APHEX TWIN - SYRO

[Jez Courtez]

Apologies in advance for pretentious extended discussion post about Syro... in a Syro thread on an IDM message board...

Take your memes to the dank memes thread, meme fans. Everyone else watch out for the MFM mud sling ;)

 

That's a good job of explaining where you're coming from, doorjamb, and I understand the position without agreeing with it. Syro overall does feel more serious but I also think that tracks like Circlont6a and syro u473t8+e are fun, if not playful in the same way as RDJ and CTD. I remember the first time I listened and heard the motif that repeats across those two tracks. That seemed like a piss take at first but I think it's just a bit of fun.

 

I was disappointed that the album didn't seem to go anywhere on the first couple of listens. After a while, it clicked. I think it's an album of music that spirals in on itself rather than goes anywhere. There's definitely a lack of emotion (other than aisatsana) and, for me, the pleasure in listening comes from the interplay of textures, beats and micro-melodies. There's loads of little melodies that, on first listening, I wanted to continue for whole songs but are abandoned after just a couple of bars. Now I enjoy the continuous shifting and cutting. I'm getting old (and spending more on headphones ;) ), so simply listening for the pleasure of textures is enough for me, and I can live with aphex not flexing the melody muscles.

 

There's lots of detail to enjoy on the album. The varying attack on the piano notes at the start of XMAS_EVE 10, that soaking wet kick on produk 29, the 90s Jungle snares and bongo on earth portal and PAPAT4, the 80s sci-fi movie pads on 4 bit, the bubble popping synth on CIRCLONT6A. The retro analogue sound is du jour, as you say, but to be fair, this is a palette aphex has been playing with and exploring for over a decade now. And nobody has used it this well.

 

Well over a year from release and I'm still listening to tracks from this album almost daily. The pleasure of exploring the interplay of every subtle, and unsubtle, element has only become stronger with familiarity. Knowing what's coming next in different levels of such labyrinthine tracks has only boosted the dopamine rewards of repeated listens.

 

Having said all that, I too can't be doing with 180bd..... nope, not for me.

 

I prefer the seriousness and occasional fun of Syro to the cringy student humour of milkman and come on you slags etc., and everyone's got the aphex they don't 'get'; I still can't break into Expert Knob Twiddlers and don't feel particularly excited about MFM. Cute little ditties for computer games. That's the silly stuff for me ;)

[psn]

[caze]

jaysus, that tom jones song is woeful.

[Audioblysk]

jaysus, that tom jones song is woeful.

 

It's like he just haunts the studio through slap-back echo's and reverb...

[Real Human Bean]

Structure and harmony and melody and rhythm in the notes

[beerwolf]

Apologies in advance for pretentious extended discussion post about Syro... in a Syro thread on an IDM message board...

Take your memes to the dank memes thread, meme fans. Everyone else watch out for the MFM mud sling ;)

 

That's a good job of explaining where you're coming from, doorjamb, and I understand the position without agreeing with it. Syro overall does feel more serious but I also think that tracks like Circlont6a and syro u473t8+e are fun, if not playful in the same way as RDJ and CTD. I remember the first time I listened and heard the motif that repeats across those two tracks. That seemed like a piss take at first but I think it's just a bit of fun.

 

I was disappointed that the album didn't seem to go anywhere on the first couple of listens. After a while, it clicked. I think it's an album of music that spirals in on itself rather than goes anywhere. There's definitely a lack of emotion (other than aisatsana) and, for me, the pleasure in listening comes from the interplay of textures, beats and micro-melodies. There's loads of little melodies that, on first listening, I wanted to continue for whole songs but are abandoned after just a couple of bars. Now I enjoy the continuous shifting and cutting. I'm getting old (and spending more on headphones ;) ), so simply listening for the pleasure of textures is enough for me, and I can live with aphex not flexing the melody muscles.

 

There's lots of detail to enjoy on the album. The varying attack on the piano notes at the start of XMAS_EVE 10, that soaking wet kick on produk 29, the 90s Jungle snares and bongo on earth portal and PAPAT4, the 80s sci-fi movie pads on 4 bit, the bubble popping synth on CIRCLONT6A. The retro analogue sound is du jour, as you say, but to be fair, this is a palette aphex has been playing with and exploring for over a decade now. And nobody has used it this well.

 

Well over a year from release and I'm still listening to tracks from this album almost daily. The pleasure of exploring the interplay of every subtle, and unsubtle, element has only become stronger with familiarity. Knowing what's coming next in different levels of such labyrinthine tracks has only boosted the dopamine rewards of repeated listens.

