AFX question

I was reading about how RDJ apparently used a sandpaper disc on a record player in his live shows. Are there any recordings of this?

It wasn't a disc but a promotional item given out at a rave (from what I understand).

I'm not sure if it's real or fake. But it was literally a piece of sandpaper given out at this event lol.

I could make a request for you over at wcd.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/APHEX-TWIN-Richard-James-DJ-set-sandpaper-set-small-center-hole-ltd-200-/161003120854

I had heard the story a long time ago. I'd be surprised if there's no recording somewhere if it's actually true.

whats wcd?

What's What?

He said in an interview with mtv around 96/97 that he played sand paper during a DJ set in New York, and that the crowd thought it was "thrash metal or something".

interesting, I never heard that rumour. I only heard about the promo aphex branded sandpaper lol

(yet another thread that reminds me how damn useful an actual site attached to this forum was)

Richard (in)famously performed a DJ set in 1994 where he spun a sandpaper disc (just a piece of sandpaper cut to a 12" record), and 200 copies were handed out at said event. Some turn up on Ebay now and then.

There is a recent thread here where someone was selling the sandpaper records that were made for sell and limited to 200 copies by the "disobey" club or something. I can't remember the name, but it is a relatively new thread.

I heard a story about RDJ opening for Bjork, in which his hour long set was just noise. I couldn't find a recording of that either, but I'd like to

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:49 PM, isaki said:

I heard a story about RDJ opening for Bjork, in which his hour long set was just noise. I couldn't find a recording of that either, but I'd like to

Yeah that's a true story. There were short video recodings of it floating around on the internets at that time. Well, there was atleast one that i can remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7qrTYYRF_4

I'm reading Energy Flash by Simon Reynolds. My question came from this quote:

"Many years later his infamous DJ performances - he'd place the stylus on sandpapers instead of vinyl and modulate the hellaciously abrasive din using a graphics equalizer - echoed Cage's 'Cartridge Music' piece, in which the turntable's stylus cartridge was rubbed against inappropriate objects and surfaces."

seems like a musical manifestation of some depe hidden desire

  On 7/23/2013 at 12:36 AM, Hanratty said:

I'm reading Energy Flash by Simon Reynolds. My question came from this quote:

 

"Many years later his infamous DJ performances - he'd place the stylus on sandpapers instead of vinyl and modulate the hellaciously abrasive din using a graphics equalizer - echoed Cage's 'Cartridge Music' piece, in which the turntable's stylus cartridge was rubbed against inappropriate objects and surfaces."

coincidentally I was messing around earlier with a turntable just recording into audacity, making noise... didn't even think of this thread at the time (with a karma chameleon vinyl though lol)

C.M. Hauswolff supposedly recorded the Disobey sandpaper gig in London and 'remixed' it, but having heard the track it is not exactly what you'd expect (a lot of silence and the occasional click or pop sound?) - here: http://www.discogs.com/Carl-Michael-Von-Hausswolff-Leech/release/631534

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:49 PM, isaki said:

I heard a story about RDJ opening for Bjork, in which his hour long set was just noise. I couldn't find a recording of that either, but I'd like to

Still have a short recording of that on my harddisk, can upload it here if you want. It's lovely because you can hear everybody yelling to get off the stage under the wall of noise.

David Toop mentions this in 'Ocean of Sound' - here's the excerpt:

"1994. Disobey club, Islington, London. For 40 minutes, Richard James, the Aphex Twin, plays two highly amplified 'records' made of sanding discs. The sound is augmented by the sound of an amplified food mixer. Sometimes the noise is so loud that it blots out all conversation in the room."

this would only be cool if it were ran through lots of effects, maybe like a rhythmic gate and some things to shape the tone, and some maybe subtle filter sweeps or something were done to actually make a track out of it. otherwise its just going to be a shitty noise

@MisterE: I get what you're saying, but keep in mind the context, year, what the music scene was like around that time etc.

Oddly enough, there're some meme photos around the net about Skrillex and how his music 'sounds like a blender or a hoover'. What a load of crap.

Knowing that RDJ actually had the balls to go out and perform with actual sandpaper whilst not very popular gives the guy much respect.

yeah, i don't think if he ran it through effects it would have made it better. Actually back then that's what most noise musicians did, just had a contact mic on something ran through 10-20 guitar stompbox pedals. The fact that he made the noise in such a pure way more akin to say the Haters, actually shows he has taste and creativity and wasn't trying to be a generic run of the mill noise musician

OR... he just decided to do it for a laugh and really didn't care what anyone thought.

the legend says he dropped that needle on some sandpaper, and the rest was history...

  On 7/25/2013 at 3:45 AM, skibby said:

the legend says he dropped that needle on some sandpaper, and the rest was history...

  On 7/24/2013 at 12:16 AM, Herr Jan said:

 

  On 7/22/2013 at 6:49 PM, isaki said:

I heard a story about RDJ opening for Bjork, in which his hour long set was just noise. I couldn't find a recording of that either, but I'd like to

 

Still have a short recording of that on my harddisk, can upload it here if you want. It's lovely because you can hear everybody yelling to get off the stage under the wall of noise.

would love to hear it