Richard D. James has a way of grabbing one’s attention—and that doesn’t just mean stunts like the recent Aphex Twin logos that popped up in Turin, London, and Los Angeles, painted on a metal grate and semi-hidden in foliage. Given such campaigns, it would be easy for the hype to eclipse the actual product. And for the first two minutes of “T69 Collapse,” the first single from Aphex Twin’s forthcoming Collapse EP, the music does seem somewhat subdued. The beat stutters and stumbles, a faithful take on the rippling drill ‘n’ bass James has been making for eons now. It sounds great, no doubt: The drums are thick and rubbery, and there’s a melancholy undercurrent to the synths, but it’s not likely to catch anyone off guard.
Not, at least, until the timer ticks over to 1:55: A dissonant synth lead cuts sideways across the tune and the beat seems to quake beneath it, the drums heaving like objects on a ship’s storm-tossed prow. Chaos takes the reins; the kick drum zippers back and forth. It’s as close to heavy metal as James has ever come—and he still has one more card up his sleeve. A false ending gives way to a third part of the track that’s gentler and more bittersweet than either of its predecessors: an acid-tinged coda that jettisons some of the squirreliness and slips into a sleek, head-snapping groove. It’s a lot of ground to cover in a little over five minutes, but James makes the whiplash feel strangely graceful.
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Aphex Twin's latest EP only furthers the legend of Richard D. James as one of electronic music's greatest if not THE greatest.
Warp
,2018
Aphex Twin Collapse Ep Review
Purchase:Amazon
8.0 / 10
Remember when Syro came out in 2014, and everyone was so excited that we vomited hyperbole ad nauseum? It was great to have a new album from Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin. Now, it’s clear that Syro sparked a resurgence in Aphex Twin material. In 2016, he released a new EP Cheetah. And two years later, he returns with another EP Collapse. If there’s one thing that Syro earned James, it’s the ability to make a music release (album or not) into an event. One that requires subtle marketing that somehow seems always get picked up. For Collapse, he posted the Aphex Twin logo in various locations. Surely there wasn’t some kind of *wink wink* from the label Warp or James himself other than this tactic to let listeners know new music was on the way.
However, story line is completely different from the one we saw in movie.
It is combination of driving on the open world area with shooting. We still become ex cop who lost his family Max, but this time we have to create our new vehicle, because the old one has been stolen. It was based on movie aired not that long ago.
Well, the 5-song EP is here, and yes, it’s an Aphex Twin release. His electronic compositions are sometimes calm, sometimes erratic, sometimes creepy, but always interesting. Does this EP land with the same impact of Syro? No, but we are four years removed from that album, and new music from Aphex Twin is now a more probable reality. Still, it’s solid. And it furthers the legend of Richard D. James as one of electronic music’s greatest if not THE greatest. Yet, listeners not as keen to electronic music will listen to this and think big deal.
Really, it’s the subtleties of James’ work that sets him apart in his own league. Minor tweaks here and there just as you think the music is setting into a groove. Before you know it, and James inserts a new percussive beat that completely redefines the track. This happens throughout Collapse’s tracks. “1st 44” is one where you’re never able to firm your grasp. It shifts, bumping you this way and that way, ambient textures caressing your mind before digital chaos unfolds with computer manufactured screams and machine-gun percussion. It’s exciting and mind-bending.
All it takes is Richard D. James to turn your brain to mush. You’re descending the spiral depicted in the EP’s cover art. Perhaps the most exciting track here (though this is difficult to ascertain) is weird, wild journey that is “abundance10edit[2 R8’s, FZ20m & a 909]” (gotta love these titles). Throbbing beats pulsate while voices echo in the background. There’s a menacing undercurrent that gains traction as the word “Happiness” is uttered. It floats in and dissipates in a track that is serene yet volatile. Its paranoia refuses to cease. Like most of James’ work, I’d call this thinking man’s electronic music. It’s challenging but rewarding to those who truly grasp it. I like to think I get it, but my ears still need more time with it. But that’s not a bad thing.
8
Poor Richard D. James. He has simply set the bar too high to be given a fair shout these days. We've just come to expect so much from the British producer that even a remarkable EP, such as his latest Collapse, is likely to be met with some glassy-eyed indifference. That's not warranted though, and here's why: While there isn't necessarily anything 'new' on here for Aphex Twin fans, this is still light years ahead of almost every other producer on the planet. He basically destroyed the mould some 30 years ago, so the fact that he can still come up with a track like '1st 44,' for example, with its coy drum ripples, echoed jungle MC clamour and tight pockets of scratching, is something of a wonder. And yes, there are certain Aphex tropes that rear their head on this EP, like the impish melodies that are strewn throughout his back catalogue. Dismantle the lead single 'T69 collapse' or 'MT1 t29r2' and you'll find synth lines that sound like a demonic ice-cream van trying to coax you into a nice soft-serve cone, with all the fixings, but that's a crucial aspect. The percussive onslaughts that James dishes out need something to cushion the blow — remove that fluffy padding and you'd be pummelled to dust in no time. Other sonic motifs, like the acid squelch of closing track 'pthex,' call to mind 'Reunion 2' from Analord 5. 'pthex' is its own animal though, and an untamed one at that. Still, if you are insisting that something new simply must happen with this release, then look to the curation. Earlier Aphex records were largely marred by craters of aimless material, but Collapse follows his more recent tradition of delivering releases packed with no-nonsense tracks, a development that we surely can all get behind. Every song on here is an absolute gem, and while it does sound like some of Aphex Twin's previous material, that's probably the best compliment it can get.(Warp)
In some ways, Collapse sounds like the most Aphexian recording Aphex Twin has released since bursting back onto the scene with 2014's Syro. Since then, he's ventured down several different rabbit holes via EPs and limited releases, from the clinical experiments of Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments, Pt. 2 to the manic acid techno of Orphaned Deejay Selek: 2006-2008, not to mention the smorgasbord of glitches, rushes, and interstellar howls spread across a 90-minute cassette only available at the Fuji Rock Festival in 2017. As interesting as his post-comeback work has been, much of it has seemed like demos or works in progress, and it's often lacked the distinct personality which made Aphex's work stand out during the '90s. Collapse, however, is instantly, unmistakably recognizable as an Aphex release. Here, he returns to the ultra-glitchy beats and childlike melodies of releases like Hangable Auto Bulb and Richard D. James Album, while sounding miles away from them. 'T69 collapse' begins the proceedings with rapidly fluttering beats over softly rippling notes and a slightly crooked bassline. After two minutes, it suddenly switches into a much darker mode, with the distorted kick drums heading towards gabber territory. The elastic percussion rolls and stutters, recalling the fluid beat structures of Second Woman, before reaching sonic overload. Yet after all of that, it doesn't end up sinking the rhythm or melody, which continue on their merry way. '1st 44' features shredded, scratched-up samples of old-school jungle over scrambled electro beats, referencing the past without sounding like a retro throwback. 'MT1 t29r2' includes harp-like tones which recall Aphex's classic 1993 single 'On,' but this track is more fractured and hyperkinetic than angelic. Concluding track 'pthex' (inexplicably left off the EP's vinyl issue) is another exhilarating blend of atmospheric pads and adrenalin-rush beats and glitches which threaten to overpower everything, but the track maintains it composure. Somewhat ironically titled, Collapse ends up being one of Aphex's stronger post-2000 releases.