Richard D. James social experiment, Syro, fakes, leaks, media and stupid fans

[psn]

Just give us some examples of music in the Aphex idiom that has catchy and ambivalent harmony, then.

[Haste]

I think this track is another pretty good indication that RDJ is Steinvord, particularly the sparsely played FM bass. The way it sonds very lively, organic, deep and powerful at the same time as it is subtle and slightly subdued. Just wait and see, Syro will be chock full of this kind of sound.

 

Also, who else has such a good grasp of ambivalent harmony like that? Most of RDJ's contemporaries are usually stuck in simple diatonic stuff, major or minor or pentatonic.

 

So I just listened to this track, and then cranked Metz straight after it. YouTube video quality asside, but I'm hearing alot of similarities. Sound palate, the groove the drums are playing, tempo. Be quite easy to jump to conclusions. What do you guys think?

[Klopjob]

 

Also, who else has such a good grasp of ambivalent harmony like that?

 

jeez, So out of the millions of people making electronic music, RDJ is the only person that can achieve what you say?

That's crazy claiming.

 

 

Read the rules.

[psn]

I follow some guys that make real good braindance and Im very suspicious about their true identity. They are into very interesting software/hardware, and the music is very rdj, I could put them as syro leaks and a lot of people could buy it. In fact im very surprised that nobody talked about them in watmm...

Personally I really think that richard released a lot of music anonymously, and Im very curious about Syro, I want to know what he choose to put under his big name.

 

I'm always up for some grade A braindance, so please let's have it!

[Guest Chesney]

Just give us some examples of music in the Aphex idiom that has catchy and ambivalent harmony, then.

That's the thing though you're looking into such a narrow niche, No one makes Aphex type music because they'd always be compared to him and anyone that does go for it is doing it to be like him as a fan. Any respected artist will have their own style but within that style they can achieve your "ambivalent harmony".

The reason you don't hear any music to topple RDJ off his plinth is because no artist with real skill and drive to make it will want to copy. Of course, that's not to say that some people (that I probably have not heard) are really skilled and do Aphex type music.

[Plarkreluke Banloboh]

 

Just give us some examples of music in the Aphex idiom that has catchy and ambivalent harmony, then.

That's the thing though you're looking into such a narrow niche, No one makes Aphex type music because they'd always be compared to him and anyone that does go for it is doing it to be like him as a fan. Any respected artist will have their own style but within that style they can achieve your "ambivalent harmony".

The reason you don't hear any music to topple RDJ off his plinth is because no artist with real skill and drive to make it will want to copy. Of course, that's not to say that some people (that I probably have not heard) are really skilled and do Aphex type music.

 

You could've tried to come up with counter examples though. I think psn has put his finger on a really interesting aspect of Aphex's work that rarely gets dicussed in detail. I think someone who had some compositional similarities in this regard was Curt Kobain. Of course a lot of people will resist this comparison because he wasn't an electronic musician but there is a similar blending of contradiction - diminished intervals over major chords being one way I can think of this being done.

[Guest Chesney]

I can see that comparison. Zappa too. As for electronic artists, all the artists this forum applauds are capable but have their own niche sound. Plaid, Clark have moments of this and Plaid especially are masters of melody.

People like Ochre, Hecq and Tim Hecker have moments too.

[Plarkreluke Banloboh]

But the point wasn't that Aphex is the only musician who is good or original at creating melodies and harmonies. It was a particular point about the way he does that is quite different to artists you mention.

[Guest Chesney]

I know what you mean but personally I don't think there is anything special in how he does it. He hits the nail on the head as far as what the tune needs but so do others.

[Verdant Hickies]

I know what you mean but personally I don't think there is anything special in how he does it. He hits the nail on the head as far as what the tune needs but so do others.

Name something that touches this, already in terms of production

[PhylumZunami]

i'm still pretty convinced that Steinvord at least involves Richard in some way.

 

this song (1:49 notice the spectral smearing/time stretching effect that for some reason even AFX imitators have not tried to replicate)

 

 

and this have convinced me (sounds like a straight drukqs outtake to me)

 

 

but yeah Its really weird for me to listen to because im way less sure than I Was of the Tuss

 

edit: also for people saying it's obviously not RDJ because of the lack of complex melodies or similar Aphex-esque melodies, I would argue that if this *was* supposed to be a mysterious ambiguous side project project of RDJ he intentionally is toning down his typical melody style not just to make it more ambiguous but to make it fit more into a Macc And dgoHn (rephlex) drum&bass kind of a paradigm

Erm. That "spectral smearing" is a common place amongst lots of experimental IDM. shit venetian snares has used it plenty of times, he just didn't let it ring out as long. Really pulling at straws here dawg. I've heard underground IDM/breakcore artists who write songs that sound more like aphex than this steinvord person. With The Tuss i can make sense out of the comparisons but Steinvord... i mean come on. he/she has the chops, but he/she aint got that panty soaking atmosphere RDJ has.

 

 

[Guest Chesney]

Name something that touches this, already in terms of production

 

In my opinion, you have literally picked the pinacle of his work. A lot of artists pinnacle could hold up to it but they are not going to be anything like it.

