A Guide To APHEX TWIN 

the virgin needledrop vs. the chad deep cuts

Nothing makes me want to listen to an album or musician more than hearing someone passionately talking about it. Even hearing someone vividly describe why they don't like an album makes me curious to check it out. This is such a great channel, thanks!

Deep Cuts guide to Boards of Canada pleeeease :)))

You are one of the most educated RU-vidrs in terms of musical critique/knowledge I have seen in years. Plus, you're very articulate. I suspect this channel to seriously blow up, you have the formula to become successful on this niche. Good luck, great, in-depth video.

There really aren't enough good music channels like this.

Years ago, a mate of mine made me a mixtape without a tracklist. He wanted to get me into electronic music, which I had guitar-snobbily kept off my radar. He said he would give me the tracklist only after I had listened to the whole tape and reported back to him which tracks had moved me the most. I liked most of the stuff on there, but four tracks really stood out to me. They sounded totally different from the rest of the tape and even to each other, but those I loved the most. Next time I saw him, I gave him my rundown and pointed out my absolute faves. He smiled and said: "I knew it. Those are all tracks by the same artist: Aphex Twin." The next day I went out and bought the "Richard D. James Album" and never looked back. The moniker "genius" is bandied around and so overused by now, that the word has nigh on become meaningless. Real geniuses are very rare. Richard D. James is a very real, bonafide, we're-not-worthy GENIUS.

I'm already an Aphex Twin nutcase, but I still watched this and pretended to be a newbie. My favorite obscure Aphex track is probably High Hats Tune Tamclap.

Here is a fun story about my favorite Aphex Twin song... Stone in Focus. Firstly, I love Rhubarb as well, but you talk of its minimalist beauty; Stone in Focus is even more simple, three notes, a gently ticking clock, and occasional pads so subtle you don't even tend to notice them, yet it's on my top 5 songs of all time (I repeat, all time). So rewind to 2003, I'm a 13 year old dorky kid in Oklahoma, middle of nowhere. I'm on Limewire, downloading hoards of music. I see one track AT-Stone_in_focus and my curiosity is aroused. Fast forward five hours of downloading and I give it a listen. Even at 13 something hit me on every level of this song. It relaxed my mind, calmed my heart, and soothed my spirit. I'd wind up putting that s Omg on loop NEARLY EVERY NIGHT for nearly a decade, but never knew who made it (or that I'd stumbled on a gem, since Stone in Focus wasn't easily accessible in the USA at the time). I didn't need to know who made it, where it came from, or anything else; it stood alone and spoke for itself. Well, I'm 23 and at a music festival with a head full of drugs and at the very end of a set, this DJ suddenly drops into Stone in Focus (yes, full 10 minutes). The crowd melted and I wept. Not even from joy, just from emotion. Someone said "I love Aphex Twin" and when I got home I looked him up. Yeah, I may be a bit late to the party (that was 2013) but I'm actually glad for that because having such a vast discography to just suddenly drop into was a thrilling experience. I'm 29 now and don't even feel like I've come close to exhausting it. Love RDJ; I truly believe his art will stand the tests of time the same way the Mozarts and Beethovens of bygone days did. In the words of another fan, "everything he makes sounds like it's from the future, yet most of it was made 20+ years ago". And yes, I still sleep to Stone in Focus on loop to this very day.

so glad I found this channel. I suspect it has the potential to blow up.

The call and response on Syro is masterful, the synths are having proper conversations with each other.

I also find "4" calming, one of my fav tracks of him

"4" track one from the Richard D James album is the greatest piece of music ive ever heard. Someone posted it as a RU-vid comment on a "whats your favorite song" video in 2005 and i sought out the album. I always had windowlicker and come to daddy on my ipod, but never dug deeper until that. I figured i would leave that comment as someone did for me all those years ago. The rolling snare may seem overwhelming but when you realize this came out in 95 it makes it incredible. Everything he made was 10 years ahead of everyone else. Including the current stuff he releases

just a fun observation, i think the word Xtal is meant to be pronounced Crystal, similar to how Xmas is pronounced Christmas. Great Video!

