APHEX TWIN - SYRO

[Guest HokusPoker]

 

 

WATMM has gotten a lot of attention through CAT023, so it's quite likely that many new users join and that not all of them like the album, but still would like to talk about that. Nothing funky there.

I'm not talking about anybody specific here, I just find your rather aggressive behaviour a bit annoying. No need to feel attacked, unless you're Richard, and even then: let people have their opinions and don't tell them they're wrong. It's ok to dislike!

Hey I never told that guy he was wrong. I never even responded to him. I don't even remember his name. He's the only person I've seen doing that.

I have responded to a few people wondering why, like if they could verbalize why they don't like something purely because I'm curious. Though I GUESS I should add the disclaimer that I'm curious verses I'm pissed off that they don't like it. I personally don't care for 180db for earth portal too much, except the end of earth portal.

 

That said there are a some things that are annoying me about the criticism.. like that it's not innovative enough... stuff like that. I don't get that. So I ask.

 

 

You sort of told me and some other people some pages back we were wrong or hadn't tried hard enough. Whatever, doesn't matter.

I personally never said I thought it wasn't innovative enough (and can't remember anybody actually complaining about that). We knew it might not be, with Richard saying so himself. It just seems some cannot connect to it emotionally.

 

Richard's been talking a lot about his obsession with analyzing and de-composing tracks, trying to find their samples, gear, sounds, etc.

It fits with what I complain about, that I don't feel it. There are a lot of different sounds (and machinery, check the sleeves!) involved, but I rarely get in 'the zone'. It's hard to explain it better other than: it doesn't work (unusually big parts don't work, to be precise).

If I was asked if I'd rather take, say, Vordhosbn or the entire Syro to the famous desert island, I wouldn't hesitate a second to just take Vordhosbn. It doesn't mean Syro is a piece of crap, and as I said, I might like and love it some day, but so far, not much has happened for me.

 

It also doesn't mean I don't have my wallet ready to buy whatever album there might be in the making without even thinking about it.

[whylessness]

seppuku sounds like something to not look up ever.

baka gaijin

[Guest nick5745]

[MassfreeKid]

I didn't just say I'm not into it, I also gave a reason: I'm not seeing the clear and focused use of sounds and of structure that I am used to in my favorite aphex tracks. I am definitely getting aphex's interesting sound choices and all that loud and clear, but what I'm missing is how it's all put together. Can someone comment on this?

Without knowing your fave Aphex songs, it's hard to comment. How it's all put together is vey unique to this album. No other Aphex has had this kind of freeform structure that keeps subtly changing over the different tracks. His 90's stuff is very simple structure-wise, but this one is experimenting on this level as well, which makes it more challenging to those who want instant gratification. It's not that it isn't a clear structure anymore, but it's a next-gen structure - it's neither 100 % linear nor 100 % unpredictable. You have to navigate in between the two.

[Brisbot]

 

 

You sort of told me and some other people some pages back we were wrong or hadn't tried hard enough. Whatever, doesn't matter.

I personally never said I thought it wasn't innovative enough (and can't remember anybody actually complaining about that). We knew it might not be, with Richard saying so himself. It just seems some cannot connect to it emotionally.

 

Richard's been talking a lot about his obsession with analyzing and de-composing tracks, trying to find their samples, gear, sounds, etc.

It fits with what I complain about, that I don't feel it. There are a lot of different sounds (and machinery, check the sleeves!) involved, but I rarely get in 'the zone'. It's hard to explain it better other than: it doesn't work (unusually big parts don't work, to be precise).

If I was asked if I'd rather take, say, Vordhosbn or the entire Syro to the famous desert island, I wouldn't hesitate a second to just take Vordhosbn. It doesn't mean Syro is a piece of crap, and as I said, I might like and love it some day, but so far, not much has happened for me.

 

It also doesn't mean I don't have my wallet ready to buy whatever album there might be in the making without even thinking about it.

