Analogue Bubblebath 3-4, On EP + On Remixes

On. Let's get cracking:

On - What can I say? This is one of his best ever tracks. Great introduction, delicious melodies all around, and awesome beats. It's enough to blow you away, with it's energetic, yet tranquil atmosphere and a feeling of utter content.

73-yips - Whoa whoa WHOA! This is one hell of a track. It's fast and furious, it's like lightning in infinite repetition, it's almost like your ears are being electrocuted and you're forced to dance to the rhythm. I need to listen to it really LOUD and rock the fuck out. I also love how it ends so abruptly.

INTERESTING: I have a playlist of 1,560 tracks on my computer, with all the artists I listen to, starting with Aphex Twin. And this track is No. 73, by total coincidence!

D-Scape - I actually find this track kinda boring. There isn't much to it, really. Just a repetitive, oriental melody over the simplest of bass rhythms coming in after two minutes. Maybe I'll grow to like it one day, I dunno.

Xepha - Alright, back onto the groove. This track has a great rhythm, and the sounds of mutants and monsters are the icing on the cake. I even like the melody, it's only one note but it adds so much.

On (D-Scape Mix) - Jesus Christ. The second longest track Richard has ever released, and probably the most repetitive of all. I don't see how it has anything to do with On, but if the title is to be believed, he somehow remixed On into a mash of sucking sounds and xylophone taps. It still has a great atmosphere, not as dark as it is.. strange.

On (Reload Mix) - Great remix of On. Warm, sunshiny, and energetic. I'm loving all the new sounds.

On (µ-Ziq Mix) - An even better remix! This one adds so much to the original. It starts with On's main melody set to a series of bells, and it slowly builds up tension as more and more layers are added, until it finally erupts into an upbeat rhythm with plenty of cool noises. 10/10

On (28 Mix) - Such darkness, such coldness. Every single noise in this is so disturbing, how did he make the background, anyway? Perfect dark ambience. I can't even listen to it without feeling cold, rusty scented wind blowing in my face.

My best to worst of the On EPs:

On (µ-Ziq Mix)

On

On (Reload Mix)

On (28 Mix)

73-yips

Xepha

On (D-Scape Mix)

D-Scape

Some thoughts:

AB3

Don't like these tunes with the exception, of course, of: .215061 - fantastical - and .0180871L, which has a certain charm (but *no* muscle!).

AB4

I remember the first time I heard the Elephant Song, it was on a mix someone here made called "We Are the Music Makers", when the actual elephant sound came in it scared the shit out of me. I have nothing but love for Cuckoo. And Gibbon is amazing, long, but amazing. The hats in Sloth are identical to another song, thought it was by Autechre but I'm not sure, doesn't really do anything for me.

For me, and I'm well aware I'm in the minority, this has been a disappointing Aphex week.

  On 4/4/2010 at 8:59 AM, ataraxy2 said:

For me, and I'm well aware I'm in the minority, this has been a disappointing Aphex week.

Ah, don't worry, I'm sure you'll like next week. We get to hear the Polygon Window stuff. SOSW and Quoth, and let's not forget about the track "My Teapot"...

Anyway, I've left it a little late, but I think I'm just in time to give some babbles about AB4:

(The official track names are "Analogue Bubblebath 4.1, Analogue Bubblebath 4.2 etc.)

[elephant song] - Bone crunching IDM madness! This is a track to listen to as loud as possible, so you can really hear every beat, and let the elephant screams pierce your ears. It really does feel like being hammered by a stampede of elephants, and at over six minutes, it's a relentless trial to listen to the whole thing.

[cuckoo] - And now for something completely different. I adore this song. It's full of sublime little melodies that eventually sing together in harmony. Bouncy melodies, ecstatic melodies, dancing melodies. I love all the different animal noises. Seriously, when all these different elements come together, it's almost orgasmic.

[gibbon] - Back onto the hardcore stuff now. Head thumping beats, violent melodies, and acidy sounds all adding up to total chaos. Not a track for the faint hearted.

[sloth] - I think this track is underrated. It's very sensitive and emotional, with soft, rattling percussion and melodies that make it sound like a happier, more tranquil version of [stone in focus]. It also has some ambient moods that really sell the track for me. Just beautiful.

[knievel] - Yeah, you know what this track sounds like. I don't really have an opinion on it.

Best to worst:

[cuckoo]

[sloth]

[gibbon]

[elephant song]

[knievel]

That concludes my reviews for this week. Overall, it's been fun. AB3 was hit-and-miss, On was full of gems and AB4 was a cohesive classic. See you all in Week 4!

  On 4/5/2010 at 1:59 AM, Mesh Gear Fox said:

so I'm the only one annoyed by that incredibly out of place percussive sound that repeats throughout sloth? really?

Come on , give Richard a break , he was just a kid.

  On 4/2/2010 at 6:01 PM, Dragon said:

  On 4/2/2010 at 4:47 AM, joshuatxuk said:

Well, stuff like Ken Ishii. It's still techno but the melodies are, well, "cutesy japanese."

 

I just checked out a Ken Ishii music video on Youtube, this stuff is fucking awesome!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnU51pb47yM

Good stuff huh? I find him to be quite underrated.