It's amazing how knowledgeable you are of music: jazz, prog, rock, hip hop, aphex twin. So eclectic! I find difficult getting into very different genres but you seems to be able to enjoy so many different things. Well done! The guides to a single artist are great!

@ 25:38: "The more you persevere with it, the more you get out of it"... ...this is one of the best statements about Richard D. James music I've ever heard. The explanation of Drukqs that starts at 25:00 can be said about most of his work. This whole video is, by far, the best survey of Richard D. James' music I've seen. You really show that you understand that his music isn't something that you can listen to a couple times and completely understand, and that's what makes it so great. Also, I second the notion that you should do a guide to Frank Zappa. He's very similar to Richard D. James in that, he also has a very large body of work that is extremely unique and challenging. I think if anyone could do a proper guide to Zappa, you'd be the man for the job. I really enjoyed watching this a lot. Thanks deep cuts.

saw85-92 was the first album I heard from aphex twin and I was hooked. No better electronic artist, not even close

"Real intelligence and understanding of music, coupled with this tongue in cheek awareness, this anarchic sensibility" -Well said!

Strange to hear someone say The Richard D. James album being one of his most difficult. With all the pretty melodies throughout and the short track lengths, I've always considered it much more of a pop album than the rest. But, I fell in love with it instanteously. Such a rush!

Fantastic synopsis. I would argue, however, that the RDJ album is actually his MOST accessible; yes, it is very fast, technically complex and meticulous but I find it simultaneously very melodic, warm and inviting, with lots of "catchy" sequences and pleasantry, and the length makes it quite easily digestible. ICBYD, in my opinion, would be his least accessible, at times quite abrasive and dissonant. I find Drukqs to be his masterwork.

His track “Parking Lot” from the SoundCloud dumb is so danceable and cheery, I wish more people knew about it! Great Joni Mitchell sample, too.

you got a great screen prescence dude. which is rare on youtube, most videos you can just tell they're not confident on camera. but you're actually relaxing to watch, you speak well and it just works, plus you know your shit which helps. p.s you should do a guide to boards of canada, they're kinda similar to aphex twin in thier careers.

This series is absolutely awesome! The start of a great channel!

This is gold, not only have you done your homework on the artist, you seem very knowledgeable about music in general and you're good at delivering it in a way which is interesting without being self indulgent. Hats off, quickest sub I've ever made.

I just stumbled upon this, and I’m glad you’ve made it - he is one of my top inspiration for my work, and I find most people don’t “understand” his work.

Great video behind the mastermind that is RDJ....love your style of exploring and explaining things to people who may have not heard of something before. You really deserve more subscribers and views. Great shit man.

Holy shit, man! That is an awesome vid once again! I subbed when I saw your "A Guide To Nick Cave" vid, and it helped me to really get into NC&TBS music as I have just started listening to that band. You go into so much detail with these "A Guide To..." videos and this is what makes your channel one of a kind. Totally waiting for more of these. Keep up the great work!

Thank you for this. As a long time Aphex Twin fan, this was an engaging listen. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear someone just talking about music for 40mins but I enjoyed your insights. Now I feel like doing an Aphex Twin marathon!

Love this channel. Great knowledge and just perfectly in depth without being boring. Also just seems like a really nice decent bloke

I appreciate you making this video. Aphex Twin might be one of the most well known idm artists and yet; it seems like nobody knows him. I hope that because of this video people will dig into his works and his different monikers. After all these years I steel find new tracks I haven't heard yet. I welcome you to the beautiful thing that is Richard D. James.

You look like Tom Holland and Charlie Puth mixed together.

