IDM Mailing Archive

It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help it. It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's not being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that if I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from Alberto Balsam. It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but it is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a similar chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a 140bpm breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), sounding like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive the top drum and bass tracks. "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply swung TR606 beat. Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the early 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect anything shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining and extending that legacy. If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to be both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, this is a great release. https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f

Toxic sexist awot now? What'd our mad Dicky boy say On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 9:43 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> wrote:

quoted 47 lines It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help it.

> It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help it. > > It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's not > being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he > releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. > > Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his > obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox > Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that if > I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from > Alberto Balsam. > > It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but it > is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. > > zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a similar > chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a 140bpm > breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), sounding > like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. > > "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with > beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, > with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles > away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing > strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into > something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. > His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive > the top drum and bass tracks. > > "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum > sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. > Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply swung > TR606 beat. > > Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that > whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, > he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the early > 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect anything > shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining and > extending that legacy. > > If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to be > both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, this > is a great release. > > https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f >

Yes, I too must know more about the shitty things dear Richard has said. I looked it up on YouTube and didn't see any immediate results besides potentially lying about living in a tank. On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 6:56 a.m. Rjyan Kidwell <cexwell@gmail.com> wrote:

quoted 55 lines Toxic sexist awot now?

> Toxic sexist awot now? > What'd our mad Dicky boy say > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 9:43 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help >> it. >> >> It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's not >> being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he >> releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. >> >> Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his >> obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox >> Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that if >> I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from >> Alberto Balsam. >> >> It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but it >> is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. >> >> zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a similar >> chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a 140bpm >> breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), sounding >> like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. >> >> "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with >> beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, >> with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles >> away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing >> strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into >> something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. >> His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive >> the top drum and bass tracks. >> >> "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum >> sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. >> Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply swung >> TR606 beat. >> >> Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that >> whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, >> he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the early >> 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect anything >> shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining and >> extending that legacy. >> >> If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to be >> both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, this >> is a great release. >> >> https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f >> >

I could go through the whole litany of his assholishness - threatening women with violent rape on bulletin boards in the 1990s "as a laugh," his divorces, yadda yadda. I know people who know him, and my impression is that he's at turns a complete gentleman and a complete ass. It's best JUST to listen to the music. I love the work of Richard Wagner too, despite him being an antisemitic dog-kicker. In both cases I think they're neurodivergent weirdos who weren't properly socialized. On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 8:56 AM Rjyan Kidwell <cexwell@gmail.com> wrote:

quoted 52 lines Toxic sexist awot now?

> > Toxic sexist awot now? > What'd our mad Dicky boy say > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 9:43 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help it. >> >> It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's not >> being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he >> releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. >> >> Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his >> obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox >> Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that if >> I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from >> Alberto Balsam. >> >> It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but it >> is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. >> >> zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a similar >> chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a 140bpm >> breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), sounding >> like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. >> >> "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with >> beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, >> with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles >> away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing >> strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into >> something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. >> His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive >> the top drum and bass tracks. >> >> "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum >> sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. >> Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply swung >> TR606 beat. >> >> Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that >> whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, >> he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the early >> 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect anything >> shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining and >> extending that legacy. >> >> If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to be >> both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, this >> is a great release. >> >> https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f

aw man, you can't use today's behavioral standards to judge stuff people did on the internet back before it was colonized by rapacious squares. Online used to be a clear alternative to meatspace, not an extension of it, and before scalable digital profiteering became the preferred path to financial windfall in our culture, everybody online understood was a place to escape from the strictures of IRL, not a newer and stronger means of enforcing them. obvs such threats would be a different story online today, but I think we're all intelligent + ancient enough to understand that applying a context-free condemnation of the past is a salve for your own feelings of culpability, not a tool for bringing us closer to utopia... On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 10:05 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> wrote:

quoted 68 lines I could go through the whole litany of his assholishness - threatening

> I could go through the whole litany of his assholishness - threatening > women with violent rape on bulletin boards in the 1990s "as a laugh," > his divorces, yadda yadda. > > I know people who know him, and my impression is that he's at turns a > complete gentleman and a complete ass. It's best JUST to listen to the > music. > > I love the work of Richard Wagner too, despite him being an > antisemitic dog-kicker. In both cases I think they're neurodivergent > weirdos who weren't properly socialized. > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 8:56 AM Rjyan Kidwell <cexwell@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Toxic sexist awot now? > > What'd our mad Dicky boy say > > > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 9:43 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> > >> It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help > it. > >> > >> It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's not > >> being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he > >> releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. > >> > >> Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his > >> obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox > >> Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that if > >> I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from > >> Alberto Balsam. > >> > >> It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but it > >> is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. > >> > >> zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a similar > >> chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a 140bpm > >> breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), sounding > >> like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. > >> > >> "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with > >> beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, > >> with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles > >> away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing > >> strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into > >> something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. > >> His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive > >> the top drum and bass tracks. > >> > >> "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum > >> sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. > >> Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply swung > >> TR606 beat. > >> > >> Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that > >> whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, > >> he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the early > >> 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect anything > >> shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining and > >> extending that legacy. > >> > >> If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to be > >> both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, this > >> is a great release. > >> > >> https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f >

