Will he ever do anything in the style of On again?

Do you guys think he'll ever do anything in the style of this release again, in terms of the peaceful, dramatic, classical melodies easy to digest, spacey, ambient meets techno kinda stuff? i just can't get enough of his melodic-meets-meditative sound.

I doubt it unless it's old music from back in those days.

Luke Vibert touched on something in an interview that I think relates to AFX and the Braindance lot. A good amount of the music people consider 'classic' from the 90'-98' era were sort of happy accidents. He's admitted they just made tunes like the ones they liked from other artists but in their own weird Cornwall way. I feel like a lot of RDJ's older tunes are the result of him fucking around and experimenting as apposed to the more focused efforts of late with his loads of really high-end gear. As we all know, sometimes even listening to our old tracks we wonder how we did things and probably couldn't recreate them if we tried. That's what I feel like SAW, ICBYD, RDJ album and the lot are pretty much going to stay in the past sound-wise.

Nowadays I feel like Richard really knows his equipment and composition skills and it shows. Not to say I don't like his older tunes, but I feel like they're much less serious from a technical side - which seems to be his thing lately.

I'm personally waiting for more piano tracks like Nanou2 and Aisatsana. Some more tuss style stuff from that era would be great too. Either way, I'm sure he's got some tracks up his sleeve that are quite nice.

Yeah I can't really disagree with your point about how that "style" (re: On) was more of an era thing.

But at the same time, there have been many melodic progression / chord progression patterns among RDJ's work as far back as eve Analog Bubblebath Vol 1, and as recent as Aisatana, like you mention, which have a sort of moody classical-style thing that he manages to push to some of the gorgeous limits. There's something hopeful, pure and serene in his more expansive and colorful compositions that give off a real sense of emotional depth. I don't think that sound is confined to his 90s work at all. Druqks is just dripping in this aspect. Of course, the 90s saw SAW I / II, RDJ album, ICBYD, On, and then there seem to be some of that sprinkled through out many other various releases in general (parts of HAB, a bit of Come to Daddy etc)- yes those releases were all 90s, but I think if someone has skill and ear for compelling beautiful melodies, that's not something that can be passed off as just an "era" thing.

will autechre ever go back to lush Amber melodies ugh

  On 7/27/2016 at 8:19 PM, ThatSpanishGuy said:

will autechre ever go back to lush Amber melodies ugh

lol

Im not a listener. At ALL. Like I have a pathetic history of amount of songs I've "heard" -- probably only truly finished several songs in my life, no joke. I have this terrible case of ADD when it comes to listening and Ive tried all different types of genres and none really hold my interest for longer than a day or two. I also have this fidgity issue where I feel like after an hour or so of listening, i feel like im wasting time (i know that total bs), but it just feels that way. Whats funny though is i have this longing to find and listen to some mysterious song that's never been heard before, or only by a very small amount of people.

  On 7/27/2016 at 8:23 PM, roasty said:

Im not a listener. At ALL. Like I have a pathetic history of amount of songs I've "heard" -- probably only truly finished several songs in my life, no joke. I have this terrible case of ADD when it comes to listening and Ive tried all different types of genres and none really hold my interest for longer than a day or two. I also have this fidgity issue where I feel like after an hour or so of listening, i feel like im wasting time (i know that total bs), but it just feels that way. Whats funny though is i have this longing to find and listen to some mysterious song that's never been heard before, or only by a very small amount of people.

hahaha nice

sorry but music > reading :D

I don't think he'd create something new in the style of On. He doesn't seem like the type of lad who backtracks and revisits certain styles, at least not fully.

BUT... I'd be willing to bet he has hundreds of unreleased similar-sounding tracks from that era, and I'm sure it'll all see the light of day over the next couple of years.

he will if you write a cheesy poem about it.

"if you write it, he will cum"

I personally would like to hear some new stuff-- he's in "archive" mode right now, which is fine since his catalog is so fantastic-- but I would really like to hear what's next. IMO the best part of his work is that each era has a unique bent.

ON stuff is great-- I know what you are saying. there is some similar stuff in the soundcloud dump and I think that's as close as we'll get.

A lot of old songs of his has their own style. "You could also ask 'will he ever do anything in the style of ageispolis again?"

He has a more cemented style now but his tracks still come off as fairly original in the way they feel.

However in the Soundcloud dump, a lot of tracks kinda blended into others in terms of style. Which is interesting. Seems his standout tracks are the ones where he doesn't often return to in style.

Yes

Tamclap Orig from the soundcloud dump is what you want if you're after another On type tune.

  On 7/28/2016 at 8:05 AM, The CIA said:

Tamclap Orig from the soundcloud dump is what you want if you're after another On type tune.

Oh damn, this incredible.. and you're right totally uses that Asian-style scale/ black piano keys in the melody like On has aspects of.

  On 7/28/2016 at 3:18 AM, usagi said:

he will if you write a cheesy poem about it.

 

"if you write it, he will cum"

working on it ;)

  On 7/28/2016 at 5:48 AM, qualitycontrol said:

I personally would like to hear some new stuff-- he's in "archive" mode right now, which is fine since his catalog is so fantastic-- but I would really like to hear what's next. IMO the best part of his work is that each era has a unique bent.

