Autechre Autechre pulled me away from Aphex Twin

[Guest chook]

I don't think AFX lacks depth, he just has a sense of humour.

[Lianne]

Afx keeps repeating himself with his trademark childish melodies and boring acidish wink. Aphex really needs to pick his stuff together and go back to making incredible records.

 

Right.

[azatoth]

 

Afx keeps repeating himself with his trademark childish melodies and boring acidish wink. Aphex really needs to pick his stuff together and go back to making incredible records.

 

Why would he? He knows his thousands of fanboys would buy his slightly reverbed farts that came in a limited edition binder.

[Guest the anonymous forumite]

 

Afx keeps repeating himself with his trademark childish melodies and boring acidish wink. Aphex really needs to pick his stuff together and go back to making incredible records.

 

Why would he? He knows his thousands of fanboys would buy his slightly reverbed farts that came in a limited edition binder.

 

You nailed it.

[Guest David R James]

AE has much more depth than AFX.

this

sorry but - pfffftcan you chaps elaborate? is it because you feel that Ae is more academic? i really don't think they are, as much as people think. what is in the depth?They both have their merits, but depths mmmmmmh

perhaps "rich" is a better word. But then again, how am I supposed to elaborate on the two artists' sound without it falling into ridiculousness. I think with AE (for me anyway) their sound is significantly more refined than Aphex's. Take RDJ album for example; I find it to be a fun record, but a lot of the sounds are immediately recognizable, whereas with AE there is a noticeable manipulation of sound that acts "transformatively" rather than simply drowning in short-hand filters. What gets me off about Autechre is that for the most part, I have NO reference point as to what I'm hearing, where it comes from. "Mechanical", and "Cold" get thrown around in discussion of Autechre a lot, but they're the most accurate descriptors, for my anyway. In terms of production, the only release by Aphex Twin that really WOWs me is probably Drukqs.... I love SAWII and RDJ album (for the most part), but I don't get lost on certain tracks, repeating over and over, like I would for say "Pro Radii" or "Pen Expers". I imagine a lot of people will disagree with this, but I think Aphex Twin's most relies a lot on cute samples as a point of entry. Really Autechre have pulled me away from Plaid, as I find their music to be melodically exhausting, (as with Aphex Twin, to a lesser extent)

 

 

AE has much more depth than AFX.

this

sorry but - pfffftcan you chaps elaborate? is it because you feel that Ae is more academic? i really don't think they are, as much as people think. what is in the depth?They both have their merits, but depths mmmmmmh

How about, instead of "depth", "maturity". But yes, it's still vague. "Rich" is fine. If Aphex continued to produce albums such as the RichardDJames / Come to Daddy Ep/ or SAW II, then I would have had a hard time saying which I prefer. But then, imo, AFx went into the dancefloor area, and not the smartest one (yeah, I don't like much the Analord). He took the funny / teenage music route and lost his depth. Whereas AE kept pushing their music to new areas and producing interesting /multi-layered innovative stuff, if not challenging. And that's not a purely "academic" (TECHNICAL) appreciation, but also from the melodical point of view (last instance of melodic perfection and maturity : OSVeix). Afx keeps repeating himself with his trademark childish melodies and boring acidish wink. Aphex really needs to pick his stuff together and go back to making incredible records.

 

Ok, you both have a pretty good argument, and as with everything it is down to taste. I don't find their last releases challenging, pushing or anything like that, but neither do i find afx so that argument isn't really their for me. not everyone can have the same point of view, so wicked.

 

"Mechanical", and "Cold", i can see why some might say that, i could compare "Mechanical" to the random machines that might generate the sounds and "Cold" where although maybe they made the machines, their human touch isn't quite there. Yeah the original input is creating the machine but you know...

 

The AFX, he isn't any different to any other musician who has their own sound, like many others. But sound isn't always the thing, the way it is composed is the style of the musician, and I would imagine it is quite hard to remove yourself from your compositional ways. And as for repeating himself? really? from start to finish, he seemed to change the direction.

[dr lopez]

if you thought Drukqs was boring, what aphex twin do you listen to???