The most I've done is tell someone that I bet they'll change their mind. I don't remember telling them to try harder. It doesn't sound like something I've said recently. The innovation thing comes from other online reviews from 'top critics' that posted stuff about it. Like they'll give the album a 4/5 or whatever then lament at the end: it's nothing new. which was their only piece of negative criticism, which is annoying. There were a few people who said that it wasn't as good as drukqs, so I felt like posted that I thought it was better than Drukqs because I do. But I'm not putting Drukqs down for saying that am I? I mean it's implied that I think it's better, not that Drukqs sucks and Syro doesn't. That said I understand that someone would prefer Drukqs over Syro, but I'll still ask what's going through their head because I'm curious

 

If the album had turned out to be shit I would have mentioned it somewhere I guess. Thankfully it's way far from it though. I am also looking forward to his more experimental stuff he claims to have.

 

 

 

 

baka gaijin

Except I know what that means.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Brisbot

[Allize]

 

To those that weren't really in to it, were you listening on headphones or speakers? I've noticed blasting it on speakers makes a huge difference over listening on headphones. I'm glad I listened to it on vinyl first time round, when I went to listen to it in my room with headphones on after, it definitely didn't feel nearly as good. I know this applies to a lot of music, but something like Drukqs is much better on headphones for me. Syro is very different.

 

I've listened on two different sets of high-end heaphones, I'm sure that's only a minor factor.

 

I didn't just say I'm not into it, I also gave a reason: I'm not seeing the clear and focused use of sounds and of structure that I am used to in my favorite aphex tracks. I am definitely getting aphex's interesting sound choices and all that loud and clear, but what I'm missing is how it's all put together. Can someone comment on this?

 

There are specific things I like about all of aphex's music which are missing from this release. that's what kills me.

 

 

This is pretty much how I feel. It seems the people that don't like it share the same reasons...

 

 

[may be rude]

one of the best parts of it is the way some songs don't spell it out for you. ace imo

Edited September 21, 2014 by very honest

[modey]

S950tx16wasr10 (Earth Portal Mix) is the only track I really can't get into yet. I absolutely love the intro, the closest Aphex has ever gotten to classic jungle (that one single pitch up of the break at :48? brilliant) but after those little FM melodies come in the track falls apart for me

Interesting, I thought the melodic content towards the end was brilliant, one of the best melodies on the album imo

[Guest HokusPoker]

That melody in syro u473t8+e coming up at 2:05 is great. Doesn't sound like Richard at all (not because it's great, of course). Maybe slightly ceephaxy.

[JS20]

I'm just happy Richard's back! CAT023 and Syro breathe life into the community which of course is going to spark lively discussion and conflict.

I woke up to an email from Bleep, and I already knew it would be a good day. I've always admired RDJ for his musical "mobility" - he'll strike upon something he likes, destroy it to perfection, then pick up the salvageable pieces and move on to something completely different and unexpected. He's always kept me on my toes in the past... well, except for the "dark period" before Syro of course, and now I am hearing all kinds of great sounds from some really cool pieces of hardware, crafted into tracks in a way only Richard could. After listening to it 4 times now, I really like it overall. It might not be his BEST work ever, and doesn't change my personal Top-Five releases, but I dare anyone to remix/remake any of these tracks to be better than the originals! I KINDA knew what to expect when I pitched in for CAT023, but there were some great surprises in those grooves. I think Syro will age well too, and maybe some day when we're in our sixties, we'll do another Kickstarter to unearth the elusive, mysterious post-Syro LP that never made it beyond test-pressing.

I dig the plucky synths and warbling wet voices in s950tx16wasr10 (earth portal mix). The ending piano track should have been the Japan bonus track, 'cause MARCHROMT30A edit 2b 96 is "quite better"

Edited September 21, 2014 by jsmcpn2

[PigeonSt]

Oh, you can get it on bleep TODAY. Okay, downloading then.

[JS20]

Git 'er down! Tomorrow will be the present soon and anyone still listening to Syro will be living in the past.

[vertsk8er419]

maybe some day when we're in our sixties, we'll do another Kickstarter to unearth the elusive, mysterious post-Syro LP that never made it beyond test-pressing.

 

pls no. why would you imply such a horrible thing?

