We were spoiled in 2001

les rallizes dénudés were influenced by the velvet underground. does that mean their music is derivative, banal etc.?

real recogonize real, and ya'll some phony ass curmudgeon types stuck in the past

  On 9/21/2014 at 9:18 PM, Bubba69 said:

I don't think he's ever claimed it's his best or most innovative music (most of the recent interviews imply this).

Actually, he explicitly addressed this in a recent interview (I forgot which one; they're all blending together for me now), and he said that it's not innovative; just accessible. Sounds about right, and that's fucking great, as far as I'm concerned. I'm looking forward to the weirder shit soon, too!

  On 9/21/2014 at 9:18 PM, Bubba69 said:

I think people criticizing this album don't understand the context of this album. Thinking every album must be some kind of project that is a progression of drukqs is siilly. This album feels like a natural conclusion to the analord/tuss creative period. He's even said this album is just a collection of tracks he wanted to release because he was tired of them and wanted to get it out there. Sounds like he has other projects and albums that he was more excited about, I don't think he's ever claimed it's his best or most innovative music (most of the recent interviews imply this).

 

I think it's very enjoyable and I'm happy we were able to hear this, there are some really tight tracks on here. I don't think it feels out of place in the library of his music.

Yeah man, correct.

  On 9/21/2014 at 6:46 PM, StephenG said:

Have any of you considered that it's just your ears and tastes being acclimatized to more complex music (and similarly complex music made in a similar style) so things just aren't shocking you?

 

Its not the music, it's you.

 

If syro had come out in 2001 you'd have shit your pants, "omg acid lines so complex, such amazing mastering, etc"

most sensible thing I've read on this forum

I lost interest in afx after windowlicker, Drukqs was the first afx-album I still haven't bought (bought the tuss directly, but I am just listening to it on 33 rpm). I like his earlier stuff better, a good melody doesn't need hyperedited breakbeats in 180 bpm, weird voices or a freaky video by cunningham - tha or heliosphan works without it anyway...

  On 9/21/2014 at 10:15 PM, The Tarsier said:

 

  On 9/21/2014 at 6:46 PM, StephenG said:

 

Have any of you considered that it's just your ears and tastes being acclimatized to more complex music (and similarly complex music made in a similar style) so things just aren't shocking you?

 

Its not the music, it's you.

 

If syro had come out in 2001 you'd have shit your pants, "omg acid lines so complex, such amazing mastering, etc"

most sensible thing I've read on this forum

Isn't it. I always kinda seem to be behind the times with keeping up with his work. But then again, that suits me just fine.

I really like the flow of syro as an album.. and I think that is the first time I've ever said that of an aphex release. TH I think is great.. and incredibly subtle. I'm also a fan of the overall theme of that record. To this day, I listen to drukqs in a totally different order than released. (I think Rich even said to do that, or he likes to do that with it or something) I took his advice and sort of made that album my own. (super fun to do) but I don't think I'll be doing that much with Syro. I can just turn it on and let it go without wanting to adjust it in any way.

Thanks...I really like some of the perspectives shared here - including those pointing to how production is now exploring different avenues to the complexities being pursued in the past. That's true: and I didn't mean to imply that there hasn't been quality electronic music released recently. I've loved lots of new electronic releases; in fact, I'm finding generally there is more interesting, excellent electronic music being put out now than ever. I love how newer productions can sound so warm and so beautifully 'wide' - and how simpler and more subtle ideas are being executed with greater and greater finesse.

I didn't mean any negativity at all with the OP. But I do think it would be a shame if the rhythmic intricacies of 2001's edits were utterly abandoned rather than assimilated on some level into newer pursuits - and I am also noticing noticing a definite and ever-increasing trend towards nostalgia in this kind of music, something that seems to have been going on a long time. I get when people say they just want 'good music' and don't mind so much about originality or unoriginality; but there's nothing wrong with pining after fresh sounds, is there? :) But no negativity intended. Honestly I was just blown away afresh by Drukqs, and realised I actually didn't appreciate it as I should have done 'back then'.

Your posts are very well thought out.

I didn't find anything negative in your OP! I definitely feel like we were spoiled in 2001' too, but I think a part of that was that I was new to this genre (whatever we call it) so everything seemed so shockingly new and exciting. Now that I'm familiar with some of the techniques and musical conventions, things like poly rhythms and complex scales, the music is less shocking (not sure that's even the right word...)

  On 9/21/2014 at 6:46 PM, StephenG said:

Have any of you considered that it's just your ears and tastes being acclimatized to more complex music (and similarly complex music made in a similar style) so things just aren't shocking you?

 

Its not the music, it's you.

 

If syro had come out in 2001 you'd have shit your pants, "omg acid lines so complex, such amazing mastering, etc"

this.

to add to it, theres nothing really like syro out. there are many braindancers who imitate the tuss sound but no one at all does it like afx. dudes a freak. I look forward to hearing this more experiemental lp he's apparently got in the works. I look forward to anything he releases old or new because generally, it shits on 90% of music.

