I have a controversial and a not-so-controversial take on this EP. Getting the controversy out of the way, I seriously do not understand where the hype about Reunion 2 is coming from. There are some cool sounds and ideas in there, but they are all arranged so messily and the separate elements do not mix together well. I have a hard time understanding the appeal, but I don't think it's terrible. I just think it could have been executed better. However, with that out of the way, I can ... read more

Analord 4 is probably the most emotional EP in the series, and it uses it to great advantage, as can be seen with Crying in Your Face. It's one of the countless highlights from the Analord EPs due in part to it's dramatic and confrontational sound. It also goes very hard and has a beautiful ambient outro. I can't get enough of that track. Home Made Polysynth and Halibut Acid are more uncomfortable listens, but that is far from a critique. They both have good balances of ... read more

I'll get Analord 3's positives out of the way. Boxing Day is one of Analord's best tracks that does what the series does best. It's moody atmosphere is equally as strong as it's unforgettable melodies, making for a great laidback listen. That's where my praise ends though. Klopjob at 1st seems like a brighter version of Boxing Day, but devolves into some ugly sounds later on that ruins it for me. Speaking of ugly, Midievil Rave 1 and 2 specialize in it. They are ... read more

The best Analord EP and one of Aphex Twin's best EPs in my opinion. Analord 2 puts a dark twist on the series' acid techno, spending its time wading through moody soundscapes and somber bops. The dark atmosphere is consistent throughout the entire EP but every track does something unique with it. Phonatacid sounds like it's from a dystopian future, Laricheard is a beautiful borderline ambient tribute to Larry Heard, Pissed Up in SE1 is as catchy as it is depressing, and Bwoon Dub ... read more

Analord 1 is the 1st numerical entry in the Analord series. It has some fan favorite tracks from the series like Steppingfilter 101 and Where's Your Girlfriend? which are both extremely catchy. There are a few other tracks that are also earwormy in the right ways and have great beats (which are a constant throughout the entire series) but this EP also has a big issue. The acid is weak. It often comes off sounding garbled, annoying, and lacks the power needed to elevate these songs past ... read more

By far Aphex Twin's most interesting album. This may just be a remix compilation but I highly recommend looking into all the original songs, releases these remixes were previously on, and the many MANY stories that surround Aphex Twin's remixes. It's quite the rabbit hole! If you don't wanna do that, then the songs themselves still have a lot to offer, acting as a sort of sampler of Aphex Twin's different sounds throughout the 90s with far more highlights than misses. ... read more

The title doesn't lie. This is indeed 2 remixes by AFX, specifically recreating 2 classic acid house tracks in the format of Drukqs' drill and bass. Both tracks are good and fun listens. The one of Flow Coma is especially important to me as it introduced me to 808 State, now one of my favorite bands, but it is not nearly as chaotic and satisfying as box Energy's remix. The only thing that brings this EP down personally is the 3rd tracks. It is a series of screeching noises that ... read more

Drukqs is Aphex Twin's most difficult album, but its cult following of super fans that would die for this record should be evidence that it is worth repeated listens. Constantly shifting from Drill/drum and bass madness to reflective piano pieces to experimental oddities, the tracklist may seem randomized but it's always exciting and interesting. There are definitely some weakpoints like Gwarek2 which sees Richard go completely avant-garde, but there are also a stupefying amount of ... read more

Windowlicker is one of those releases that doesn't need any introduction. It's incredibly successful and unique. You'd be hard pressed to find anything like it out there, even for how short the whole EP is. The title track is the obvious highlight, being an all time classic 6 minute journey through breakbeats, sexual moans, sleazy grooves, and distorted guitars. Nannou also deserves a lot of credit, being a beautiful piece made entirely out of music box samples. The only weakspot ... read more

Analogue Bubblebath 3.1 only exists to supply vinyl owners with 3 of the new tracks introduced on the CD version of Analogue Bubblebath 3. So there is basically no reason to listen to this unless you are a vinyl collector. Even then, only 3 of the new tracks are on here and it came out 4 years after the CD release for some reason. To go even further, while the tracks from the CD are pretty good (except for ab3 CD-13), track 3 and 5 are shitposts. In the case of track 5, it is literally a ... read more

