mountains, the scattered villages in the valleys, the spikey layers of foggy cloud. It sent me into a weird kind of trancey day dream state.
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!
Listening to you describe these songs is so insightful and beautiful. I really enjoyed this.
Every time I listen fully to the album and get to Nanou2, I really can't help getting emotional, this album was a gem to listen to while growing up!!!
RICHARD D JAMES WOMAN COUNTERPART!!! Very lovely and the descriptions of each song was PERFECT! So happy
I love seeing people listen to aphex for the first time. Thank you for this. Just craziness. He's amazing.
this album was one of my first ventures into experimental music back when i was a teenager, im so glad someone with a background in music covered the project in its entirety and picked it apart :D i love how you approached the material and the observations you made, you certainly influenced how i analyze music now
Love your analysis of his album! My favorite (more recent) album of his is Syro
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
Been listing to this album all evening now... THANKS! >.>
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
What I wouldn't give to listen to that album again for the first time. I'm gonna put this on our Aphex Twin Fan Page which you should join if you haven't. Awesome break down.
I'll never forget it! Sure, where's the group?
Fascinating Analysis, you're so open to letting this music affect you, I'm sure R.D.J creates his masterpieces with the same level of playfulness and emotional unguardedness. love to here some of your own music. Thought about sharing a platlist?
Grew up listening to Afx, think it has modified my DNA. Strongly recommend listening to Lanark Artefax. Less dense but equally chilling and euphoric at the same time. Great work ixi.
This has always been one of my favorite albums of his! And it is truly unique even for Aphex Twin!❤
It’s awesome to hear you articulate these songs in ways I’ve only thought of since it was released but could never put into words.
I don’t know if anyone else has commented this, but you need to watch “Rubber Johnny.” It’s the exceedingly disturbing official video for Afx237 v.7.
Finally, after much scrolling I've found someone mentioning it! 😄👍
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!
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!
Its one of the best pieces of music Ive heard to this day, mind you I grew up during the progression of breakbeats/jungle/breakcore/d&b so its insanely exciting for me, i used to blaze one up strap on the headphones and paint some stuff, its very emotional and a mental journey imo. Good to see you review this and dissect the notation and structures.
This is a fantastic video and I love your style of review. There are a couple places in the album where I find the resonance between tracks really moving. The transition between Lornaderek, and QKThr, for example, puts a lump in my throat every time. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the chordal relationships (or lack thereof) between tracks like these.
The transition between Lornaderek and QKThr is always so tough to listen to when I’m going through the album. It is probably up there as one of the most touching, emotional pieces of music I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. It produces a deep nostalgic sadness that I just can’t describe, I’m glad someone else noticed this part in the album it is really intriguing to me.
I totally agree I think the transitions are super important. Honestly most albums I listen to start to finish like a movie, it just a different experience imo
@@bababuoy5247 Hard agree! I feel like it is essential that Lornaderek and QKThr play together with no interruption. After Lornaderek finished and ixi stopped to talk about it I could hear the opening notes of QKThr and I started getting teary eyed!
Just entered this video. First time seeing the channel. So cool to see someone reacting to serious IDM, especially someone with a music education. There's a whole lot of material from this era, 1995-2005 or so, especially from Warp Records. I'll be curious to see how deep you go.
I think you nailed Aphex twins entire catalogue in one phrase “organised chaos"
this is fun! i've had 20 years with aphex twin, and it's nice to see someone obviously very musical and sensitive come to stuff i already know and love. and without any hamminess or silly youtube exaggeration, too. just a bright human being having a listen with an open heart.
This album, analord, the tuss and selected ambient works 2 are my favorite
Its incredible how much this album was such ahead of its time and its still inspiring for today musicians, loved how you reacted to it, good job!