What's up with the apathy toward Drukqs back in 2001?

[Audioblysk]

Lol, no tunes eh?

[Bertolt Brechtakt]

to be fair it has some of the best tracks of the decade, but as an album it is a 2 hour clusterfuck

 

Nailed it!

[Brisbot]

Lol, no tunes eh?

hehe

[phudoshin]

 

to be fair it has some of the best tracks of the decade, but as an album it is a 2 hour clusterfuck

 

Nailed it!

 

Same. As usual, for me Aphex tracks work best in his DJ sets - especially the drukQs tracks - i just think they sound better, fit into a context, have more emotional appeal etc I listen to more of his output via his dj sets than his albums. The crowd response is always a blast!

[killabyte11]

 

 

Lol, no tunes eh?

hehe

 

 

Na I don't feed trolls.

[Brisbot]

hehe

[jules]

man why does everything always have to be ranked? instead of saying something is the best, just say it's your favorite.

[Brisbot]

man why does everything always have to be ranked? instead of saying something is the best, just say it's your favorite.

this concept escapes some people. I mean there's usually a reason that something is your favorite, but that reason is subjective and only valid to you. Some people mistake that reason for being an objective thing.

 

I mean it MATTERS, but only to you. And maybe it jives with others. There's no problem with explaining why you like x over y, but don't condescend to other people in the process.

[auxien]

Meh don't recall ever saying how great my tunes were. All talk of my production experience was in response to a personal attack directed at me by dude saying how I'll never compare to Aphex Twin...which is a rather silly statement. Like saying if you're not as good as Michael Jordan you shouldn't bother trying to play basketball. Don't think I stated anything as fact just stating the obvious - when you have the dream collection of gear that RDJ does there's little point in using a plug in. It's like choosing to drive a (insert crappy car) when you have a Ferrari. This is becoming silly at this point. Not everything is subjective.

Hey.

 

We just want to hear what is awesome and getting played by underground DJs that AFX is into because that is a barometer on what is awesome. Also because you have used every single DAW and plugin ever, you must know yr shit and make awesome music.

 

So, post yr tunes.

 

sent using magic space waves

[joshuatxuk]

 

it's funny, I got into aphex twin in 2007 and it set me up at the time to look for super complex drilly shit, now I seek out the most minimal "doomp doomp doomp doomp doomp doomp doomp doomp" type techno.

 

I feel ya on that. I used to love the complexity, now it's a whole new ballgame.

 

 

Same here. It's gone full circle though, I've been diving back into older IDM albums lately and enjoying random new stuff that sounds like breakcore that's been coming out of the grime scenes and labels like Tri Angle I come across on spotify, like this

 

I've posted about this before, surely it was mentioned in the 10 pages, but many reviewers have given Drukqs a mediocre review and stood by it. It's a wonderful album but not my favorite and I can't argue with those who feel it's overrated. It's a bit too long and disjointed even if it technically it's him at his finest. For an album released in 2001 it is still staggering production wise. I used to gravitate to it more as someone whose intro to Aphex was the RDJ album but musically I now enjoy SAW 1 & 2 a lot more and consider those more classic.

[colunga]

I always wanted background on Bit 4. Always assumed it was something more interesting than an 18 second bending tone

[dudenorth]

I remember Drukqs being very exciting news when I learned it was coming out. Picked it up and, I wont lie, had some trouble with some of what are considered the greatest tracks on the album. I stuck with it though, kept the cd in my car for a week straight and then lying in bed with my girlfriend one evening while drukqs was on and we were like, "damn afx is such an amazing artist" it had hit us how deep drukqs IS. Listening now, Vordhasbn, fucking beautiful

[slate]

Drukqs is the best ever. Mt Saint Michel and Ziggomatic are 2 absolute timeless masterpieces, unrivaled by their complexity and beauty. When Ziggomatic clicked for me I was ecstatic, it was finally the music I had waited for my whole life, and even after 1000 listens, I am still floored by the absolute vision of the track and the ease in which it hits every note and every beat of Rich's plan. Hard to put into words, but for him to conceptualize that 8 minute long track of twisting melodies, completely fluid transitions and infinite details, and then put it down perfectly into a tracker is a feat so remarkable it hurts to think about. CockVer/54 Cymru Beats/Meltphace 6 are my other favourites, all having the most insane sequencing and absolute solid melodies/harmonies. I'm guessing the apathy, not that I was really around to see it, was because most music reviewers would just slap these fast, very complex tracks on once and review it, when you really start seeing the beauty after figuring out the track, completely anticipating every sound/detail. Sounds pretentious but it was certainly true to me in terms of Ziggomatic and 54 Cymru Beats, I used to not appreciate Cymru that much, but recently have been listening to it and 2:43 - 3:43 blows my socks off, don't even know why it's so good but it is.

 

Also, here is the last bit of Mt Saint slowed down to 40% cheers someone on Reddit for the idea, sounds SUPER ace.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24438426/Mt%20Saint%20Michel%20Slow.mp3

[entropi]

Wow. Well, I would like to be able to hear what you hear in this music...