 

Having said all that, I too can't be doing with 180bd..... nope, not for me.

 

I prefer the seriousness and occasional fun of Syro to the cringy student humour of milkman and come on you slags etc., and everyone's got the aphex they don't 'get'; I still can't break into Expert Knob Twiddlers and don't feel particularly excited about MFM. Cute little ditties for computer games. That's the silly stuff for me ;)

 

I haven't played Syro for a while now, but I found this post quite motivational in getting back on again. I know I'm not fully locked into the Syro groove where I should be. I know it's only a matter of time because I always get a warm wave of anticipation before I press play.

[Jez Courtez]

I haven't played Syro for a while now, but I found this post quite motivational in getting back on again. I know I'm not fully locked into the Syro groove where I should be. I know it's only a matter of time because I always get a warm wave of anticipation before I press play.

 

Reminds me of how I was with SAW2 - took me a good couple of years of occasionally wheeling it out for a dutiful listen, before eventually it clicked. It's like visiting an unapologetic criminal relative in prison and one day discovering they've reformed. Or how you eventually see the beauty in your average looking co-workers ;)

 

Fascinating video. Shame they never asked Mandy about the clipping; that discussion was thrilling when Syro came out...

 

Now, as a complete lay person, I guess that her desk is expressing its analogue character by dint of the construction of its inner workings, but can someone explain to me (without being mean) the benefit of her knobs having fixed-click increments instead of being analogue too? Thanks in advance ;)

[psn]

That was common in vintage gear. Instead of a variable resistor (potentiometer), you would choose between a handful of set resistors. Typically in this kind of equalizers, each setting would boost/attenuate a given frequency.

 

Early type of parametric eq I guess.

 

[Jez Courtez]

Interesting stuff. Thanks!

[nickthefish]

 

I too can't be doing with 180bd..... nope, not for me.

 

One of my faves. Whenever it comes on I am compelled to turn up my speakers so my neighbours can have a rave to it, too.

 

 

In 180db you can hear the synth melody saying "ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DB" if you listen close enough

 

Where? I've listened to it loads and I can't hear that anywhere.

[koolkeyZ865]

 

 

In 180db you can hear the synth melody saying "ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DB" if you listen close enough

 

Where? I've listened to it loads and I can't hear that anywhere.

 

I guess I was just too stoned. I was saying that the melody in the track kind of sounds like 180 db. Like a synth talk box.

[nickthefish]

Ahhh...thankfully, I am now stoned enough to hear what you mean. Like, "One-hundred-eighty-dee-bee bam da ner ner ner ner ner ner ner ner"? Or something...

[marf]

i wonder how many times she had to listen to 180db

[HexagonSun]

 

 

 

There is some silly stuff on this album. Some of it is even borderline embarrassing.

 

Do tell?

 

Philistine though I doubtless be, I would point to the ~4m breakdown bit of Piezoluminescence and honestly all but the last 30 seconds of Circlont6a. Still crisp and lush in terms of production, but disappointing and, as I say, silly insofar as tone and melody.

 

¢2.

 

 

 

 

 

WAAAAT?

 

Piezoluminiscence is a masterpiece from begining to end, and flies throught specially glorious, unmatched terriories from 3:55 to the end...

 

And circlon 6, well, thats a nice track.

 

180dB is the only embarrasing one and kind of out of place

[Chalybs]

I think 180db would have gotten more appreciation if it would have been on deejay selek instead (i know the track is pre '06).

It would also fit considering many of the tracks on that release are repetitive as well so it wouldn't have to be the black sheep of Syro.

Although it is a pretty nice breath of fresh air from all the jittery rhythms and constantly evolving tracks on the album.

I had the pleasure of hearing this track live in 2011, which i think is the best way to listen to it (same goes for a lot of tracks but you know what i mean).

That kick drum just tears the roof off.

[Stock]

It would also fit considering many of the tracks on that release are repetitive as well so it wouldn't have to be the black sheep of Syro.

 

I agree with you about the similarities between 180dB and the Orphaned material, yet to me 180dB is not the only repetitive track on Syro. Aisatsana is quite minimalistic and repetitive as well imo - and I feel that it belongs less to Syro than 180dB does !

[Chalybs]

 

It would also fit considering many of the tracks on that release are repetitive as well so it wouldn't have to be the black sheep of Syro.

 

I agree with you about the similarities between 180dB and the Orphaned material, yet to me 180dB is not the only repetitive track on Syro. Aisatsana is quite minimalistic and repetitive as well imo - and I feel that it belongs less to Syro than 180dB does !

 

Yeah, ur right about that. Didn't consider it because i have gotten so used to it being there. I guess that one could have gone onto CCAI instead, i guess?.

