Syro reviews

i'm avoiding albums reviews of syro, and i don't normally read album reviews anyway however i saw someone poasted a scan of the wire review of syro and the pull out caption made me sad as it said "retro sounds"

  On 9/11/2014 at 10:26 AM, Haste said:

 

  On 9/10/2014 at 3:40 PM, Altarwise said:

Review from The Wire

http://i.imgur.com/ORCD5BU.jpg

 

I've just read about 3 reviews in a row about 3 different artists that talks alot about '80's music'. I've come to the conclusion that,

 

1. Most talking about it in reviews weren't there,

2. Don't even know what 80's sounds are,

3. Aphex Twin = 80's music? What?

 

  On 9/11/2014 at 10:40 AM, psn said:

It's a kind of 80s music that never existed. Get it?

Yeah in bad reviews "80s sounding" is a crutch, but in this case the Wire reviewer was talking about specific techniques and sounds from that era that RDJ is utilizing or influenced by. There's a plethora of music I listen to at the moment that is very much oriented toward making new and unique music using underused or near "forgotten" styles and timbres. It's part of the whole "hauntology" concept. It's not emulation or even mining obscure samples, it's more like trying to make progressive music from a older starting point - a path that could of existed decades ago but was never traveled down.

I get that, but it's just gear and sounds. Why is it '80's gear' and '80's sounds'? It just seems lazy. The electric guitar sitting next to me was made in the 80s - maybe I make 80's music too now.

Maybe I'm just having a grumpy day.

  On 9/12/2014 at 1:15 AM, joshuatx said:

 

  On 9/11/2014 at 10:26 AM, Haste said:

 

  On 9/10/2014 at 3:40 PM, Altarwise said:

Review from The Wire

http://i.imgur.com/ORCD5BU.jpg

 

I've just read about 3 reviews in a row about 3 different artists that talks alot about '80's music'. I've come to the conclusion that,

 

1. Most talking about it in reviews weren't there,

2. Don't even know what 80's sounds are,

3. Aphex Twin = 80's music? What?

 

 

 

  On 9/11/2014 at 10:40 AM, psn said:

It's a kind of 80s music that never existed. Get it?

 

Yeah in bad reviews "80s sounding" is a crutch, but in this case the Wire reviewer was talking about specific techniques and sounds from that era that RDJ is utilizing or influenced by. There's a plethora of music I listen to at the moment that is very much oriented toward making new and unique music using underused or near "forgotten" styles and timbres. It's part of the whole "hauntology" concept. It's not emulation or even mining obscure samples, it's more like trying to make progressive music from a older starting point - a path that could of existed decades ago but was never traveled down.

 

That's beautiful, man.

i hope richard

i read one review that stated drukqs was a disappointment and may cater to people who enjoyed that album///which is exactly what i want to hear because drukqs is primo.

also can any seasoned twin head tell me why drukqs was looked down upon (and still kind of is to this day) because i just don't get it

  Quote

 

also can any seasoned twin head tell me why drukqs was looked down upon (and still kind of is to this day) because i just don't get it

Looking back at stuff from back then it turned out 'short of phenomenal' to many which suddenly means it sucks when it's someone like Aphex Twin. They complained about the sounds not being 'new' which is a horrible complaint to have. Why is this burden only thrust on AFX and not like.. anyone else? It just didn't live up to expectations, and 4 years was a long time back then vs the 13 year wait now.

Seems more wrapped up in not living up to expectations than any judgement on the music which has definitely stood the test of time.

I bet if Analord had been released in Drukqs place, it would have received a much lower score than it did on pitchfork and whatnot since it would have been a sudden 180 degree turn. Maybe then music critics finally understood that Aphex was doing what was natural to him, as in making music for himself, and not necessarily to bring newness into fucking pop culture.

Ugh. They're kinda pulling this shit with Syro too, but the sounds this time ARE new for the most part so it's minor.

Many aphex twin albums received poor initial reviews, if I recall correctly. SawII was poorly received. RDJ was completely misunderstood. ICBYD an average collection of older tracks. Some reviewers suspected Richard was releasing pisstakes just to piss people off (the sandpaper on a turntable analogy was part of many reviews).

Anywhos, it's the reviewer, stupid! Nothing wrong with the music.

its p crazy. i found him a few years ago via Rubber Johnny. if i had have heard SAW first id have never given the rest of his discog a chance! he shines the most when he's at his most intense and technical and weird. drukqs is still my fave album of his, although windowlicker could have taken the cake had it been a full length. (dat production)

rdj album got great reviews if i remember correctly, well that's how i got into aphex

Hey i'm not a fan of drukqs as an album. I like 80% of the tracks on their own and absolutely love it when he's DJ'd them in-the-mix.

