SUPREME X APHEX TWIN

  On 3/4/2025 at 9:59 AM, bluelechg6 said:

Slightly off topic, in a short time span Warp signed AFX, BOC, AE, Squarepusher. How did this happen? It's been almost 30 years since the late 90s... 

Isn't it weird that Warp managed to get AFX, BOC, AE, Squarepusher, all around the same time (I think)? 

Seems almost like a conspiracy. I like a good amount of the newer (post early 00s) Warp signings btw...

 

 

Thinking now about this more, the 90s were kind of the beginnings for electronic music and maybe that's all that needs to be said. Pretty reasonable but still kind of weird. Those that get there first ultimately master it cause it is their sound/invention.

My advice to Warp... sign one new musician that has electronic music fans going fanatic like fans are with BOC, etc... that should be their main focus going forward if they want their brand not to feel like its just about mystique surrounding Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin new releases. Then again WATMM isn't exactly an indication of the market/customer base and I have little business sense.  But if I was Warp I would try and find electronic musicians that show promise but are just getting started. Maybe those kind of signings will be the encouragement needed to bring about a fanatic response as seen with BOC, AFX... 

 

 

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What's the conspiracy?

  On 3/4/2025 at 8:25 AM, bluelechg6 said:

If Aphex Twin tours North America after releasing a new album, I'll replace my entire wardrobe with this collection. I'll just wear Supreme Aphex Twin clothes for the rest of my life. 

lol I think the jackets are like $500

  On 3/4/2025 at 8:56 AM, thumbass said:

He's been blowing up in popularity recently. Everyone and their mother started wearing aphex t-shirts to show off how off kilter they are. Look at the mass marketing for Blackbox, which in the end is just a 14 minute EP, or the music for the merch desk comp they released in december.

(That's why a big brand collab makes sense)

Not sure if serious. But I wondered and did a google trend comparison

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today 5-y&q=aphex twin,autechre,fred again,charli xcx

Interestingly, Fred Again.. is equally popular as Aphex Twin - at his low point. But Fred's highs are out of the ball park. Until you add Charli XCX. That's what blowing up in popularity looks like to me.

  Quote

Warp is trying and succeeding to make him more mainstream. I respect it though, he deserves the exposure.

That's sarcasm, I hope.

Since the nineties they (warp/rdj) have been experimenting with video clips and what not. Doesn't have much to do with going mainstream, imo. It's just another side of what rdj wants to do. He put his face on his albums. He did some photography which was used on various albums (not just his albums, but also other albums on rephlex) He likes to do collaborations with various kinds of artists and companies. He likes to do silly stuff from time to time.

That's not necessarily a marketing strategy. That's just fun. This Supreme thing fits in this pattern as well, I guess.

  On 3/4/2025 at 11:58 AM, Satans Little Helper said:

Not sure if serious. But I wondered and did a google trend comparison

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today 5-y&q=aphex twin,autechre,fred again,charli xcx

Interestingly, Fred Again.. is equally popular as Aphex Twin - at his low point. But Fred's highs are out of the ball park. Until you add Charli XCX. That's what blowing up in popularity looks like to me.

That's sarcasm, I hope

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Well you have tot ake into account that rdj is an old man and fred is a young dude with more mainstream sounds in general. I feel like afx is very popular for how weird his music is to most people. 

My point was more that wearing the afx logo has been seen as cool and underground for a while now but in reality even travis scott is wearing an afx shirt.

It wasn't sarcasm, warp markets afx shit like it's the best thing you'll ever hear when all he puts out is a 14 minute 4 tracker. Not hating on blackbox because I like it very much.

  On 3/4/2025 at 11:06 AM, Mattthegoone said:

What's the conspiracy?

My guess for a conspiracy is... nothing great can be allowed to become too powerful

You get your head above water due to brilliant music you've made only to find there is a boat waiting for you... waiting to take control! lol 

How something like that is achieved, I have no idea. So chances of anything of the sort being true are probably very very small. 

And I have no idea if this conspiracy is applicable to what I was getting at in my last post, so I'll stop derailing the thread now

I determined that the Orb (Alex Patterson at least) was some kind of  MI5/CIA psyop, one time while at an Orb all nighter on quite strong acid.

Probably connected.

Jesus wept. What sort of cunts would wear this shit? 

That said, I do quite like the pink come to daddy jumper. 

  On 3/4/2025 at 10:42 AM, thumbass said:

The NFT things was pretty bad but let him make some money bro, gatekeeping won't do anyone any good. You don't have to buy any of it right? He's got a lifetime of music in his back catalogue so we should all just accept that he is past his prime.

