Music From The Merch Desk (2016-2023) [compilation]

  On 12/19/2024 at 7:43 AM, ignatius said:

Trying to think what the artwork reminds me of… 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen_%26_Pixel

edit : and also @Ivan Ooze

  On 12/18/2024 at 3:54 PM, Ivan Ooze said:

Imma wait till it drops in the aphex store, maybe there will be some bonus trxxx, maybe not. 

Either way it's a dope release man and i'm happy people can enjoy it cant wait to revisit the whole thing

Good call Ivan. I saw it was on Bandcamp which is cool but then also noticed it was available at the Aphex warehouse with a bulk 38 pack of tunes at a discounted price compared to other retailers ( it’s legitimately cheaper at the Aphex store). Whether there will be a ‘buy 38 and get X free’ promotion taking place remains to be seen however.

  On 12/19/2024 at 7:43 AM, ignatius said:

Trying to think what the artwork reminds me of… 

I think it's a well known gangster rap album, well known for how terrible its cover is. I think it has a gangster rap bear on the front. This all could be a figment of my imagination!

Doin Thangs by Big Bear

  On 12/19/2024 at 11:52 AM, Hail Sagan said:

Imma wait till it drops in the aphex store, maybe there will be some bonus trxxx, maybe not. 

I had the impression the digital files for the London and Barcelona EPs where the bonus material or did they drop already earlier before?

https://aphextwin.warp.net/releases

I just remember buying that Barcelona vinyl from the online store as a very very limited drop a year ago but there were no digital files with it as far as I remember 

no digis for me but count me in for a 78rpms copy of London's 19.08.23 B side... 

  On 12/19/2024 at 12:51 PM, o00o said:

I had the impression the digital files for the London and Barcelona EPs where the bonus material or did they drop already earlier before?

https://aphextwin.warp.net/releases

I just remember buying that Barcelona vinyl from the online store as a very very limited drop a year ago but there were no digital files with it as far as I remember 

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I think those were put in the store at the same moment the merch desk compilation was added to the store. If those were already up before, those files would have been all over the internet already (slsk). Wasn't the case, as far as i can tell. Ergo, also new. (you can also check on the tracks page where it says "new": https://aphextwin.warp.net/tracks )

I downloaded all recent eps I bought over the years on the aphex twin shop and the listening experience it’s quite confusing. I mean drukqs was similar to this, but it’s basically all over the place. Many many tracks are just work in progress experiments but they are not as finished as on drukqs , which has also so many sketches like this.  I wonder if this takes some time, but I don’t think so. I kind of miss a broader theme that holds everything together. On the other hand, Richard was never about conceptual releases that had a cohesive theme in recent years following up from analord. All albums and recent eps were kind of collections of tracks he was happy with. Still I feel this might have historical value to him covering a certain period of production in his life. It’s quite a lot of hit and miss. When I look at my current record collection I downloaded in recent weeks from Bandcamp there are so many tracks that are not hit and miss at all and it’s really hard for me to give this chaos a proper listen when these other tracks are also really great and instantly give me gratification. I also wonder if this overtime opens up like autechre releases or if they just stay unfinished experiments with no relistening qualities.

  On 12/19/2024 at 6:16 PM, o00o said:

I downloaded all recent eps I bought over the years and the listening experience it’s quite confusing. I mean drukqs was similar to this, but it’s basically all over the place. Many many tracks are just work in progress experiments but they are not as finished as on drukqs , which has also so many like this I wonder if this takes some time, but I don’t think so. I kind of miss a broader theme that holds everything together. On the other hand, Richard was never about conceptual releases that had cohesive theme. All albums were kind of collections of tracks he was happy with. Still I feel this might have historical value to him covering a certain period of production in his life. It’s quite a lot of hit and miss. When I look at my current record collection I downloaded in recent weeks from Bandcamp there are so many tracks that are not hit and miss at all and it’s really hard for me to give this chaos a proper listen when these other tracks are also really great and instantly give me gratification. I also wonder if this overtime opens up like autechre releases or if they just stay unfinished experiments with no relistening qualities.

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Maybe you could ask warp to release a compilation of your own bandcamp buys that aren't so hit and miss, if they give you instant gratification it might hold true for the masses they'd be on to a winner

  On 12/19/2024 at 12:26 PM, Key said:

Doin Thangs by Big Bear

It comes from No Limit Records as far as I can remember (Master P’s label). All their shit looked like that. We all knew Richard was partial to tanks but I never would have taken him for a No Limit Soldier. 

Best track of collection? 

Having a hard time picking one atm

42DIMENSIT3 e3 is so good. Really a big fan of the london LP. I think of it as a sketchbook used to develop techniques and comfort in the studio leading to the tracks built for the collapse EP. It has a lot of good ideas, but simple, less refined, almost analord follow up. em2500 track is so beautiful.

That being said, the run from track 24 onwards it just insane. Pretend analog is still probably my favorite, 4x atlantis, korg 1b, and soundlab20 are also big hits for me. Spiral staircase is just so good too. Hard to decided haha

london 2019, manchester and barcelona are clearly the standouts here. that run from track 24 to 33 is some pretty epic shit. 

aside from a few bangers sprinkled here and there, i can pretty much take or leave everything else.

umil 25-01 is just wonderful.

  On 12/19/2024 at 4:26 PM, Satans Little Helper said:

I think those were put in the store at the same moment the merch desk compilation was added to the store. If those were already up before, those files would have been all over the internet already (slsk). Wasn't the case, as far as i can tell. Ergo, also new. (you can also check on the tracks page where it says "new": https://aphextwin.warp.net/tracks )

Yeah they definitely weren't up before. Weirdly they're not showing in my account even though I purchased both records on the site when they were available for like 5 minutes. Guess I can just stream them or listen to them on vinyl though.

I think it's quite good!

Wow, I’ve had this album suggested under "New Releases" for a week and ignored it because the cover is just so insanely ugly. I thought it was some cheap bootleg or whatever.
Lol.

  On 12/19/2024 at 8:18 PM, bluelechg6 said:

Best track of collection? 

Having a hard time picking one atm

not sure what the best is but my favorite is this one below - the whole vibe feels like just having fun with synths over some tasty beats - also really love how the transition in the second half feels like live mixing instead of a carefully curated 'track' transition - top quality aphex, though more of a throwaway sketch:

T17 phase out is maybe my fav cause it sounds like stuff he wants to release but cant cause of his afx brand.

First Spotify new release suggestion that actually caught me off guard.  That cover.  Would listen now, but it would be 3 am by the time I'm through.  Hmmm...

I still haven't listened (though the tracks are familiar to me) Christmas is 13 hours a day, six days a week at work. I now sit here mentally forcing myself out to go on a bike ride (because it's good for the mind and soul right?) then roast chicken, then hopefully Aphex Twin. Though it might be Christmas Eve when I finally listen. WITH A FUCKING CASE OF NECK OIL

Christmas is no hours a day, 7 days a week. Anything else and you're doing it all wrong.

  On 12/22/2024 at 12:26 PM, perunamuusi said:

Christmas is no hours a day, 7 days a week. Anything else and you're doing it all wrong.

I wouldn't disagree with you sir, not one bit. I'm cursed and I accept it. My soul gets eaten every Christmas by the Devil chomp chomp chomp .

Opening track is new to me, and it's working.  I needed this.

Also

Lazy as hell release, dig the cover though