But I found the album a bit all over the places and a lot of the drums too digital with high trebles....,compared to the alanlord/tuss collection which comes across warmer in the percussion side of things. So when non-fans review drukqs i totally get it..............Go Plastic came out the same year and proved to be a million times ore on my playlist and while very digital too and "complicated" ..moves me a lot more...in every sense!

  On 9/12/2014 at 11:38 AM, phudoshin said:

Hey i'm not a fan of drukqs as an album. I like 80% of the tracks on their own and absolutely love it when he's DJ'd them in-the-mix.

 

But I found the album a bit all over the places and a lot of the drums too digital with high trebles....,compared to the alanlord/tuss collection which comes across warmer in the percussion side of things. So when non-fans review drukqs i totally get it..............Go Plastic came out the same year and proved to be a million times ore on my playlist and while very digital too and "complicated" ..moves me a lot more...in every sense!

I remember first listening to DrukQs and it opening my eyes to the beauty of electronic music in general - loved (and still love) the aggressive and wild programming style. I stumbled on DrukQs after years of listening to extreme metal, and it made me realise that electronic could match (and sometimes surpass) the energy of metal music.

I can totally understand why critics didn't like DrukQs though, but I think a lot of people familiar with Aphex Twin saw it as a logical step forward (and nod back) stylistically

it begins

  On 9/12/2014 at 4:48 PM, phudoshin said:

it begins

 

spot on

That was a week ago.

german review:

http://de-bug.de/blog/reviews/aphex-twin-syro-warp

kinda hard for me to translate this in english though :-D...

I went to the listening party in London. the first two tracks were distorted as hell; the bass was almost unbearable. definately mixed hot. tracks 3 and 4, four especially were funky as hell. the 80's synth pallette on this record is amazing. some serious miami vice style biting fm pads

I went to the listening party in London. the first two tracks were distorted as hell; the bass was almost unbearable. definately mixed hot. tracks 3 and 4, four especially were funky as hell. the 80's synth pallette on this record is amazing. some serious miami vice style biting fm pads going on. the vibervibed track sounds great; isn't much different from the one available on youtube. one super all over the place track that I just couldn't connect with. the album is a club record. it's like he's come back to show acts like modeselektor exactly how it's done. the second to last track is huuuge. starts off dnb, and then just goes a bit apeshit.

the last track does feel a little bit tacked on.

dullest track? possibly the Singapore track, tbh.

it's an album of bangers that won't please everyone.

  On 9/13/2014 at 1:31 AM, khawk76 said:

I went to the listening party in London. the first two tracks were distorted as hell; the bass was almost unbearable. definately mixed hot. tracks 3 and 4, four especially were funky as hell. the 80's synth pallette on this record is amazing. some serious miami vice style biting fm pads going on. the vibervibed track sounds great; isn't much different from the one available on youtube. one super all over the place track that I just couldn't connect with. the album is a club record. it's like he's come back to show acts like modeselektor exactly how it's done. the second to last track is huuuge. starts off dnb, and then just goes a bit apeshit.

the last track does feel a little bit tacked on.

 

dullest track? possibly the Singapore track, tbh.

it's an album of bangers that won't please everyone.

omg yessss

that's one thing I think RDJ has over the other big name IDM artists.. he's not afraid to just make fucking wicked dancefloor tracks. I mean, Autechre do it too but mostly only for live sets. I want to dance-walk on my way to work, damnit!

i have syro desire to hear a review about aphex or minipops. im not "on the fence" about aphex's outlook on music, his taste and definetly not minipops. i dont need some radiohead loving hipster to toxify my experience

lol

I was also at london listening - sound quality wasn't great as mentioned above, which kind of left me guessing at a lot of the sounds cos this album is incredibly detailed. Very difficult to form an opinion after one listen, it's definitely an album that you'll discover more of as you listen more. I thought the whole thing was incredible, and the journey through the album from slow groovers through to banging techno right through to the jungle was a very pleasing and logical one. Only track that bothered me was 180db - I thought it sounded a bit simple and a bit of a dumbing down of things, although like I say, I couldn't hear a lot of the detail and thus wouldn't like to comment too much...

Singapore track is awesome IMO. And of an album of awesomeness, Syro (title track) is proper brilliant as is the penultimate one. Need more listens though...