 

This and if you actually stopped after Drukqs you're missing out on same incredible shit.

 

ummmm, why i got bored of Drukqs... i think it was the feeling when Drukqs first came out that, despite the masses of unreleases material that RDJ supposedly has, the two CDs feel like a random selection of tracks. Rather than an album that has a flow. This probably makes me sound like some old prog rock fan. It also felt that it was a 50-50 split of introspective melodic pieces and "spannered omg IDMzzzz" type stuff with no middle ground and the juxtaposing track to track got really tiring. The upbeat stuff felt kind of "standard issue AFX" too. Maybe if the track order had been different, if it had only been one CD then i might've felt different. As I said, I bought the album again recently and I don't mind it so much - there is some good stuff - but i just don't dig it in a big way.

 

What incredible shit am I missing out on? I have Rushup Edge, and I've heard enough of the Analord stuff through VLR's mixes to know that. It's decent, but nothing to set the heather alight.

 

I'm with you on this. I still don't get the love some people have for Druqks. There are some great but safe tracks on it (vordhosbn, avril 14), some tracks that could be epic if they were given a different treatment with fewer cheesy "look at me" sounds (ziggomatic), and a bunch of so-so tracks that either sound like Aphex-by-numbers (mont st. michel, man the vocal samples are so predictable), leftovers he reheated and polished a little for release, tracks trying to be "hard that strangely aren't (54 cymru beats, taking control - for a track about drum programming, it's strangely toothless), a bunch of frankly embarrassing avante-garde-y (and worse, stuffy and ho-hum) piano tracks, and some utterly throwaway wank (the screaming one). I've made several attempts to connect with Drukqs but it's really not a "grower" for me.

 

That said, I'm not that big of an Aphex fan. I really admire his eclecticism and creativity, and recognize that all his releases from SAW 1 thru Windowlicker are classics, but I don't keep him on heavy rotation. Of course this is all truly apples and oranges, just depends on personal preference really. Aphex has rewritten the electronic music manual multiple times (saw 2, hangable autobulb, rdj album) and so have ae (tri rep, lp5, confield).

 

 

very well written. I have huge love for drukqs, but I feel your crits are not unfounded. It's always seemed like aphex's summation of his collective output. yes there are safe tracks. yes there are tracks that could be epic. and yes taking control never quite takes off in the way that your mind feels like it should. and yes there are embarrassing cage/satie-esque attempts. (however having listened to all of satie's piano music and cage's prepared piano etudes, some of rdj's can compete; satie and cage had self-editing issues themselves) But the "wow IDM" tracks are just that. Aphex is THE best at what he does (or invented). The infomercial adage "Often imitated, never duplicated" applies here. And yes the complaints about Drukqs being scattershot is incredibly true, but that is what RDJ is about.... the varying styles throughout his career, his ever changing names... one gets the sense that he's just one of these madly creative and interesting loners.

 

B&B have the benefit of quality control that hasn't ever quite been present in rdj. They can edit each other to create a more cohesive collective musical narrative or in their case: musical landscape.

 

Me love both.

[Boxing Day]

This thread shows lack of respect for ALL artists involve.

 

Why don't you just listen to the music instead of being such twats about it.

[Guest Al5x]

This thread shows lack of respect for ALL artists involve.

 

Why don't you just listen to the music instead of being such twats about it.

 

Boxing Day surprises me once again with his sudden wisdom. True this.

[jeremymacgregor87]

This thread shows lack of respect for ALL artists involve.

 

Why don't you just listen to the music instead of being such twats about it.

how does this show a lack of respect? Firstly, we wouldn't be posting on a forum such as WATMM if we didn't have the utmost respect for these artists. Secondly, most posts in the thread have scrutinized or elaborated, to some degree, actual specific elements of their music... rather that being dismissive and emotional, which your post definitely is

 

"twats", I'm sorry to argue the merits of your sweet oh gorgeous supreme lord Aphex

[Guest Al5x]

I think the point Boxing Day is trying to make is that comparing AE to AFX is kind of stupid and will just polarize people (like it always has).