Edited September 22, 2014 by impotentwhitecapitalist

[JS20]

Oops, didn't mean to imply Syro is a "hello, and goodbye forever" album. I meant 'cuz the next release after Syro is gonna blow our minds again with some truly next-level shit, he will re-proliferate, and it'll be like he never abandoned his fans in the first place. We'll have too many new releases to hear and forget about the second Syro album for 5 years

Edited September 22, 2014 by jsmcpn2

[m.leafeater.dl]

this is some seriously groovy shit. so crank it up, turn off your brain for 2 seconds and feel the funk

Edited September 22, 2014 by m.leafeater.dl

[vertsk8er419]

Oops, didn't mean to imply Syro is a "hello, and goodbye forever" album. I meant 'cuz the next release after Syro is gonna blow our minds again with some truly next-level shit, he will re-proliferate, and it'll be like he never abandoned his fans in the first place. We'll have too many new releases to hear and forget about the second Syro album for 5 years

 

ah got ya. kind of aspie of me to not see the reach of what you where implying the first time around

Edited September 22, 2014 by impotentwhitecapitalist

[cloud capture]

My pre-ordered media has been charged. Would be cool if it actually arrived Tuesday.

[awepittance]

 

Oops, didn't mean to imply Syro is a "hello, and goodbye forever" album. I meant 'cuz the next release after Syro is gonna blow our minds again with some truly next-level shit, he will re-proliferate, and it'll be like he never abandoned his fans in the first place. We'll have too many new releases to hear and forget about the second Syro album for 5 years

 

ah got ya. kind of aspie of me to not see the reach of what you where implying the first time around

 

Brian Dance aka Richard D James already proved Syro is merely the first in a series by posting a string of incredulous happy faces in response to the comment you *thought* ismcpn2 made

[vertsk8er419]

 

 

[Guest beringelab]

So far, I don't like the album either.

 

To be honest, it sounds like richard noodling around with his hardware, no more no less. The tracks sound sloppy and disorganized. Contrast this with the sort of clarity he gets in, say, analord, SAW, and melodies from mars tracks. You may say that's a different style, but even on drukqs (e.g., vordhosbn), he has initially complicated tracks which are based on some clean principle (there are very few distinct thematic elements in vordhosbn, which then get layered and organized beautifully).

 

Also, I'm missing out on any big structure in the tracks. They just feel like pointless meandering. This is especially painful since so many glorious aphex tracks have a point that takes time to reveal (the journey remix, bwoon dub,acrid avid jam shred, etc).

 

Arguably I should listen more to find more structure. hopefully I'm wrong, and will see after more listens. But for the time being, my feelings on the release make me so sad about it that it's painful to put it on. I'm currently listening to other aphex which is just a world of difference....

 

[acid1]

As an Aphex fan for like 20 years now... fuck i'm old, also I love this album!

 

Thanks, Rich.

[apriorion]

FUCK YEAH: got my download from bleep and in some major "SYRO" bliss. This despite the mountain of grading I'm in the middle of conquering this evening. This album is going to rule all my audio playback devices for the foreseeable future. So, so good.

 

THANKS RDJ! So glad to have you back.

[delet...]

As an Aphex fan for like 20 years now... fuck i'm old, also I love this album!

 

Thanks, Rich.

 

You're not old, there's just more of you spread through time to have loved.

[MadnessR]

No email from Bleep saying I could download but I just did. Wtf? Anyways. CIRCLONT14 is a highlight. Not getting much love on here.

[J3FF3R00]

 

As an Aphex fan for like 20 years now... fuck i'm old, also I love this album!

 

Thanks, Rich.

 

You're not old, there's just more of you spread through time to have loved.

 

Same here! 20 years for me, this year!

 

No email from Bleep saying I could download but I just did. Wtf? Anyways. CIRCLONT14 is a highlight. Not getting much love on here.

Same here! Just downloaded my fuggin MP3s, finally!

I have to say, my highlights are "180db_ [130]", "PAPAT4 [155][pineal mix]" and "aisatsana [102]"

 

… probably because I'm old