The cult of aphex twin - bbc radio 4 doc

On next tuesday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b88k6l

Music writer John Doran ventures into the strange world of Richard D James. Over the course of three decades James, known to his legion of hardcore fans as Aphex Twin, has achieved the primary but evasive aim of most serious musicians - the invention, exploration and curation of a truly unique and inimitable sound.

Born in Ireland and raised in Cornwall, James was radicalised by the underground acid house phenomenon that swept UK clubs in the late 1980s but, unlike many of his peers, he seemed equally influenced by ambient, New York minimalism, power electronics, avant composition, techno, industrial and pop music.

By combining these strands, he became just about "as important as a single figure can get in electronic music" and the more that the press wanted to speak to him the more he treated their attention with a mixture of irritation, gleeful mischief and wilful myth building.

Realising that legend is often much more interesting than truth, he slowly began to construct a personal mythos that many still believe to this day. Does he really write songs while asleep after training himself in the practice of lucid dreaming? Does he drive a tank round Cornwall? Did he once live in a bank vault in the middle of the Elephant And Castle roundabout? Does he own a submarine? Does his DJ tech rider include a food processor and sheets of sandpaper? Does he move among his many fans on electronic dance music forums online, often trolling them and stirring up these very myths?

In an attempt to disentangle the man from the myth, we hear from fans such as comedian Vic Reeves and those who know him best such as musicians Tom Middleton, Leila, David Toop and Scanner.

Fan of 25 years John Doran believes that James should be seen as a Cornish folk musician. While a lot of time has been spent talking about how groundbreaking his music has been over the years, less thought has been devoted to discussing how he is also a conduit to the pre-Christian culture of the Cornish past, not just through the song names he chooses or the natural textures of plant and mineral that his music evokes, but also because he is a product of the Cornish myth-making tradition himself and part of a proud heritage that includes mermaids, giants, piskies and pobel vean.

is cornish folk music replacing idm?

  On 6/27/2018 at 11:27 AM, Amen Warrior said:

In an attempt to disentangle the man from the myth, we hear from fans such as comedian Vic Reeves and those who know him best such as musicians Tom Middleton, Leila, David Toop and Scanner.

sweet as a nut!

John Doran is an interesting chap - also a good DJ to boot. I guess running the Quietus doesn't pay so well though - wasn't it crowdfunding to stay alive recently?

Will be tuned in for sure.

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FFS!

What I wanted to say was, I think Joyrex mentioned this documentary a few weeks back in another thread, so the "cult" might actually be watmm

His British Masters interviews are worth watching (if you like guitar orientated music)

  On 6/27/2018 at 12:56 PM, fletcher said:

 

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You do not have permission to edit this topic

FFS!

 

What I wanted to say was, I think Joyrex mentioned this documentary a few weeks back in another thread, so the "cult" might actually be watmm

"Does he move among his many fans on electronic dance music forums online, often trolling them and stirring up these very myths?"

Yeah we're the cult

#notallwatmmers

#thebrothers #boc

#thechre #themates #autechre

  On 6/27/2018 at 1:14 PM, Amen Warrior said:

 

  On 6/27/2018 at 12:56 PM, fletcher said:

 

  Quote

You do not have permission to edit this topic

FFS!

 

What I wanted to say was, I think Joyrex mentioned this documentary a few weeks back in another thread, so the "cult" might actually be watmm

"Does he move among his many fans on electronic dance music forums online, often trolling them and stirring up these very myths?"

 

Yeah we're the cult

 

Hi Richard

fuck yeah rub that sandpaper gig all over my body

  On 6/27/2018 at 12:34 PM, jasondonervan said:

 

  On 6/27/2018 at 11:27 AM, Amen Warrior said:

In an attempt to disentangle the man from the myth, we hear from fans such as comedian Vic Reeves and those who know him best such as musicians Tom Middleton, Leila, David Toop and Scanner.

 

 

 

 

awesome

This reminds me of the Breezeblock Aphex show from awhile back...holy shit from 2005. I am getting old

  On 6/27/2018 at 2:05 PM, WeAreOceans said:

fuck yeah rub that sandpaper gig all over my body

haahahah, that made me laugh!

nice one : )

Yeah, it's a pretty good show.  I'm not entirely convinced James is a recluse for Cornish heritage based reasons, but it's a nice enough programme about an eccentric outsider artist, and why his music, methods, and mystery appeal to certain people.

  On 6/27/2018 at 3:35 PM, ZoeB said:

 

and why his music, methods, and mystery appeal to certain people.

yeah (excuse the language) fucking loons

though I'm happy to report from my fact finding on-line field trips, not as peculiar as Autechre and Boards of Canada fans. That's a fact and they know it!!!

those guys take the biscuit

ho-ho-ho

Yeah, this is the programme I mentioned (I was actually interviewed for it, but my contributions didn't make the cut - and to be honest, having listened to the final product I think they were wise to omit my part since they got so many wonderful (and far more notable) people to speak about Richard and his music).

It's really well put together, and I highly recommend listening to it when it airs or afterwards if available digitally.

Did they ask you about the "quite good" debacle?

nice ! 

Huh, was expecting heavy eye-rolls from the cult, especially with the description provided, but this seems poised to be well-received?

  On 6/27/2018 at 3:59 PM, Joyrex said:

Yeah, this is the programme I mentioned (I was actually interviewed for it, but my contributions didn't make the cut - and to be honest, having listened to the final product I think they were wise to omit my part since they got so many wonderful (and far more notable) people to speak about Richard and his music).

 

It's really well put together, and I highly recommend listening to it when it airs or afterwards if available digitally.

That's a shame, I'd love to hear The Watmm Shepherd speak

  On 6/27/2018 at 11:27 AM, Amen Warrior said:

On next tuesday

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b88k6l

 

Does he move among his many fans on electronic dance music forums online, often trolling them and stirring up these very myths?

  On 6/27/2018 at 3:59 PM, Joyrex said:

Yeah, this is the programme I mentioned (I was actually interviewed for it, but my contributions didn't make the cut - and to be honest, having listened to the final product I think they were wise to omit my part since they got so many wonderful (and far more notable) people to speak about Richard and his music).

 

It's really well put together, and I highly recommend listening to it when it airs or afterwards if available digitally.

So they didn't ask the one person who knows if phex moves among us?

state of journalism these days:)

Ah too bad i would have loved to have seen/heard you Joyrex

Hope i can check this out after it airs.

  On 6/27/2018 at 4:20 PM, Amen Warrior said:

Did they ask you about the "quite good" debacle?

I hope they did, even though it didn't make the cut...  I told him about the anecdote, and suggested he ask Joyrex about it, and if memory serves I think he was already aware of it, or at least of Joyrex himself.

very nice! will tune in for sure

2 bad we won't get to hear our joyboss tough

new album coming up?