  On 9/11/2014 at 11:27 AM, peace 7 said:

 

Da new Arfox Twonz- veteran Ricahrd Donahue Jameson of DJ and best techno band since Real McCoy- has a new release after 13 years driving a tank in UK (which is by China, btw). Da new soundz iz like, 80's Soundy Lauper and Markel Jarksin, but it's pretty experimental and crazy. Definitely really cool music! Much like other grates of house techno like Squarepushman and Venetian Blinds (who's real name is actually Aryn Funkman! Isn't that cool?), mister Arfox definitely exemplifies- per se- the 80's experimental underground scene like others like Jimmy Hendrix (reggae master), who the Twonz colloroted with in "Expert Nob Twiddling vol. II". So if you're a fan of Craft Work (if you don't know this Russian techno band from the 80's, you gotta listen to "Tour Of France!"), then I highly recomend Syro, released on the venerable and- per se- record label of Warped Records (it's called that because their good @experimental acid, techno house, and dubstep like Skrillex). 9/10 for Syro! It would be a 10, but I like the really weird stuff like with tape scratches (which is an alanog medium), so it wasn't weird enough techno for my exlextic and avant guard taste. I'm studying now for my first semester exams for ITT Technical Institution (which is a ivy league university like MIT (a.k.a Stanford), and Syro is good for listening to for studying. I guess- per se- I'm just really happy and exasperatedly happy that my most favorite techno house band of all time finally released a new record album. I loved him for AT LEAST 3 years, so I know what I'm talking about! 9/10 for Syro. I highly recomned it!

review by Chony Andison, all right is reserve (and reserving) 2014

 

ITT Tech is ivy-league, MIT is ivy-league and also known as Stanford, there is a second EKT album, and Kraftwerk is Russian?? Fuck me, I'm way stupider than I thought I was!

I had to run that one through Translate a few times to see if it got better:

Two new veteran Ricahrd Donahue Jameson Arfox Twonz- the best techno DJ and live band Real McCoy- new release in 13 years to control tank and the United Kingdom (which China, BTW). Take the new bi-Image 80 Soundy Lauper and Markel Jarksin, but it is known that breast milk. I've never been cool music! As another holiday grids Squarepushman blind techno Ahura (whose real name Funkman Aryn! Not so? Cool) Lyric Arfox sure exemplifies- consecutive 80 other countries such as Jimmy Hendrix (master) Twonz colloroted, "Vol Professional Nob turn. II. "Therefore, if craft support this work (or if you do not know Russian techno band of the 80s, you have to listen to "France"), then I recommend whey a respectable label and sequential evidence is know (it is said that because of the mmaexperimental acid, techno and dubstep like Skrillex). 09.10 Syria! It will be 10, and I had some really weird things, like the color scratch (which is what that means alanog) and therefore exlextic weird techno and avant garde. I am now studying for my first final test for the ITT Technical marriage (which is Ivy universities like MIT (Stanford), and whey like to listen and learn. Guess- successive'm really happy and satisfied with my anger is the most favorite techno house always the last one released a new recording of the album. well for at least 3 years, so I know that I speak it! 9.10 for whey . recomned it!

A review of the Chony Andison, all right reserved (and reserving) 2014

  On 9/12/2014 at 11:05 AM, Chartreuse said:

 

  On 9/12/2014 at 3:56 AM, PhylumZunami said:

also can any seasoned twin head tell me why drukqs was looked down upon (and still kind of is to this day) because i just don't get it

 

Windowlicker wet the average listener's appetite, they wanted more stuff like that but Aphex took off down an experimental road where he didn't care what the outcome was, which was more beneficial for his growth as a musician. It was an explosive "fuck you" to the image that was created with Windowlicker, he turned his back on what people wanted/expected and spent his time more wisely, going back to the foundations of his influences to get a better understanding for what music actually means (Cage/Satie/Reich)

 

For some reason this equated to him "treading familar ground" as many reviewers put it, which I just don't understand at all. I thought Drukqs was an amazing breath of fresh air which made him even more unexpected, it was my favourite Aphex album for a very long time after I initially disliked it, I still think it's the epitome of electronic production.

 

I'm thinking Syro might be more the album critics wanted back in 2001.

 

I cannot in any way see how drukqs was "treading familiar ground". I've never heard anything like it

Sure, short piano pieces have been done before. I think that's what they were focusing on.

But nothing like St Michaels Mt exists anywhere other than drukqs and will probably never exist again.

Rolling Stone

Issue 1218

United States

Taylor Swift cover

September 25, 2014

Page 64