Rubbish he has loads of amazing unreleased stuff, that we've heard, his live shows in 23 were top quality

  On 3/4/2025 at 1:29 PM, Mattthegoone said:

Rubbish he has loads of amazing unreleased stuff, that we've heard, his live shows in 23 were top quality

Of course I'm not saying that his skills or his ear for quality tunes have diminished, but there is a very good chance he's never putting these tracks out into the world

  On 3/4/2025 at 9:59 AM, bluelechg6 said:

Slightly off topic, in a short time span Warp signed AFX, BOC, AE, Squarepusher. How did this happen? It's been almost 30 years since the late 90s... 

Isn't it weird that Warp managed to get AFX, BOC, AE, Squarepusher, all around the same time (I think)? 

Seems almost like a conspiracy. I like a good amount of the newer (post early 00s) Warp signings btw...

 

 

Thinking now about this more, the 90s were kind of the beginnings for electronic music and maybe that's all that needs to be said. Pretty reasonable but still kind of weird. Those that get there first ultimately master it cause it is their sound/invention.

My advice to Warp... sign one new musician that has electronic music fans going fanatic like fans are with BOC, etc... that should be their main focus going forward if they want their brand not to feel like its just about mystique surrounding Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin new releases. Then again WATMM isn't exactly an indication of the market/customer base and I have little business sense.  But if I was Warp I would try and find electronic musicians that show promise but are just getting started. Maybe those kind of signings will be the encouragement needed to bring about a fanatic response as seen with BOC, AFX... 

 

 

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I think it goes without saying that Warp would be absolutely delighted to unearth another talent on the level of those artists but the way the industry (and well, everything) has changed in the last 30 years means repeating something like this now is nigh on impossible. Cultivating mystique whilst simultaneously trying to be noticed in the age of social media feels at odds with itself- not to mention the very concept of being anonymous/cryptic in order to generate interest is now incredibly hackneyed and old hat.

Ignoring the unique social and technological context from which the original techno/rave scene exploded from, Warp havent really changed their M.O. all that much - Aphex, Ae, Sp and BoC were only signed after they had success and interest on smaller scale labels, Warp have repeated this with the likes of Flying Lotus, OPN and Lorenzo Senni over the last ~15years but the way things are fragmented now and the exponential amount of music being released vs limited attention spans means these artists are not going to have a much tougher time achieving this legendary status. Maybe in another 15 years who knows?

  On 3/4/2025 at 1:53 PM, thumbass said:

Of course I'm not saying that his skills or his ear for quality tunes have diminished, but there is a very good chance he's never putting these tracks out into the world

So what are you saying? Excluding what you typed about him being past it

  On 3/4/2025 at 2:39 PM, Mattthegoone said:

So what are you saying? Excluding what you typed about him being past it

See above,

I can't word myself any better, sorry, my points aren't really looking that consistent lol

WARP CUTS DEAL TO MARKET THEIR APHEX TWIN BRAND (made famous for music recordings by Richard D James) WITH OVERPRICED FASHION HYPE HOUSE KNOWN AS SUPREME. MORE NEWS AT 12

Fuuuuuuuuuck that. 
 

I can’t wait to strike up a conversation with someone wearing one of these and quickly realize they don’t listen to aphex twin at all. 
 

T-shirts sold out already 

  On 3/4/2025 at 4:50 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

I can’t wait to strike up a conversation with someone wearing one of these and quickly realize they don’t listen to aphex twin at all. 

the AFX grin is gonna become the new

Nice drip, but what I really need are some Kosmik Kommando underpants.

So is RDJ getting paid for this? Maybe that’s how he could afford that fancy suit…

Babe what's wrong? You've not even worn your Richard D James Album snowboarding gloves

I can’t even navigate the website.. where is the stuff for sale? Or is it added daily? Oi 

  On 3/4/2025 at 12:23 PM, thumbass said:

Well you have tot ake into account that rdj is an old man and fred is a young dude with more mainstream sounds in general. I feel like afx is very popular for how weird his music is to most people. 

My point was more that wearing the afx logo has been seen as cool and underground for a while now but in reality even travis scott is wearing an afx shirt.

 

It wasn't sarcasm, warp markets afx shit like it's the best thing you'll ever hear when all he puts out is a 14 minute 4 tracker. Not hating on blackbox because I like it very much.

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I can't actually tell, are you taking the piss? All he puts out is a 14 minute 4 tracker what the fuck are you talking about