So well said, Rjyan. On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 8:20 AM Rjyan Kidwell <cexwell@gmail.com> wrote:

quoted 86 lines aw man, you can't use today's behavioral standards to judge stuff people

> aw man, you can't use today's behavioral standards to judge stuff people > did on the internet back before it was colonized by rapacious squares. > Online used to be a clear alternative to meatspace, not an extension of it, > and before scalable digital profiteering became the preferred path to > financial windfall in our culture, everybody online understood was a place > to escape from the strictures of IRL, not a newer and stronger means of > enforcing them. > > obvs such threats would be a different story online today, but I think > we're all intelligent + ancient enough to understand that applying a > context-free condemnation of the past is a salve for your own feelings of > culpability, not a tool for bringing us closer to utopia... > > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 10:05 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> I could go through the whole litany of his assholishness - threatening >> women with violent rape on bulletin boards in the 1990s "as a laugh," >> his divorces, yadda yadda. >> >> I know people who know him, and my impression is that he's at turns a >> complete gentleman and a complete ass. It's best JUST to listen to the >> music. >> >> I love the work of Richard Wagner too, despite him being an >> antisemitic dog-kicker. In both cases I think they're neurodivergent >> weirdos who weren't properly socialized. >> >> On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 8:56 AM Rjyan Kidwell <cexwell@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > Toxic sexist awot now? >> > What'd our mad Dicky boy say >> > >> > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 9:43 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> >> It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't >> help it. >> >> >> >> It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's not >> >> being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he >> >> releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. >> >> >> >> Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his >> >> obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox >> >> Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that if >> >> I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from >> >> Alberto Balsam. >> >> >> >> It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but it >> >> is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. >> >> >> >> zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a similar >> >> chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a 140bpm >> >> breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), sounding >> >> like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. >> >> >> >> "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with >> >> beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, >> >> with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles >> >> away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing >> >> strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into >> >> something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. >> >> His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive >> >> the top drum and bass tracks. >> >> >> >> "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum >> >> sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. >> >> Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply swung >> >> TR606 beat. >> >> >> >> Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that >> >> whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, >> >> he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the early >> >> 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect anything >> >> shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining and >> >> extending that legacy. >> >> >> >> If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to be >> >> both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, this >> >> is a great release. >> >> >> >> https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f >> >

To put this into perspective, this is the mainstream today - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmZlUdXVpHA But sure, let's do struggle sessions after listening to Aphex Twin... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -----Original Message----- From: kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, July 28, 2023 7:05 AM Cc: do id <idm@hyperreal.org> Subject: Re: Aphex Twin Black Box Life Recorder I could go through the whole litany of his assholishness - threatening women with violent rape on bulletin boards in the 1990s "as a laugh," his divorces, yadda yadda. I know people who know him, and my impression is that he's at turns a complete gentleman and a complete ass. It's best JUST to listen to the music. I love the work of Richard Wagner too, despite him being an antisemitic dog-kicker. In both cases I think they're neurodivergent weirdos who weren't properly socialized. On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 8:56 AM Rjyan Kidwell <cexwell@gmail.com> wrote:

quoted 53 lines Toxic sexist awot now?

> > Toxic sexist awot now? > What'd our mad Dicky boy say > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2023, 9:43 AM kent williams <chaircrusher@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> It's so weird to still be buying new Aphex Twin music, but I can't help it. >> >> It's important to realize that if he's working in the studio, he's >> not being a toxic sexist conspiracy theory crank. The more music he >> releases, and the less he speaks in public, the better. >> >> Oh, you want to know what I think of the music? It's more of his >> obsessive drum programming and melancholy chord sequences. "Blackbox >> Life Recorder 21f" at the beginning has a weird scraping sound that >> if I'm not mistaken is a filtered version of the chair squeak from >> Alberto Balsam. >> >> It isn't as elaborate a harmonic composition as Alberto Balsam, but >> it is a catchy beat with that vaguely sad harmonic lushness. >> >> zin2 test5 sounds like a continuation of Life recorder, with a >> similar chord progression, but the beat is more persistent, really a >> 140bpm breakbeat, but hand made (as opposed to sampled and chopped), >> sounding like he might be back programming his 30 year old Roland R8. >> >> "in a room7 F760" is more weepy chords and subtle acid bass with >> beats. It's odd that he's essentially made a 160bpm breakbeat track, >> with the shape of a Drum & Bass tune, but with a vibe that's miles >> away. There's a whole aesthetic world in the choice of swing >> strength. He's gone past the customary 5% swing of house music, into >> something that actually recalls the swinginess of 1960s cocktail jazz. >> His touch is light, in contrast with the bombast and drama that drive >> the top drum and bass tracks. >> >> "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 (Parallax Mix)" really only shares drum >> sounds and swing quantization strength with the first version. >> Imagine an ambient piece from SAW II being disrupted by a deeply >> swung >> TR606 beat. >> >> Overall impression: I really enjoy these tunes, but its clear that >> whatever rabbit holes Aphex Twin has been down in the last 30 years, >> he's still fixated on the sounds and vibes he constructed in the >> early 90s. This isn't a bad thing, but you can no longer expect >> anything shockingly new from him. Instead, he's focused on refining >> and extending that legacy. >> >> If you want the new new you can look elsewhere, but if you want to >> be both lulled and disturbed by familiar things made strange again, >> this is a great release. >> >> https://bleep.com/aphex-twin--blackbox-life-recorder-21f