 

ON stuff is great-- I know what you are saying. there is some similar stuff in the soundcloud dump and I think that's as close as we'll get.

agreed, and I have a feeling his next stuff will be more lush in terms of melodies and progressions.

  On 7/28/2016 at 6:25 AM, Brisbot said:

A lot of old songs of his has their own style. "You could also ask 'will he ever do anything in the style of ageispolis again?"

 

He has a more cemented style now but his tracks still come off as fairly original in the way they feel.

 

However in the Soundcloud dump, a lot of tracks kinda blended into others in terms of style. Which is interesting. Seems his standout tracks are the ones where he doesn't often return to in style.

True, although I'm sure his sound will progress the way its seemed to in each era... i mean even if it didn't, within his current sound there is variation (Syro vs CCAI 2) which i love hearing, and Syro is a thing of its own and explores a dark jazzy aspect that's highly musical in many ways, but I'm just kinda hoping to hear more aspects of dramatic melodic work, even if its just little nods :)

The music video for On was my very first exposure to Aphex back in the spring of '97. I thought it was rather mediocre and didn't care about him at the time. But when Come To Daddy dropped later that year and I saw the music vid for that, I was like "holy shit, I'm a fan now."

True story.

  On 7/27/2016 at 7:34 PM, Audioblysk said:

I doubt it unless it's old music from back in those days.

 

Luke Vibert touched on something in an interview that I think relates to AFX and the Braindance lot. A good amount of the music people consider 'classic' from the 90'-98' era were sort of happy accidents. He's admitted they just made tunes like the ones they liked from other artists but in their own weird Cornwall way. I feel like a lot of RDJ's older tunes are the result of him fucking around and experimenting as apposed to the more focused efforts of late with his loads of really high-end gear. As we all know, sometimes even listening to our old tracks we wonder how we did things and probably couldn't recreate them if we tried. That's what I feel like SAW, ICBYD, RDJ album and the lot are pretty much going to stay in the past sound-wise.

 

Nowadays I feel like Richard really knows his equipment and composition skills and it shows. Not to say I don't like his older tunes, but I feel like they're much less serious from a technical side - which seems to be his thing lately.

 

I'm personally waiting for more piano tracks like Nanou2 and Aisatsana. Some more tuss style stuff from that era would be great too. Either way, I'm sure he's got some tracks up his sleeve that are quite nice.

He's actually admitted this in interviews.

"I used to just go in the studio and make things"

"now I know what I'm going to do before I do it"

Also, probably the only way for him to make On again is to get brain damage and forget how to make music and have to learn again.

How was 101 rainbows with beats called in sc dump?

Im pretty sure it was there. Im not so sure.

  On 7/29/2016 at 4:57 PM, HexagonSun said:

yeah, but I was talking about version "with beats"

I've found it. Not as much beats as I thought, but still.

The video for On was played on the largely 70s/80s -based music channel Vintage TV the other morning. They have a programme called The Ambiance Hour and it was about the first thing on. Nice surprise.

He won't do anything like it again, it's totally the work of a relative amateur - which is where a lot of the charm comes from. It's simple and slightly messy in a way, like almost all of his 90-94 stuff, which is maybe why it's my favourite era of his. Once you get past a certain knowledge threshold you can't go back to that without it being forced. Which is fine, because if we continue getting music like the last two years' output, there's nothing to complain about. And there's always the SC dump for finding more early gems.

I don't know guys, I don't hear anything ameture about On. Maybe youthful-spirited, innocent, playful, and a bit freeform/intuitive-sounding. But in terms of melody, production, arrangement, and mix, I think its expertly crafted, and there's more intention than maybe expected.

There is a sense of diy in SAW 85-92, On, and others from that era, but I don't think amateur is the word for that, I think it's just more raw and underground, and more focused on emotion and atmosphere first, and technicality second.

I mean its all debatable and subject i guess.. like would you call James Ferraro's Far Side Virtual amateur? I wouldn't say so, i'd say that release is wonky and weird and of course, it's midi jams, so its intentionally awkward, but I'm sure that Ferraro intended for that. Whether Richard intended for On to sound raw and kind of DIY, is another question. Also, it was 93- electronic music production and mixing wasn't quite up to the standard of today it seems.

I suppose I was thinking more of the literal definition of amateur - sounds like a (super fucking talented) guy playing around in his room rather than a professional musician with years of experience behind him and ££££££££s of gear in his studio.

  On 7/30/2016 at 6:20 PM, purlieu said:

I suppose I was thinking more of the literal definition of amateur - sounds like a (super fucking talented) guy playing around in his room rather than a professional musician with years of experience behind him and ££££££££s of gear in his studio.

Oh totally, in that definition, i agree :D

On is a 10/10 classic imo. I think perhaps after hearing Girl/Boy (and then the RDJ album) and Selected Ambient Works One this would of been near the top of the first tunes of Richard I heard (from the Come to Viddy VHS tape).

RDJ album + Selected Ambient Works One + Come to Daddy/Donkey Rhubarb/On (all in quick succession) = Watmm Membership For Life