 

(Though a lot of it seems mostly like americans dicovering breakbeat techno/music that's not MOR-rock... All this hyperbole talk of "genius" this and "masterpeice" that - come on! You don't really need to be a god to make messy breakbeat tracks on a computer... It's not like it is SAW II or even thouches that...IMHO ;-) )

[Time Tourist]

Drukqs is the best ever. Mt Saint Michel and Ziggomatic are 2 absolute timeless masterpieces, unrivaled by their complexity and beauty. When Ziggomatic clicked for me I was ecstatic, it was finally the music I had waited for my whole life, and even after 1000 listens, I am still floored by the absolute vision of the track and the ease in which it hits every note and every beat of Rich's plan. Hard to put into words, but for him to conceptualize that 8 minute long track of twisting melodies, completely fluid transitions and infinite details, and then put it down perfectly into a tracker is a feat so remarkable it hurts to think about. CockVer/54 Cymru Beats/Meltphace 6 are my other favourites, all having the most insane sequencing and absolute solid melodies/harmonies. I'm guessing the apathy, not that I was really around to see it, was because most music reviewers would just slap these fast, very complex tracks on once and review it, when you really start seeing the beauty after figuring out the track, completely anticipating every sound/detail. Sounds pretentious but it was certainly true to me in terms of Ziggomatic and 54 Cymru Beats, I used to not appreciate Cymru that much, but recently have been listening to it and 2:43 - 3:43 blows my socks off, don't even know why it's so good but it is.

 

Also, here is the last bit of Mt Saint slowed down to 40% cheers someone on Reddit for the idea, sounds SUPER ace.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24438426/Mt%20Saint%20Michel%20Slow.mp3

 

Ziggomatic is indeed the masterpiece... Nice post, love the way you described it!

[Ivan Ooze]

best fuckin album ever

[Guest WNS000]

 

come on! You don't really need to be a god to make messy breakbeat tracks on a computer...

 

You gotta be fucking kidding. Give me an example of a production in a similar genre that is at least on a comparable level as Cock/Ver 10, 54 Cymru Beats, Meltphace 6 and Taking Control.

 

Nothing I have heard in a similar genre was even close to it. Nothing. The amount of deeply thought-out (not just random), perfectly executed (tone-wise, timing-wise) details in those tracks is absolutely unmatched by the absolute majority of producers on the planet. Those tracks are so precisely executed it is unbelievable. The timing of individual events in those tracks is so ridiculous. Every fucking single percussion hit in those tracks has absolutely perfect amount of impact, volume and length. Every note has perfect timing, perfectly respecting the beats. Simply stunning. I am a very sensitive person when it comes to rhythms and grooves and I have absolutely nothing to criticize in those tracks (and no, it does not suffice to quantize everything on the grid, there is much more to it).

 

Also, those tracks are emotionally very strong pieces of music. Brutal, aggressive, restless flow. So they are not just production wonders. They are, to me, very moving too.

 

And I repeat, I am not even a fan of Aphex Twin. I just have an experience in producing music.

 

So yeah, post some examples of something that is at least comparable with those tracks.

[purlieu]

I think that Autechre bloke did some complex tracks

[Guest WNS000]

I think that Autechre bloke did some complex tracks

 

Of course. That is why I said:

 

 

Give me an example of a production in a similar genre that is at least on a comparable level...

 

Genre, style, whatever. That drill'n'bass, high BPM thing. You get the idea.

[GetSquirrely]

I always felt that Go Plastic blew drukqs out of the water in terms of beat programming, specifically boneville occident, go spastic, my fucking sound, greenways trajectory

[Guest WNS000]

I always felt that Go Plastic blew drukqs out of the water in terms of beat programming, specifically boneville occident, go spastic, my fucking sound, greenways trajectory

 

Beat programming is one thing. Beat programming and melody programming and overall song development and FX programming and panning programming and mixing and mastering are another thing.

[Guest WNS000]

Also, Aphex went far beyond sped-up amen's breaks in those tracks.

[GetSquirrely]

 

So yeah, post some examples of something that is at least comparable with those tracks.

 

ok sorry for posting an example of something with at least a comparable aspect to drukqs tracks

[Guest WNS000]

No, it is OK, mate. I didn't wanted to sound elitist or something. I just feel that Go Plastic does not really cut it.

[Brisbot]

I agree that go plastic is technically better. I still listen to Drukqs a lot more. I have to be in a special mood to listen to Go Plastic. I'm more interested in the emotional side of music than breaks for the sake of breaks, and there is more of that in go plastic than in Drukqs. Emphasis on the more, it is not totally about technicality. Aphex hit the emotions just right. It's impressive to me to make emotive tracks at 180+ bpm, and its easier to make them at lower bpms.

St. michel for example is insane the kind of visuals that pop up into my head while listening. Or Vordhosbn.

Not knocking Squarepusher or anything, if you like it more then good on you.

Actually, when I think about it some of the tracks on Drukqs are more technically impressive. Not necessarily with the breaks, but with all the sounds considered, like cock ver or cymru. But in general Go Plastic is better in that regard.