While we wait for the earth shattering material, though, Syro is a nice reminder that the genius is alive and well.
As an artist, Aphex Twin (aka Richard D. James) is a true innovator. A brilliant quasi-autistic mind that always seems to go beyond the limits of electronic music. But as a “public” figure, Richard D. James proves to be equally, if not more, interesting. James could be considered a troll, or a provocateur for that matter. His interviews are always a bit off and his answers are quotable because of their elusiveness. In a recent interview, James came out as a 9/11 truther. Classic AFX.
The good thing about James is that he has the music to back it up. Like Jean-Luc Godard, French new-wave darling that has been confusing art-house audiences for decades, Aphex Twin has always played with the boundaries of his genre. “Deconstruction,” such a vulgar word might be adequate to describe Godard’s attempts at re-configuring what cinema is; James, on the other hand, innovates by willfully ignoring musical trends. He doesn’t critique, he innovates by example.
Syro finds Aphex Twin at his best. It’s been awhile since the awfully overlooked Drukqs (and, if you are counting, the Analord series), but that only seems to have inspired Richard to perfect his technique. Opener “minipops 67 [source field mix]” re-frames the whole IDM paradigm by deploying a “Windowlicker” like beat and altered vocals. Many have pointed out the similarities between the vocals in “minipops 67…” and Thom Yorke’s attempts at sounding positively inhuman. But where Yorke fails, James succeeds: “minipops 67…” makes no effort to make the vocals understandable, focusing instead on the marvelous sound they make when they are manipulated.
Syro’s first half is a quiet and meditative journey. Things change radically, however, with “180db_” and its drugged take on 90s rave. “Fz Pseudotimestretch+e+3” almost sounds like a Boards of Canada track given its disjointed sounds. “Papat4 (Pineal Mix)” is a personal favorite, due to its playfully uplifting beat. Syro ends with “Aisatsana” made for James’ wife, a stunning piano piece that should please Brian Eno fans. Birds chirp as James closes up a solid, and thankfully not last, album.
There have been reports that Aphex Twin is not taking a break. Syro is just the first of the releases James has in store for us. The “truly innovative” stuff, he says, is not to be found in Syro. He is right, of course. While we wait for the earth shattering material, though, Syro is a nice reminder that the genius is alive and well.
Syro is available on Warp.
