IDM Mailing Archive

quoted 1 line Richard James: I don't get it.

>Richard James: I don't get it.

Clearly then, you're missing something the rest of us 'get'. Richard James music is, I personally feel, worlds different then Autchre's. Autechre's music is very rigid, mechanical, sometimes stiff, but always interesting. Aphex's music is filled with life, playfullness, at times profound sadness...there's always some very human emotion buried in those haunting melodies he creates. At any rate, there's my two cents in what is I'm sure going to be a messy debate. -Fresh

quoted 2 lines Richard James: I don't get it.

> >Richard James: I don't get it. >

I think the reason that most people like RDJ is the following. His music for the most part is a constant battle between beauty and the beast, (or is that beats)? Between the sublime, gorgeous melodies, he manages to fuse in everything from detroit grooves to crushing industrial beats. The best of examples of this would be: xepha, start as you mean to go on, and .21509 or some such number from analogue bubblebath III. If these ones don't move you, give up on the aphex twin. Phil Downey

His noodly melodies are, to my ears, the least interesting part of his music. I'd go as far as to say the melodies detract from the overall effect. Take this with a grain of salt -- I'd like a lot of Autechre's work better without the chords. Most of the time this sort-of sci-fi, futuristic sound will transport me more easily when it avoids traditional harmony and melody. At the same time I realize many people want to leaven futurism with tradition (both as listeners and composers). --Mark On Thu, 28 Mar 1996, Phil Downey wrote:

quoted 4 lines Richard James: I don't get it.

> > >Richard James: I don't get it. > > > Between the sublime, gorgeous melodies, he manages to fuse in everything > from detroit grooves to crushing industrial beats.

On Fri, 29 Mar 1996, Mark Kolmar wrote:

quoted 5 lines Take this with a grain of salt -- I'd like a lot of Autechre's work

> Take this with a grain of salt -- I'd like a lot of Autechre's work > better without the chords. Most of the time this sort-of sci-fi, > futuristic sound will transport me more easily when it avoids traditional > harmony and melody. At the same time I realize many people want to leaven > futurism with tradition (both as listeners and composers).

Each to their own, but one of the things I like about Autechre is the unconventional things they do with harmony and so forth. For example, I think it's the second track on 'Tri Repetae' where they play one chord over and over, but alternating between the major and the minor third. In terms of trad harmony that's a big no-no. Also on the last track ('rsdio'?) of that album, the main riff is a simple one-four-five progression (think 'Wild Thing', 'Louie Louie', etc.), yet the rest of the music buggers about in all kinds of crazy keys. Excuse me if I'm being a trainspotter. :-) Michael ______________________________________________________________________________ scrot@sans.vuw.ac.nz (Michael Upton) Leaping octaves in a single bound ______________________________________________________________________________

quoted 4 lines I personally think they are quite over-rated. They

>> I personally think they are quite over-rated. They > >sorry if this seems a little off-topic, but i think this way too--but NOT >about Autechre. i think Richard James is overrated.

Yeah! Everything Warp's released sucks! FAX is crap (and too much of it!)! R&S never put out a decent record either! Orbital is lame and the Future Sound of London eats poo! C. -- cspot@hyperreal.com (Chris.Hilker)

On Thu, 28 Mar 1996, Chris.Hilker wrote:

quoted 10 lines Yeah! Everything Warp's released sucks! FAX is crap (and too much of it!)!

> > Yeah! Everything Warp's released sucks! FAX is crap (and too much of it!)! > R&S never put out a decent record either! Orbital is lame and the Future > Sound of London eats poo! > > C. > > -- > cspot@hyperreal.com (Chris.Hilker) >

I can't agree more... :)

At 7:22 PM 3/28/96, astro wrote:

quoted 7 lines sorry if this seems a little off-topic, but i think this way too--but NOT

>sorry if this seems a little off-topic, but i think this way too--but NOT >about Autechre. i think Richard James is overrated. i really must be >missing something, because everyone speaks of all his work as superawesome, >and i just don't see it. i saw him dj once too and was equally unimpressed. >am i missing the secret? >puzzled, >saiki o.d.

Check out Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 1985-92 and the Aphex Twin "On" single (this should be really cheap, like $8). I also think the track "Digeridoo" is amazing. If you still aren't impressed, you probably won't be. I think Richard James is really talented, but I think a lot of his music is really self-indulgent, like he's testing his listeners to see exactly how bad he can make his music and still have people listen to it. From interviews I've read of his, he definitely seems to have an ego big enough to support its own weather system, and I think this has adversely affected his music. So, while he's definitely an electronic music maestro, I think he's still a big target for the "most overrated" award. I have a friend, Andy Parsonage, in London who grew up with him in Cornwall and was close friends with him then. Andy says his success really went to his head and they stopped talking. According to Andy, Richard thought of himself as a contemporary Mozart, having genius that is unchallengable by others. While I think he is in many ways a musical genius, for someone to think of himself in this way (and perhaps he doesn't) is kind of sickening. Wow, I hope you guys don't kick me off of this list for calling Richard James and Autechre overrated in the same day! I have a lot of respect for both, but think that there is definitely a lot of music I have heard that is much less talked about and comparable in merit, and that I personally enjoy more. My tastes would be well represented by: Orbital 2 Deluxe - Let the Magic Flow (you may have trouble finding this one - it's from San Fran on UV recordings, check the hyperreal music archives) Freaky Chakra Rabbit in the Moon (almost everything by them or remixed by them) Aphex Twin - SAW 1 AI 2 X-Mix-3 is a pretty solid mixed compilation of "armchair" techno. Speedy J - Live Jeff -- Jeff Andrews Globalstar Software Engineer jandrews@qualcomm.com 619.658.4756

quoted 8 lines Yeah! Everything Warp's released sucks! FAX is crap (and too much of it!)!

>Yeah! Everything Warp's released sucks! FAX is crap (and too much of it!)! >R&S never put out a decent record either! Orbital is lame and the Future >Sound of London eats poo! > >C. > >-- >cspot@hyperreal.com (Chris.Hilker)

hmm... that's sarcasm you're spouting, right? alan! ,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,., I know why I like you, It's 'cause of your sandals, And your supper, And cause you're Jesus. -Barenaked Ladies

quoted 2 lines and the Future

>and the Future >Sound of London eats poo!

no sir! they eat ssschzwooop bizzearaaaat tweet tweet over and over and over Teep on now: west meets east - yehudi menuhin & ravi shankar