You're all right though, no artist doing the same type of electronica will get near that quality. How many are trying though?

[fenton]

Tipper

[Guest Chesney]

hmmm, i'd say he has his own thing going. If anything he has overlaps with alot of other artists over Aphex.

[Guest Chesney]

exactly!

 

I'm no fan boy but I am looking forward to this especially if it's tusslike.

 

That "fake" (renegradeandroid?) could easily be old shit from RDJ's hard drives, it's nothing special but is choc full of rdj stamps and cliche's. That is the only music by other artists that you could use as a comparison. Just that it's part of his meh'ish back catalogue.

I'm losing sight of what i'm arguing now haha.

[Lane Visitor]

Do you guys think in one of the interviews, he'll finally be asked to confirm whether he was either solely or jointly behind steinvord? if i was the interviewer, id definitely ask that.

[Guest capitan mission]

 

You could've tried to come up with counter examples though. I think psn has put his finger on a really interesting aspect of Aphex's work that rarely gets dicussed in detail. I think someone who had some compositional similarities in this regard was Curt Kobain. Of course a lot of people will resist this comparison because he wasn't an electronic musician but there is a similar blending of contradiction - diminished intervals over major chords being one way I can think of this being done.

 

 

Haha, funny, because Im a old timer fan of Cobain, and aphex of course, but never thought of theorical music similarities. What is true that both of them dont have formal training but a true talent for melody and rhythm, sadly cobain dead very young... Im sure he would have done a lot of interesting music.

 

Im really sure that a lot of people doing music in a style similar to richard, not a copy, but things like breakcore, idm, what you call it... are making music less personal, and without his high level of taste and technical mastery. Autechre are at the very top, but their music is much more experimental for me, but like richard, thay are doing their own thing at a very high level. Outside of electronica I could name a lottt more, Les Claypool for example is a fucking genius.

[psn]

I've heard underground IDM/breakcore artists who write songs that sound more like aphex than this steinvord person.

 

I wanna hear it!

[Guest]

I find Global Goon has created more killer melodic material than RDJ, but that's my taste. But RDJ has composed some really great melodic tracks.

[pissflaps]

You guys are beating around the bush: No one has been successful to come up with music similar to Druqks simply because NO ONE ELSE CAN'T. Thats why they don't even try. You don't learn this thing, you either have it or not. And no one but Richard has got it. Now, that Steinvord guy is the only other guy that made me go "wow" at how he puts sounds together, in a similar fashion, resulting in a track that doesn't make me lose interest for a single second, because it sounds natural, not forced. Few people can do the braindance thing and come up with great tunes (at least the super complex fast ones). It just doesn't cut it. Most people end up sounding like, some sort of Venetian Snares thing, more on the breakcore side, or just aimless, they lack that subtlety on the way things are arranged. You could get the most "skilled" musician in the planet, and he wouldn't be able to come up with these tunes in a million years. Hell, Richard doesnt even know music notation. Also supossedly the guy was around 15-16 when he did these to boot, so I doubt he does as well. Im pretty sure he has no idea actually. Tell me a track better than that "untitled" one that would trick you into being a Druqks outtake. And again, some of the tracks sound unique to me. That Cyg x-1 sounds nothing like Richard.

[Guest capitan mission]

You don't learn this thing, you either have it or not. And no one but Richard has got it.

I agree with most part of what you said, but not this. You can learn ANYTHING, what doesn't mean that you would actually learn anything.

Richard spent a lot of time in it, hours and hours and hours, and with a correct understanding of the "artists game", thats the truth, not magic, not special genes, not special super machines.

I dont buy "oficcial" steinvord story. I really like his music, I think is better than squarepusher and most idm, and if was made by a teenager fantastic! but i dont buy it.

[Guest skibby]

anonymous music unfortunately will perish unless its on the level of "happy birthday to you"

 

sorry.

[Guest capitan mission]

anonymous music unfortunately will perish unless its on the level of "happy birthday to you"

 

sorry.

sorry for us. The artist who prefers to do it anonymously gives a fuck. He does it on purpose...

[Mag]

 

I follow some guys that make real good braindance and Im very suspicious about their true identity. They are into very interesting software/hardware, and the music is very rdj, I could put them as syro leaks and a lot of people could buy it. In fact im very surprised that nobody talked about them in watmm...

Personally I really think that richard released a lot of music anonymously, and Im very curious about Syro, I want to know what he choose to put under his big name.

 

I'm always up for some grade A braindance, so please let's have it!

 

 

wanna share - http://wagawaga.bandcamp.com/album/acid-highway

more braindub than braindance, but guy knows the drill and is kinda uniq

sorry if it is well known fact

 

also im pretty sure steinvord is afx or afx/tom

have a great day!

[sun drugs]

those steinvord tracks are fucking wicked regardless of who they are. i dont think its some kid though, could be colabs between a few guys.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vjspfx9c9U#t=138

 

never heard this until now though, what a tune, thats the most afxy of the steins. reeks of the rdj but it could be any of rephlex's recent artists really.

brings this track to mind http://edmsoundwave.bandcamp.com/track/data-sync