I thought i'd let the set as a whole sink in before commenting. AFX has always been uncompromising, surprising and incalcuable throughout his career, the Analord series is no exception. No-one could have guessed what RDJ was going to do next, just like his whole career has been a long number of forward thinking and dare i say it controversial releases this came as a surprise to many, almost a hark back to the analogue systems of the birth of the electronic scene. The series as a whole is amazing, each 12" contains at LEAST one killer track, and each contains that RDJ 'special stuff' that makes the man an enigma in todays market. I love the set more every time i listen to it, OK there's a lot to get through, and the format's he chooses are probably more humourous than practical, but if you're in any way inclined to like techno, electro, acid or the sadly over-burdened and badly labelled IDM scene, then there's a wealth of solid music for you on the Analord series. And, as a parting shot, Acid rules and there can never be too many AFX releases for me, i've followed the career of this producer for over a decade, and a very happy man i am. The world would be a lot less interesting or bearable without him.
This series is a detour from the obsession with craft that has dominated electronics for the last five years. The need to validate skill by chopping up the amen break and throwing it around at 190 bpm has created a nuclear arms race that paralyzed and drained the content from a lot of music. Aphex Twin does not go totally retro against this but he pulls more tradition song ideas in a way that is new to electronics and by doing so creates something more meaningful.
Rumour has it, the Analord series was a 'gift' from Richard to Grant for the upcoming (at the time) birth of Grants first child. Makes financial sense to me. If there's one thing that will sell on Rephlex - it's AFX releases. If there's one way to sell AFX releases - it's limited edition, regular, and part of a series that you don't want to miss out on. Clever homework all round, guys.
To me Analord is a milestone in Richards releases - initially I wasn't much engaged by much of the material, but over time it has truly proven itself to me as an incredibly explorable, mature, electronic milestone. Sure, it's no giant leap (he's been there and done that - leaps are for the youngsters to achieve now) but perhaps in time it will prove itself as a historical release.
This really is an amazing record.
really shows how forward thinking RDJ is.
fenix funk is really powerful and beautiful makes me cry almost everytime.
xmd is dark brooding and very unique in a style only aphex could do.
Has some Fx that I have never heard before very psychoacoustic in places,
A brilliant pressing on this high quality vinyl which I think was a good move as its probably one of the best produced records I`ve ever heard.
I've notice, reading the comments in the discogs forum about this release, that probably i'm the only one that i really love this release. Perfect sound, lush melodies,typical acid basslines, right beat.
Old stuff? I'd like to have tons of theese "old stuff".
Analord 10 is one of the most intriguing Aphex Twin releases. Released in a limited run and only available to order directly from rephlex, it nonetheless managed to generate huge hype, especially from the internet community.
Apparently recorded and produced using old skool analogue equiptment, I was expecting something that sounds similar to vintage Aphex such as Heliosphan or Polynomial-C. Instead, we have 2 tracks which are quite unlike anything Richard has produced before.
"Fenixfunk 5" is the more uptempo of the two tracks, and combines an electro/hip-hop style break, and a full workout of the vintage synths Richard has collected over the years. It actually kinda reminds me of "Camelot Jostle" by Ceephax Acid Crew, especially the main melody.
"Xmd5a" is less immediate, though ultimately the most successful of the two for me. It combines a slow breakbeat, a wicked acid line, and a strangely disjointed piano (which sounds like the same one he used for Drukqs). Initially quite hard to get into, it nonetheless has proven to be a bit of a grower for me.
To be fair, considering the massive hype surrounding this release, it was always going to be difficult to match expectations. The melodies are certainly not as memorable as the classic aphex tracks I mentioned previously, but then that particular era of music is over. A masterpiece it isn't, but analord 10 remains one of the better releases from RDJ, and proves that he is still able to produce interesting, innovative music, regardless of the equiptment he chooses to use.
XMD5a opens in a dark, brooding sort of way. When the drums begin to make their way in through the woodwork, it develops into a nice little acid tune. The intro is unusual compared to the rest of the track, but it has the ambient touch you'd hear from SAW2.
All in all, this is another high-quality Analord release. Definitely worth a listen.