Review: Aphex Twin- SYRO

Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin, came back in a big way this year. First was the Kickstarter release of the Caustic Window LP, and now the first full length release under the Aphex Twin moniker since 2001's Drukqs. So what does a modern Aphex Twin sound like? The answer is pretty much what you'd expect; that is, to say, amazing.

Whereas the Caustic Window LP was 20 year old shelved material, the songs on SYRO are much more recent, and have been picked from the rumored thousands of hours of unreleased Richard D. James material. The product is unmistakable James. Densely layered, infinitely complex and with a danceable yet highly intricate beat based on poly-rhythmic drum patterns, this is not Swedish House Mafia, let's just put it that way. One thing that always astounds me about any release by James is just how much is going on at once, and how it all blends so well. Composing in this fashion and keeping all the rhythms together in one's head must get exhausting. 

There are really three things that are really interesting to note about this record. One is the vocal sampling. While James has sampled voices before, I don't feel like he's ever done it so much as here, with soundbytes of himself, his wife and son, as well as other family members in the mix (on a side note, his 5 year old son is already making music; an electronic Mozart in the making). Second is how little it sounds like anything current. I like how James has resisted the newer influences of electronica. Though a trap or dubstep album by Aphex Twin would probably be amazing, I can respect that he's still comfortable doing his own thing. Other artists have the potential of being very desperate at this point in their careers. The third thing is variety. Essentially every touch stone in Richard D. James' oeuvre is on display here, thus making a perfect diving in point for new fans.

The one thing that throws me off about this album is how accessible it is. That might not be the word, since it definitely rewards repeat listens and is definitely deeper than the music on the surface, but I feel like efforts like Drukqs or Selected Ambient Works Volume II were a little more challenging over all. Also, James recently stated in an interview for Pitchfork that these are not his best songs that he has been working on and that he's more excited about other projects, which may be either modesty (but when has he been that?), or he might be holding out on us for the moment. I hope that one day the door on the Richard D. James vaults busts open, but until then, this is a pretty amazing album and a must listen for Aphex Twin fans or just fans of electronic music in general. It's good to have Richard D. James back in the spotlight, if only for a little while.

Out of a total of 5 stars, I give this:

Check back in later for my opinions on Jeff Tweedy's double album featuring his son on drums entitled Sukierae.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Album Spotlight: Aoxomoxoa (1969 Original Mix)

Before I take a look at SYRO by Aphex Twin and Tweedy's Sukierae, I thought I might share my opinions on a long lost but recently rediscovered gem: the original 1969 mix of the Grateful Dead classic Aoxomoxoa.

So, most Deadheads probably know that the original mix of the record was deemed a little too busy, and that some music got lost in the mix. This led to a remixing of this record and my personal favorite album Anthem of the Sun in 1971, and while the remix for the latter quickly fell out of favor, the remix of Aoxomoxoa became the standard issue, with the original 1969 mix not resurfacing until 2013 for Warner Bros. reissues of the first five records on vinyl. The original 1969 mix has never been released on CD, and is a little rare, but vinyl ripped Youtube streams exist for those without a record player.

So how does the original mix hold up against the 1971 remix? In my opinion, it honestly depends on the song. 'Saint Stephen' is very similar, with the removal of a few sound effects for the remix. 'Dupree's Diamond Blues' has a completely different vocal take between the versions, but I actually prefer the remix. 'Rosemary' is pretty similar between the versions, but there is an a capella section on 'Doin' That Rag' that was removed for the remix. Not really sure why, I kind of enjoy it. I also enjoy the choir on the original 'Mountains of the Moon'. There is also an extended 'China Cat Sunflower', that I quite enjoy on the original, but where the majority of the cuts were made for the 1971 mix were on 'What's Become of the Baby?' Where there was just Garcia's reverb soaked vocals on the 1971 mix, the original had a plethora of sound effects and other effects placed on the vocals. I never liked this song before, and kind of questioned the threadbare song's inclusion on the album, but I guess I was listening to the severely edited version the whole time, because I kind of get this one.  'Cosmic Charlie' was cut at the beginning as well. 

For the most part, the edits just cut little studio banter at the beginning and ends of songs, with some effects removed or lowering or raising instruments in the mix,but it really is interesting to hear the different versions. I highly recommend listening to both versions, and to both versions of Anthem of the Sun, to draw your own conclusions. Feel free to let me know what your favorite mix is and why.

Now off to absorb SYRO's deeper meanings.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Review: J. Mascis- Tied To A Star

When you think of J. Mascis, one generally pictures his extremely loud and abrasive guitar work with his band Dinosaur Jr. This is not the case with his recent solo output, as this album, along with its predecessor, Several Shades of Why, which have a much more intimate sound, with large parts of the work consisting of acoustic guitar stylings. The ever present Neil Young vocal comparisons are definitely more apparent when backed with some finger picked guitar.

I see myself comparing this album in a strange way to Beck's Morning Phase. They are both acoustic efforts from artists who have their noisy streaks, but where Beck's album felt a little listless, J. Mascis's work has been lively and incredibly varied. There are some very beautiful and catchy songs to be found on this album, and where as Morning Phase, though pretty, seemed to drag due to its slower tempo, Tied to a Star shows a diverse set of songs that are all very great in their own way.

Bits of Dinosaur Jr. do bleed its way into this album, which is to be expected, but mainly these distorted lines are far in the sonic background, while the acoustic guitar and vocals provide for an intimate and introspective foreground. Any fan of Dinosaur Jr. would find this a surprising but extremely worth while listen, but this album has the potential to find a much broader audience with its folkier and less tinnitus inducing sound. Not that there's anything wrong with Dinosaur Jr.'s harder edge, but I guess even J. Mascis thinks there's good in messing with the formula every once and a while.

Out of a total of five stars, I give this:

I'll most likely be doing another classic spotlight in the near future, while eagerly anticipating my chance to listen to Aphex Twin's first full album in 13 years, SYRO.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."