Come to Daddy is one of Aphex Twin's most celebrated EPs and if you look at it's most acclaimed tracks, it's easy to see why. Pappy Mix is fucking insane and goes incredibly hard, Flim is absolutely beautiful and timeless, and IZ-US is a wonderfully melancholic piece of electronica. Come to Daddy's middle section is pretty weak though. This 5 track run has songs that are, at best, decent enjoyable listens that I just happen to not connect with all that much like Bucephalus ... read more

The Richard D James Album is the worst of Aphex Twin's 6 mainline studio albums, but as my score indicates, I still think it's great! There are so many wonderful sounds in here. It's biggest highlights range from joyful and deeply moving like 4, Fingerbib, and Girl/Boy Song to just straight up weird like with Logan Rock Witch. With those and several other interesting songs jammed tightly together, it's impossible to get bored with this album. 1 gripe I do have is that it is ... read more

The Girl/Boy EP may just be a sampler for the sounds that would later be found in The Richard D James Album, but it is still a very nice listen. Girl Boy and Milk Man, the only full songs here, are where this EP peaks, showing how the drill and bass sound from Hangable Auto Bulb can be incorporated into warm pop songs full of scenic strings, blazing beats, and vocals by Richard about breast milk. Iconic stuff. The only problems I really have with them is with some of the percussion work. The ... read more

Expert Knob Twiddlers is a collaboration between Aphex Twin and µ-Ziq, a majority of which was made in 1994 when the 2 got really drunk and high together. This gives their unique electronic take on easy listening music a fun and carefree vibe. On some tracks, this mood is very contagious and enjoyable. However, on other tracks, this results in some weird decision making and incredibly uncomfortable sounds. Like, I'm sorry, but the belching on Upright Kangaroo is disgusting. Mr. ... read more

Before even getting into the music, it's worth admiring how crazy it is that we actually have this album and can listen to it. Props definitely go out to whoever messed up the deliveries of Analord 10 and whoever decided sending out AB5 would make up for it. Now, for an unreleased album that was deemed to not fit the Analogue Bubblebath series, this is pretty good! The majority of this record's middle section is similar to Melodies From Mars in that they're decent demos that ... read more

This is a weird release. Not only is the actual year it came out up for debate, but the 2nd track depends on which pressing you got. Either way, both versions of Bradley's Beat Part 2 are decent. Pretty typical for Richard's more abrasive techno stuff from around this time. They're fun listens but nothing I actively seek out. Bradley's Beat Part 1 though is actually really nice. It's a well made song with a lot of goofy synths and a deep cut in Richard's ... read more

Melodies From Mars is an unreleased album of demos, most likely the 1st ever batch of tracks Aphex Twin cooked up when switching to making music on his computer. There is a lot of things to criticize this collection for from the overly-simple song structures and amateurish sound to whatever the hell track 1 is. However, I can't get too angry at a bunch of leaked demos that weren't even meant to act as a full album. It's actually crazy how we have access to all these songs from a ... read more

Hangable Auto Bulb was Aphex Twin's 1st ever experiment with Drill and Bass, a genre created by Luke Vibert early in 1995. This compilation is the best way to listen to the 2 EPs Richard made the same year. Even in the genre's infancy, he already knew what made it so special. The frenzied percussion takes center stage and goes all over the place while the synth work stays simple and catchy. This is what most of the tracks on this album do and they do it well, although they sometimes ... read more

Donkey Rhubarb is essentially a collection of ICBYD leftovers, although they have their own sunny and unique sound. On this EP's bubbly side, there is the title track which is pretty good and spawned those bear mascots for Richard. Vaz Deferenz takes the already slightly annoying bleeps and bloops of the previous track and makes them more annoying. It would probably go hard live though. On the orchestral side of the EP, there is Philip Glass' cover of Icct Hedral from ICBYD, a ... read more

ICBYD is far from a perfect record, but it is VERY strong. This album is yet another exploration by Aphex Twin into the combination of lush instrumentals and abrasive beats. What makes this one special though is its constant use of synth strings drenched in reverb and the sheer amount of complexity and distortion to be found in the beats. Many of these tracks like Acrid Avid Jam Shred and Icct Hedral perfectly marry these 2 seemingly contrasting elements. Even then, I'd be lying is I said ... read more