Sedate Before Playing (Drukqs - Aphex Twin)

Member Name: fooyoo

Product:	Drukqs - Aphex Twin
Date:	03/05/04 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The end

Disadvantages: Poor, Poor , Poor

Aphex Twin is not really an artist that I have paid a lot of attention to. I saw one of his videos a few years ago which I found quite uncomfortable viewing, so I think I have probably steered away from his material without really knowing it. However, one of my friends always seems to be listening to music that makes me really take notice, and a few months ago, Aphex Twin was his music of choice. Being honest, I was more than a bit intrigued as it seemed so far removed from the kind of music I have been listening to lately that I wanted to hear more of what they had to offer. This was the album I chose to buy, and what follows is my thoughts on it after listening to it for a few months, although not continually I might hasten to add!

The album starts off quite mellow, but do not let that lull you into the wrong mood, as your senses will soon be attacked by a complete mess of sound. Beats that bear no resemblance to the bassline, and then melodies which seem like 'The Twin' (aka Richard D James) got bored of them and cut them off before they were due to finish. The finished sound is just a mangled mess, and at times reminds me of the keyboard playing from Ross in 'Friends'.It is amatuerish at best, and not what I expected from an established artist. I think it is all well and good not bowing down to convention, but he has gone too far the other way, and the result is an album which is hard work to listen to.

The track names are barely pronouncable, so I won't bore you with a full rundown of them in this review, which is not normally my style, as I like to give the reader a feel for each track, but with names like 'Vordhosbn', I don't stand a chance! At times, there is a real sinister feel to the music, and I remember now why I never really wanted to listen to the mus
ic of Aphex Twin, and that is because I frankly find it uncomfortable. I can't even describe why I feel like that, but I think James has an agenda hidden deep inside his music, and I wouldn't even begin to start and try to work him out, because frankly I am not interested, and it would probably also be a complete waste of time, as I think he is not the genius many claim him to be.

Vocals are a rare occurence, but when they do come, they are not welcome, as the obscenties are just not needed, and just made me hate the music even more. Some of the samples are common sounds such as church bells, or a person screaming, but when I heard what I suspect was someone taking a pee in a urinal, I just knew that there was no way back for me and this album, but then he used an answerphone message left for him by his parents, and that is not innovative, it is a desperate and lazy attempt to make music. Try something new by all means, but someone relieving themself......no thanks! I can see this music fitting in well on to the soundtrack to a low budget horror film, but nothing more than that.

I have to be honest and say that the novelty of them being something different soon wore off, and I realised that initially they do sound different, but all of their music sounds the same! Maybe it is because dance music and the like are not really my cup of tea, but then if this is dance music, I would hate to go to the depressing place that played this all night! The album is too long, too samey, and sounds too experimental much of the time. I have tried and tried to make sense of the music, so much so that I have listened to it many times since I bought it at the turn of the year, but try as I might there is just not one postive feature about this album........unless you count the end.

Summary: