APHEX TWIN - SYRO

[zlemflolia]

I'm scared to listen to the non-live tracks

 

I've always regretted not milking the "I've never listened to this song ever before until right now" experience on other albums and I don't want to mess up on this one

Edited September 24, 2014 by Zeffolia

[whylessness]

Fear is the mind-killer.

[flim]

Okay.

 

After listening to it a total of 4 times with some songs on repeat after the first full playthrough, I have to say...

 

Fuck me sideways. Syro is a great album.

 

I felt that the record was good after the first listen, but it was hard to really commit it to memory. It's such a complex thing with so many varied pieces that it was hard to find something to connect to. Usually AFX tracks have some sort of common element within them you can latch onto first and follow it throughout the song, such as a melody or bassline, but most of the tracks on Syro don't have anything that lasts long enough to hook you while you try to absorb everything around it. Minipops 67 and XMAS_EVET10 are pretty easy to get early on, but the album gets progressively harder to process as you continue to listen. This isn't a bad thing at all because there's so much to discover, but it was just hard to form a real opinion at first. I listened to the entire record multiple times at work today and it finally clicked.

 

I had only listened to "the Metz track" twice before the release of the album and thought it was good then, but there's something about hearing it here in its purest form that makes it stand out. If there's a perfect song on Syro, then this is it. My only gripe (if you can call it that) is that it ends too early. I know the track is 10+ minutes long, but the best part to me is the "la la" part at the end and it just doesn't last long enough for when it is introduced. Small thing. PERFECT track.

 

Produk 29 is one track I haven't gotten into. It's not bad, but doesn't really do much for me so far. 4 bit and 180db are funky tracks, but the 6 songs that follow are what really make the album. CIRCLONT6A may be my favorite track on the record. It's a crazy Tuss-like banger with acid lines that I just can't get enough of. CIRCLONT14 sounds like it wouldn't have been out of place on Drukqs, which is a very good thing. syro, PAPAT4, and earth portal are pretty fucking awesome. It's good to hear RDJ play with Funky Drummer and Think breaks the way he does here. Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but it seems like this is the first time he's used these breaks in his tracks. Aisatsana is a good way to end the album, but after all the chaos that preceded the track, I feel that it puts an abrupt stop to it all. That was likely the intention, so I'm not downing that. I just don't have much to say about it.

 

As a whole, I can honestly say Syro is the best album I've heard so far this year. I'm not ready to call it Album of the Year at the moment, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't end up that way.

[logakght]

Syro is kind of a disappointment, tbh

 

I thought that at first, but actually Syro is the first real "grower" album for me (I thought that was esoteric bullshit, lol albums growing in you lel). Give it some more listens :)

[YELLOW]

I also wanna add that I take back saying that this album at first was very Tuss and Anal Lord. After like 10 listens I can really see how this baby stands alone!

[YELLOW]

Forgive me if posted already

 

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/19/aphex-twin-richard-james-bjork-ian-rankin

[Alcofribas]

anyone who doesn't think this album is lush as fuck is a proper cunt imo.

 

this is the 'phex

Edited September 24, 2014 by Alcofribas

[flim]

Okay.

 

After listening to it a total of 4 times with some songs on repeat after the first full playthrough, I have to say...

 

Fuck me sideways. Syro is a great album.

 

I felt that the record was good after the first listen, but it was hard to really commit it to memory. It's such a complex thing with so many varied pieces that it was hard to find something to connect to. Usually AFX tracks have some sort of common element within them you can latch onto first and follow it throughout the song, such as a melody or bassline, but most of the tracks on Syro don't have anything that lasts long enough to hook you while you try to absorb everything around it. Minipops 67 and XMAS_EVET10 are pretty easy to get early on, but the album gets progressively harder to process as you continue to listen. This isn't a bad thing at all because there's so much to discover, but it was just hard to form a real opinion at first. I listened to the entire record multiple times at work today and it finally clicked.

 

I had only listened to "the Metz track" twice before the release of the album and thought it was good then, but there's something about hearing it here in its purest form that makes it stand out. If there's a perfect song on Syro, then this is it. My only gripe (if you can call it that) is that it ends too early. I know the track is 10+ minutes long, but the best part to me is the "la la" part at the end and it just doesn't last long enough for when it is introduced. Small thing. PERFECT track.

