the aphex twin destroyed my brain
version
Well-known member
I'm into it, but it's pretty standard for him. The video definitely 'destroyed my brain' though.
There are emotions in the harder variants of techno but yous journalists won't get it cuz u've never felt like no future. likewise with electro, noise, metal and so on, even tho i don't really like metal anymore...
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it's like in uk the scene has always played dance mania, gehttotech/booty bass etc alongside the acid and shit.
But now some of those post-dubstep wankers have colonised techno and squeezed all of the raunchy pounding distorted 909 machine funk out. the same people who would cuss out sativie and mosquito records for being too noisy/weird/blokey.
'radical gentrified music collectives' 4 the fader and fact mag.
But now some of those post-dubstep wankers have colonised techno and squeezed all of the raunchy pounding distorted 909 machine funk out. the same people who would cuss out sativie and mosquito records for being too noisy/weird/blokey.
'radical gentrified music collectives' 4 the fader and fact mag.
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it's funny like i remembered how blackdown was talking about these new crop of UK producers going to techno and losing the rudeness, but thats exactly what post-dubstep was, an attempt to construct a seemingly non-threatening masculinitty when in fact it was essentially fuck u uncouth proles this is ours now. i will still defend the scene until about 2008 or so but i do have some differing tastes. the people who i like out of that scene were people who were already involved, like peverelist and the punch drunk lot. but all that james blake/darkstar and the other one i forget can fuck right off.
CrowleyHead
Well-known member
It's an income thing for him at this point I bet.
The fact remains when he released drukqs or however it's spelled people suddenly had a "Alright enough of this" mythology set up. Ever since then his releases in this decade have been "Richard James Plays The Hits" (with that 'Syro' tune just inherently being a lazy rewrite of 'Windowlicker' deliberately designed to appease people who were begging and pleading for Aphex to return).
I mean the guy made hundreds of thousands to perhaps millions milking his status in the course of his career, and I say that not to discount the musical work he did actually put in but with the acknowledgement that parallel to that he was happy to be as ruthlessly mercenary in extorting an audience he could treat with contempt. The whole 'prankster' nature people often mythicize never ever gets approached with the consideration of 'he probably laughs at us while he spends our money'. The fact that he clearly enjoyed Zomby for several tunes in his DJ sets or the fact that he brought out Die Antwoord that one time is a clear case of demonstrating that he identifies with newer acts who have hostile to downright abusive relationships with their audiences.
Frankly I recognize I'm being a prick when I say "Yeah more people should be fucking bored of him at this point" but at the same time the lazy lavishing of recognition he gets over nearly everyone in electronic music is something I find unjust and so while I actually enjoy a lot of Aphex Twin's music and totally think it's fine if people enjoy him, I still want to spit at the metaphorical sacred cow here.
Sectionfive
bandwagon house
I remember that Surgeon Glade set when it first surfaced. Serious skills and I probably haven't heard enough of James' stuff put in proper context like that. Being wedded to straight down the line club music I have the misfortune of exposure to RDJ and that wider world via his fans. Exclusively lads who never dance competing to the make the best 200bpm tune titled 'AcidWIZARD73769087-02' or whatever. Good gimmicks and often ferociously well executed gimmicks still tire. Can definitely appreciate the SAW LPs, love Ptolemy eg. but a not insignificant portion of his catalogue belongs in the same bin as Wipeout on the Playstaion and the Hackers movie. Flaphead is a belter also.
In my mind his sound has always figured as a zenith of British techno? Dunno how I tease that out but it is something removed from elsewhere. Like if it has soul it is an infantile one as opposed to Detroit's maturity. Or often drenched in ravey-ness distinct from the hardness of Berlin and the low countries. One thing anyway is that he's achieved longevity and adoration much more than anyone one else to have bred so much black and queerness out of the music
In my mind his sound has always figured as a zenith of British techno? Dunno how I tease that out but it is something removed from elsewhere. Like if it has soul it is an infantile one as opposed to Detroit's maturity. Or often drenched in ravey-ness distinct from the hardness of Berlin and the low countries. One thing anyway is that he's achieved longevity and adoration much more than anyone one else to have bred so much black and queerness out of the music
Corpsey
bandz ahoy
Leo
Well-known member
not to defend him, but surely people are free to buy or not buy his records, or pay to see him perform. how does an artist "extort" his audience? and aside from actually assaulting concertgoers, how is an artist abusive to fans? they make their art, the public hears it and decides if they want to buy it. where's the deceit or strong-arming? if a lazy artist makes shitty music, how are fans forced or deceived into buying it? they buy it because they want to.
guess you could say PIL did that at their legendary Ritz NY show where they hid behind a huge video screen for the entire show, but that was more "statement" piece of performance art.
droid
Well-known member
The exact opposite is true. A lot of fans wish he would just 'play the hits' from his 90's golden period but he consistently does the opposite. As for the Syro/windowlicker comparison? Dont see it, and Im not a huge fan of Syro.