Richard D. James - Aphex Twin

It was this album that started my passionate love affair with Aphex Twin, and it still holds a special place in my heart for me. Maybe that's also because it's probably his gentlest album to date: it's certainly not anything as frantic or aggressive as its predecessor, "I Care Because You Do". Although it could be argued that his early Selected Ambient Works collections are just as, if not more, easy on the ear, there's something maybe a bit clinical about them, something cold and intelligent, rather than warm and exuberant, which is how I read the Richard D. James Album. I don't really have the vocabulary to describe what it is ...  Read the complete review

'Richard D. James' was the first Aphex Twin album I heard and (without being too melodramatic) it changed my life. This was the first mainstream release of his 'drill n' bass' sound, after his ultra-rare 'Hangable Auto Bulb' EPs. The album uses a blend of beautiful, almost poppy, melodies, with incredibly complex rhythms, which somehow harmonise perfectly. For the sake of a soundbyte, like Mozart being electrocuted. It's probably his least 'difficult' release, reflected in its huge popularity, and a great choice for first-timers. At times it lives up to the stereotypes of "like listening to a ...  Read the complete review

Aphex twin -real name Richard D. James is often hailed as a musical genius, praised for his brilliant approach to composition involving 'out of worldly' timbres, lush melodies and jarring hap-hazard furious drum rhythms. Often compared to the great 20th century composers such as Stockhausen and John Cage, Richard D. James soared to fame with his extensive use of DSP manipulation despite what many would consider 'radio unfriendly' music. Paired with film director Chris Cunningham, Aphex Twin became a household name with the tracks 'WindowLicker' and 'Come to Daddy'. This Album 'Richard D. James' is a precursor to those single releases, and contains much of the ...  Read the complete review

There is something wholeheartedly unsettling about this album. It's something to do with the way Aphex Twin plays with music and beats, substituting one for the other in ways you wouldn't have thought possible, and altering timing when you least expect it. This, combined with the fact that pretty musch every track on this album is likeable, listenable to, and generally brilliant, is, as I said, supremely unsettling. Your ears, and indeed brain, reject and accept this stuff at the same time - and after a few listens, the rejection stops entirely. Uniquely compelling. ...  Read the complete review