 

Produk 29 is one track I haven't gotten into. It's not bad, but doesn't really do much for me so far. 4 bit and 180db are funky tracks, but the 6 songs that follow are what really make the album. CIRCLONT6A may be my favorite track on the record. It's a crazy Tuss-like banger with acid lines that I just can't get enough of. CIRCLONT14 sounds like it wouldn't have been out of place on Drukqs, which is a very good thing. syro, PAPAT4, and earth portal are pretty fucking awesome. It's good to hear RDJ play with Funky Drummer and Think breaks the way he does here. Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but it seems like this is the first time he's used these breaks in his tracks. Aisatsana is a good way to end the album, but after all the chaos that preceded the track, I feel that it puts an abrupt stop to it all. That was likely the intention, so I'm not downing that. I just don't have much to say about it.

 

As a whole, I can honestly say Syro is the best album I've heard so far this year. I'm not ready to call it Album of the Year at the moment, but I would be surprised if it didn't end up that way.

 

I didn't mean to quote my own post, I don't know what I was doing. But anyway, I'm just blasting the record now when I should be reading and writing an essay for a class I'm taking. Damn Syrobonkus.

Edited September 24, 2014 by flim

[awepittance]

Forgive me if posted already

 

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/19/aphex-twin-richard-james-bjork-ian-rankin

shocking/cool to see Pain Jerk get a nod in the Guardian

[may be rude]

thanks mr. james!

[doorjamb]

my favorite aphex releases are stuff like ICBYD, Polygon window, analord. These are "soundtrack of life" albums: you can put em on repeat quiet in the background on pretty much a daily basis, & when you turn em up loud they remain as awesome as ever. these musics are not eroded by wind & time; they are eternal. like styrofoam.

 

whereas stuff like HAB, Drukqs, etc. sorta requires full attention, or at least full volume. Otherwise I get agitated, like, "you're wasting it, man!"

 

Syro is like drukqs/tuss toned down just enough that I think it can maintain styrofoamlike integrity, but if I turn it up in 10 years or whatever it'll still probably stab me in the belly. It's like that same old stew your grandmother's been making for years that's utterly familiar but never feels redundant.

 

syro is like styrofoam stew I guess

[A Reggae Lee Bowyer]

anyone who doesn't think this album is lush as fuck is a proper cunt imo.

 

this is the 'phex

[baph]

anyone who doesn't think this album is lush as fuck is a proper cunt imo.

this is the 'phex

 

This album sounds particularly lush as fuck on my Grado HF-2 headphones, so goddamn punchy.

 

But it's still lush as fuck on the shitty honda speakers too.

 

can confirm am in the presence of the 'phex

Edited September 24, 2014 by baph

[Brisbot]

 

my favorite aphex releases are stuff like ICBYD, Polygon window, analord. These are "soundtrack of life" albums: you can put em on repeat quiet in the background on pretty much a daily basis, & when you turn em up loud they remain as awesome as ever. these musics are not eroded by wind & time; they are eternal. like styrofoam.

 

whereas stuff like HAB, Drukqs, etc. sorta requires full attention, or at least full volume. Otherwise I get agitated, like, "you're wasting it, man!"

 

Syro is like drukqs/tuss toned down just enough that I think it can maintain styrofoamlike integrity, but if I turn it up in 10 years or whatever it'll still probably stab me in the belly. It's like that same old stew your grandmother's been making for years that's utterly familiar but never feels redundant.

 

syro is like styrofoam stew I guess

So 6/10 for you?

[doorjamb]

no man, I think it's awesome

[Brisbot]

 

 

no man, I think it's awesome

so like an 874/1000?

[thief]

yay finally listened to it, i love it. really solid collection of tracks.

 

at first i thought the beat switch up & riff about 2mins into circlont14 was unbelievably cheesy but i've grown to love it now lol.

same with the main funky synth in syro u743.

 

the mixing/mastering of the second half of the album still kind of bugs me a bit: i can't make up my mind on whether or not to listen to those tracks with the low end boosted a little bit. and a lot of the melodic elements in some of the tracks (circlont14 and syro u743 mostly, IIRC) seem annoyingly quiet/hidden to me - there are numerous moments where i feel like i'm not given a classic earwormy aphex melody to listen to when i should be -OR- there ARE nice pads to listen to but they're drowned out by the drums/acid squiggles.

 

of course it could just be my headphones and laptop's soundcard. can't wait to listen at home.

 

i was hoping earth portal would transform into proper boxenergyremix/mangle 11 afx madness but maybe the restrain will work in its favour for repeat listens

 

wb aphex

[LemanRuss]

It is funny how furious people are getting with any criticism of this release. I have just been reading through some equally lol comments on Youtube. People getting called 'cunts', etc., for saying it is a bit underwhelming or lame compared to his previous stuff. Which it is.

 

The most amusing angle the fanboys are taking now is saying that whoever doesn't like it clearly doesn't understand it, and is only a passing electronic music fan, probably more used to straight trance, etc. LOL. The people criticising it have mainly been those who are long term life long fans, mainly in their mid-30s, early-40s, who have been into electronic music since they were born, probably through parental influence, or whatever, and definitely know what they are talking about, so that dismissal of their opinions is clearly wrong.

 

Anyway, glad the fanboys have something to sperm all over, but lol at it being really a case of The Emperors New Clothes, and basically a bland noodle fest that sounds tired and just simply not that good.

 

The comments made by those who had heard it pre-release, of it being 'quite good' were taken as a joke and turned into a bit of a meme, but they appear to have been basically spot on.

 

The utterly devastating release, which would have made Drukqs look like the in-game music of Ape Escape, just didn't happen. In fact, that is what Syro reminds me of a fair bit; the ingame music of a slightly Indie turn of the century PS1 game.

[YEK]

there was a thing on Syro on my mom's jazz radio station she listens to, a sort of short review/talk about it/ samples, so my mom phoned me up and put the phone to the radio. great moment...

[spptrl alt del]

The utterly devastating release, which would have made Drukqs look like the in-game music of Ape Escape, just didn't happen. In fact, that is what Syro reminds me of a fair bit; the ingame music of a slightly Indie turn of the century PS1 game.

"lol" at the notion that drukqs could be improved on, as it's a monumental album.. a massive achievement of organized detail, variety, and rhythmic fluidity. the varied terrain and playfulness of syro only gets better with repeat listens.. it's too bad the material doesn't live up to some people's expectations.

[Adieu]

I thought the mixing on this album was flat, but then I used my headphones and realized it's time to buy new monitors.

[usagi]

The most amusing angle the fanboys are taking now is saying that whoever doesn't like it clearly doesn't understand it, and is only a passing electronic music fan, probably more used to straight trance, etc. LOL. The people criticising it have mainly been those who are long term life long fans, mainly in their mid-30s, early-40s, who have been into electronic music since they were born, probably through parental influence, or whatever, and definitely know what they are talking about, so that dismissal of their opinions is clearly wrong.

 

it's never too late to read the rules.

[Brisbot]

Which it is.

...

[jules]

 

 

my favorite aphex releases are stuff like ICBYD, Polygon window, analord. These are "soundtrack of life" albums: you can put em on repeat quiet in the background on pretty much a daily basis, & when you turn em up loud they remain as awesome as ever. these musics are not eroded by wind & time; they are eternal. like styrofoam.

 

whereas stuff like HAB, Drukqs, etc. sorta requires full attention, or at least full volume. Otherwise I get agitated, like, "you're wasting it, man!"

 

Syro is like drukqs/tuss toned down just enough that I think it can maintain styrofoamlike integrity, but if I turn it up in 10 years or whatever it'll still probably stab me in the belly. It's like that same old stew your grandmother's been making for years that's utterly familiar but never feels redundant.

 

syro is like styrofoam stew I guess

So 6/10 for you?

syrofoam?

[Adieu]

 

 

The utterly devastating release, which would have made Drukqs look like the in-game music of Ape Escape, just didn't happen. In fact, that is what Syro reminds me of a fair bit; the ingame music of a slightly Indie turn of the century PS1 game.

 

Video games could only hope to have as good of music as this album in them. It is only a sign of the lack of development of your ears that you think it sounds like video game music.