 

They have very different styles and it's silly to try and figure which has more DEPTH or MATURITY or is ACADEMIC or whatever.

 

As it has been said before many times, apples and oranges. Perhaps even more appropriately, AFX is like Star Wars whereas AE is like star trek. Similar field...extremely different style.

[jeremymacgregor87]

AFX is like Star Wars whereas AE is like star trek.

 

this is truth

[Guest David R James]

Oh shit, i must self harm myself, i feel so guilty at the moment

[karmakramer]

Can someone tell me the answer to this thread? I must know so I can start listening more to either afx or ae... its really important to me. I can't listen to both. This thread has enlightened me. Thank you watmm

[Boxing Day]

My point was , the three musicians involved in this thread have contributed a huge lot to music (like it or not) , and i find it disgusting that people are trying to make the case for one or the other.

 

Music is about taste , and personal opinions!!!! , it is restarted to even debate (who is better , or who is more emotional , etc).

 

Why can't you listen to both , why can't you like both , who gives a shit if you listen more to AE than AFx or vice-verse.

The impression i get from this thread is that many of you think there cannot be two winners , is either AE or AFX , which i find ridiculous.

 

Also i'm gonna echo what some of you have said , APPLES AND FUCKING ORANGES

[kaini]

My point was , the three musicians involved in this thread have contributed a huge lot to music (like it or not) , and i find it disgusting that people are trying to make the case for one or the other.

 

Music is about taste , and personal opinions!!!! , it is restarted to even debate (who is better , or who is more emotional , etc).

 

Why can't you listen to both , why can't you like both , who gives a shit if you listen more to AE than AFx or vice-verse.

 

THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE, CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29uxLWUOwEw

[Guest David R James]

Ae's just emailed, they want their subforum removed

[Guest the anonymous forumite]

 

 

Music is about taste , and personal opinions!!!! , it is restarted to even debate (who is better , or who is more emotional , etc).

 

 

 

 

Of course music is about personal taste. This wasn't a debate, just a display of personal opinions. I wasn't trying to convince anyone that AE was better.

[Guest Billov]

AE has much more depth than AFX.

 

they seem more serious. it's like their music is more "regal".

 

dude untilted and draft are FULL of fart sounds.

autechre are funny guys, i dunno how most people don't get that.

61e.CR on draft always puts a smile on my face, sounds like a load of frogs croaking

 

 

I think the point Boxing Day is trying to make is that comparing AE to AFX is kind of stupid and will just polarize people (like it always has).

 

They have very different styles and it's silly to try and figure which has more DEPTH or MATURITY or is ACADEMIC or whatever.

 

As it has been said before many times, apples and oranges. Perhaps even more appropriately, AFX is like Star Wars whereas AE is like star trek. Similar field...extremely different style.

shit should have ended here...

[Tauhid]

I listened to Aphex Twin pretty heavily for a year and a half or so, then got tired of it. I very rarely listen to Aphex, where as I'm listening to Autechre all the time. SAW 85-92 is the only album of his I ever really have a desire to listen to.

[Guest Calx Sherbet]

that blows

[Tauhid]

that blows

 

Not really

[xy_politics]

A personal observation which doesn't have much bearing on this discussion:

 

I know and have met many females who are big fans of/quite like/don't mind AFX, but I can't recall meeting any females who are into Autechre. Infact the usual response to hearing something like Untilted is repulsion. "Schizophrenic" is the most common word used.

 

Of course, maybe I just haven't met any females "sophisticated" or "complex" enough.

[soundwave]

i've met one girl that actually likes let alone knows who AE are but she's mainly a snares/breakcore fan

 

other than that the only females you see at an AE gigs have been dragged along by thier boyfriend as IDM (or whatever) is the just same as the sausage fest prog rock syndrome which will be the same for chin scratchers throughout the rest of time e.g. Aphex would be Floyd and AE would be King Crimson

[Terpentintollwut]

There were actually quite a lot of women at the Ae live in Köln 2008, some pretty good looking too, they didn't look like they just got dragged along. And no, German girls in general aren't different from the ones mentioned above or have any individual taste, most of them are the worst (which is why I was surprised)