AFX* - Smojphace EP

Compared with the general quality of AFX stuff, this is a real downer. The first track is trick jungle with ragga vocals, but it doesn't come anywhere near Laughable Butane Bob, Yellow Calx and other milestones. And it doesn't have any of the ancient AFX harmonies either. Tracks 2 and 3 are digital noise compositions or clicks and cuts, but without the pounding beat. In short, this is one of the very few AFX/Aphex Twin/Caustic Window releases that u can do without.

i think it's quite interesting how many people dismiss the latter two tracks on this disc. Aphex Twin's music is hardly restricted to dance idioms ~ SAW Vol.II & drukqs have demonstrated that all too clearly ~ & this is yet another example. To write off these tracks as "mere noise" is to fail utterly to appreciate a very different kind of music. It isn't data; it's music. Try to hear it...

I would just like to note that the b-side noise tracks on the CD version differ from those on the vinyl. I'm waiting for someone with a lot of time on their hands to analyze the 4 tracks and unlock the bonus Richard has hidden for us. The "bonus high-frequency sounds" from the previous Men Records release does indeed contain a SSTV picture, I've decoded it myself.

The track rips that's all there is to it. For all you out there who are against AFX creating noise, the two noise tracks are great. I bet he has millions of tracks like run the place red and side b on his hard disks. This is also why he doesn't bother releasing much. If he did all the producers would sound like AFX for awhile.

He did a show with Satanstornade recently.

This ep is brilliant. AFX is brilliant.

Well, the most part of the comments said that Smojphace ep is bad because tracks 2 and 3 are "just noise". That is the main idea, they are noise music. Noise music isn't bad by itself. Maybe most part of you don't like it, but there are very interesting ideas in noise musicians.

The problem of Smojphace ep, is that even if you like noise music, they are not very interesting. Richard D. James have said many time that he considers Merzbow like one of the most interesting musicians actually. So, he did those two songs in the way of Merzbow. But he is not Merzbow, and do the things in the way of other rarely give a good result.

If you like noise music try to find those tracks: "RYOJI IKEDA - Zero Degrees (3)", "OTOMO YOSHIHIDE & SACHIKO M - Filament 1-4" or "AKITA - AZUMA - HASWELL - SAKAIBARA - Schnitt"

I found more interesting ideas in any of them.

I think AFX's take on "Run the Place Red" is incredibly fun -- it makes me want to jump and shimmy each time I hear it. Now, I'm not a huge fan of ragga, but ragga-jungle-drill 'n' bass? I think it's a genius combination, one that only the demented mind of Mr. James could discover. You can barely understand the vocals beneath the percussion -- they're more flavor than anything else. As for the two noise tracks, they're rather interesting the first time around (not to mention intense on the squeals), but I don't think they stand up to repeated listens. Mostly because I don't want to go deaf.

The first track on this CD is the only real "music" track. In comparison to the previous AFX EP (2 Remixes By..), "Run The Place Red (AFX Mix)" is not as good as Track 1 from 2 Remixes, but better than Track 2 from said EP. It Falls short of being as good as 2 Remixes Track 1 due to the Reggae vocals, though they worked well with the beats, I didn't particularly enjoy them. On the subject of KTPA 1 & 2, they were the real reason I bought the CD. I think they are pretty interesting pieces of noise. I don't know if RDJ took the time to craft them or just transfered raw data to audio. My guess is he transfered raw data to audio then crafted it, because rarely when you transfer data to audio does it turn out as varied as these tracks are. Anyway, to the person looking to get into AFX, this is the last place to start, to the completist, it's worth it to complete your collection, and listen to the noise pieces all the way through before dismissing them. They're harder to listen to than contemporary Autechre (which I also like), but interesting nonetheless.

Not the best release from afx - basically speeded-up jungle with some fellas talking over the top of it - the iother 2 tracks are just noise. I am disappointed as I have been buying afx for 11 years and I have got use to a step fwd each time - save your money for the nest venetian snares release