[Stock]

 

 

It would also fit considering many of the tracks on that release are repetitive as well so it wouldn't have to be the black sheep of Syro.

 

I agree with you about the similarities between 180dB and the Orphaned material, yet to me 180dB is not the only repetitive track on Syro. Aisatsana is quite minimalistic and repetitive as well imo - and I feel that it belongs less to Syro than 180dB does !

 

Yeah, ur right about that. Didn't consider it because i have gotten so used to it being there. I guess that one could have gone onto CCAI instead, i guess?.

 

 

Yeah that's what I thought as well ! Of course it works well as an album closer, but still it's quite unusual, especially given the sound palette of Syro and the sense of texture Richard had with those tracks (like Jez said !)

[hello spiral]

The 180dB hate is weird.

 

It acts as a perfect palate cleanser at the midway point.

Aisatsana has always been the penultimate track to me as I've always listened with Marchrom on the end, which is the best way to listen imo

[Zephyr_Nova]

The 180dB hate is weird.

 

It acts as a perfect palate cleanser at the midway point.

 

 

 

Yes! I have always thought of it as a palate cleanser, and a pretty satisfying one at that. Only track I could do without is that aisatsana one everyone's in love with. Like, Cmaj7 is great chord and all, but does it really need an entire track devoted to it? It also doesn't fit with the rest at all. Would've made more sense on CCAI.

[nickthefish]

 

The 180dB hate is weird.

 

It acts as a perfect palate cleanser at the midway point.

 

 

 

Yes! I have always thought of it as a palate cleanser, and a pretty satisfying one at that. Only track I could do without is that aisatsana one everyone's in love with. Like, Cmaj7 is great chord and all, but does it really need an entire track devoted to it? It also doesn't fit with the rest at all. Would've made more sense on CCAI.

 

 

Palate cleanser? On a record? You posh cunts!

 

IMHO the reason 180db works is because it's a dancefloor banger that fits perfectly on the album, when listened to as a complete body of work. Those who readily dismiss it should probably broaden their taste or something.

 

The last piano track is a classic album closer. I can't imagine it working anywhere else on the album (within the arc of the album) other than as the last track. As an album closer it fits perfectly. Can't see it working on CCAI2 whatsoever.

Edited March 7, 2016 by nickthefish

[Zephyr_Nova]

 

 

The 180dB hate is weird.

 

It acts as a perfect palate cleanser at the midway point.

 

 

 

Yes! I have always thought of it as a palate cleanser, and a pretty satisfying one at that. Only track I could do without is that aisatsana one everyone's in love with. Like, Cmaj7 is great chord and all, but does it really need an entire track devoted to it? It also doesn't fit with the rest at all. Would've made more sense on CCAI.

 

 

Palate cleanser? On a record? You posh cunts!

 

 

Pffft, philistine...

[nickthefish]

 

 

Pffft, philistine...

 

Nah, I'm just drunk...as is apparent by my barely coherent post above.

[HexagonSun]

Noone says XEve or produk are out of place, but a lot of us feels that 180dB and aisatsana are. That 2wo tracks are non coherent with the rest of the material... however I prefer them to be there that them not to be at all.

 

I want syro II, Analordos two and The Puss third iteration to see the light.... Im kind of addicted

 

Im an anonym aphexcolic. You too bitches

[Jez Courtez]

180db is definitely a dancefloor banger, I'll give you that. Trouble is, I never listen to this album on the dancefloor ;) I don't hate it, I just don't like it enough to listen to it that often. Kinda like most of the stuff on 'classics'...great at the time but rarely gets an airing now. Although that's just reminded me of Polynomial-C and I have that soundtracking this post now. Tune!

 

Aisatsana is the most obviously out of place track but gets a free pass as the album closer. It reminds me a tad of the way that Next Heap With closes ICBYD. That one's a bit less of a departure for that album compared to Aisatsana for Syro, but stands apart from the rest of the album while ushering us out perfectly. Really grown to love that track.

 

I'm starting to shuffle Syro into the canon now and compare it to its cousins. ICBYD has always been the benchmark for me. I adore Syro, but strings are such a shorthand for emotional depth, maybe falsely so, that it's the one thing I notice an absence of on Syro. It's endlessly interesting, textured, gets me smiling and nodding, but only XMAS_EVE10 and Aisatsana get the emotions brewing. Just me? Maybe I'm brainwashed. I remember describing some later Autechre albums (despite liking them) as po-faced to a friend, who then said they found them emotionally engaging. Each to their own ;)

Edited March 7, 2016 by Jez Courtez