I would like some more 160bpm+ tunes though, cant get enough

i got into afx in 2008ish; i worked at a cafe, where i could choose what music played during my shift

i played a lot of mellow, pretty idm/warp tracks or whatever (flim, 3/4 heart), but actually the first afx i fell in love with from drukqs was QKThr. i wish i could "feel" that song for the first time again. so what drew me into the world of drukqs wasn't the impossibly complex death fuck mental beats or whatever. then, like most people i geuss, i fell down the drukqs rabbit hole, and one by one, i "discovered" how good every song was. my fav track might be petiatil cx htdui, alongside vordhosbn. that's a track i can't put into words. and altho smug cunts like scaruffi dismiss the interludes on drukqs as derivative of and inferior to satie et al, that's one of the most special tracks i've ever heard. i have a vague but vivid memory of the first time i "heard"/comprehended pch; it was after midnight, i was listening to drukqs front to back alone in my room in the dark, hopefully i was high, and this beautiful little lonely gem emerged from the madness of drukqs and i thought

holy fuck, how did i not hear this before??? how could i have listened to the album so many times, and never heard this track before? pch has a um, drug-like effect on me or something. although i turned erik satie's pussy out, i haven't found anything like it. and just like rhubarb and whatevs, i feel nearly irresistible compulsions to loop those tracks, to remain in those worlds. it's like lucid dreaming, you don't want to wake up. but instead i save them, like precious fading memories, because i do not want these tracks to become less special to me. i want to feel like i felt when i first heard pch alone in my room, but i can't. er um afx is the best thing going in music. but the relentless complexity is not the reason, um or the only reason i love drukqs. vordhosbn is the shit, no doubt, listening to that in the dark as a reclusive shut in is no joke, when you don't have any tears left to cry, or maybe you never had any tears.

i've never made a track. i have limited vocab when it comes to discussing electronic music. but i don't love it any less. i almost prefer not seeing how the sausage is made. lianne your posts are very articulate and i enjoyed reading them. but metz track took me back to that place. a different place, but that special place only afx can take me. so i'm not worried about syro being a direct extension of ideas in drukqs. compare the last two tracks. different, yeah? he's in a different place, and he's making different music. the proof is in the pudding. i'm trying to engage syro on its own terms, i dunno, maybe i'm an artiste type. i don't have a brain for science. i'm into literature yo. and music.

tl;dr the appeal of afx's music is not directly related to how complex it is, and we haven't heard his new mental experimental tracks, so chill

  On 9/22/2014 at 1:27 AM, whylessness said:

 

 

tl;dr the appeal of afx's music is not directly related to how complex it is

The appeal is not solely on how complex it is but that's a rather large component for many people. Hence why many are complaining about the missing 9999999999 bpm beats etc.

rhubarb might be my fav afx song. reverse it, and it can make you cry just as hard. that song touches on something deeper. i want to go there, i don't care how i get there. that's all.

same with lots of SAW1 and tracks like acrid avid jam.

I gotcha friend, I know what you mean =)

how was pissed up in se1 btw

Ah! I completely forgot to try that, thank you for the reminder. Will check it tonight after grocery shopping. =)

engage evasive techniques.

so about Russia eh? Being pretty aggressive these days.

why isnt there a venetian snares sub forum. just saying.

  On 9/22/2014 at 3:05 AM, thrones said:

why isnt there a venetian snares sub forum. just saying.

lel

it's a long story. PM joyrex pls

  On 9/21/2014 at 10:18 PM, entropi said:

I lost interest in afx after windowlicker, Drukqs was the first afx-album I still haven't bought (bought the tuss directly, but I am just listening to it on 33 rpm). I like his earlier stuff better, a good melody doesn't need hyperedited breakbeats in 180 bpm, weird voices or a freaky video by cunningham - tha or heliosphan works without it anyway...

Pretty weird logic here. Ragtime was just fine with its indentifiable melodies, we didn't need Charlie Parker to get all experimental on us.

  On 9/22/2014 at 3:08 AM, StephenG said:

 

  On 9/22/2014 at 3:05 AM, thrones said:

why isnt there a venetian snares sub forum. just saying.

lel

 

 

it's a long story. PM joyrex pls

 

it's not really that long of a story actually. a while back everyone was complaining so much that there wasn't one, so joyrex finally made one. which lasted like a day, cause aaron himself messaged or emailed joyrex to remove it as he didn't like the idea of one to begin with. end of.

just keep looking backwards forever. meanwhile the world will move on without you.

drukqs was always my fav, but syro is great.
speaking of "perfect" in art is non sense.

but innovation is not an end in itself for richard, that's obvious. in syro he is experimenting a lot also, a lot less digital than drukqs, exploring mics, natural reverbs, etc in EDM is innovative...
drukqs is still my fav, but syro is in 2nd place. some thinghs i like more in syro

Holy fuck there's so many jaded cunts on this website...

WATMM, can't we just appreciate some new Aphex as some quality IDM that it is? I haven't heard Syro in it's entirety yet myself, but regardless of whether or not it's on a Druqks level of "holy shit this is fucking brilliant" can't we just appreciate some new Aphex for what it is? New music from a legend that we all love? I'm gonna give Rich the benefit of the doubt and say that even if the album isn't his most mindblowing ever it's still probably some pretty damn good music. I can be content with that alone.

Why must we become over-analytical of every release? And why does every release have to be the most cutting edge in innovative sounds and recording techniques? Sometimes just tackling an established sound and doing something interesting within some pre-defined constraints is okay too. If we write off everything that's remotely derivative we may as well just stop listening to certain genres as a whole. Hell, techno hasn't been innovative in a LONG fucking time, but that shouldn't suggest there aren't some damn fine releases that have come out in recent years. Sometimes you gotta just listen to shit for what it is, without comparing it to what preceded it.

I don't listen to music, I listen to innovation.