This kicks ass! You are a beautiful soul and I thank you for shooting these videos! ^..^

Oliver, I keep coming back to your older videos for help with getting into an artist or genre and it's so refreshing to have someone as interested and articulate as you help me and many others out with a hobby. I was surprised how at the end of this video you state you're just at 3000 subs, yet for such a new channel you already had such quality content. RU-vid needs more helpful souls such as yourself. Cheers!

Syro is [in my opinion] an expression of love. The whole album has vocalizations sprinkled around, that unlike his previous works, are very whispered and melodic... When the melody isn't paced and the rhythm isn't slow, it is expressive in the same way a contemporary ballet dancer would twirl... yet when it is, it feels like a personal conversation. I've listened to this album enough times to see it. It's essentially Fenix Funk 5 as a complete album.

Would you be interested in doing one of these for Sonic Youth, Miles Davis or Radiohead?

These artist guides are incredible, wish you would keep them up! This is a great idea that I haven't seen done nearly this well, you should give it another go!

Finally got around to watching this. Really well done! Thanks for your hard work on this!!

I like your content. Would you consider doing a guide to Nine Inch Nails?

Another great guide about a great artist.

Really enjoyed this. That rarest of things, an intelligent discourse on electronic music and a spot-on guide to Richard's music for those who haven't come across it already, done by someone who obviously really loves his work. Excellent.

Beautifully wrapped up his work! I cautiously waited for ziggomatic v17 to be mentioned since it's my absolute fav, mostly because of the many emotional shifts it conveys and the strangely sincere ending lyrics.

and speaking of the track Flim, there's a nice trivia about it - Skrillex posted it on facebook a couple years ago, stating, that this is his favourite track ever.

This is puregold! nice guide ! .

Respect from Montreal, Canada ! (There is just sooooooo much more to explore in his discography) Well done video and much respect !

Drukqs was what got me into Aphex Twin back in 2002 and to this day it's by far the album I listened to the most in my life. Great video my friend!

Superb vid! Well played 😁 My fave tracks are too many to name but I'd say about ten of them are called "untitled" 😂

Love your channel and your knowledge of music. As a suggestion I'd really like one of these videos on Frank Zappa as I've wanted to get into his music but find his discography very intimidating.

EVERY album. EVERY track. ALL good. ( ALL necessary)

Thank you so much for this channel - you are a true godsend!

Once again you have delivered in spades. Hats off to you sir.

You could describe various tap waters and still be entertaining and informative.

I keep coming back to your video about Richard. Dude is a legend. Just Fall Asleep is amazing

This is a very underrated channel. Love how in depth you get.

Would you ever consider doing a video about Bark Psychosis? Have you listened to them? They're a band whose whole discography means a ton to me (in particular, their second album), and their influence has been felt across the entire Post-rock genre, yet most people aren't aware they even existed. Such tight, mystical, deep music. Otherwise, I'll ask the same question about Unwound, and Underworld! Thanks again for another flawless video! Brilliant work covering what is an incredibly difficult topic to be concise about. There isn't another youtuber who's uploads we're more excited about than yours!

Syro is strange. I really enjoy it. It's perfectly made, never stops giving and can be enjoyed at any time, yet... it drags on a bit too much for me. And I love love LOVE Drukqs and could listen to it in full at anytime.

Clicked subscribe within the first minute, keep doing what you're doing man, musicians/music fans love this kind of stuff!

These are always so good and well informed. Now that i think of it, a guide to Prince's discography would make a lot of sense and be super fascinating.

You should do a king crimson guide!

This was great, but i do find it funny when people analyse Aphex Twin. You go from expertly dissecting this really intricate and complex music, only to declare the track is called "Come on you slags". It's got serious "Lick My Lovepump" Spinal Tap vibes. Fantastic.

Thank you very much for the vid!!! I'm only now really getting into this kind of music, and having a guide this comprehensive to such a complex body of work is a godsend Thank you!!!!

I first came into touch with Richard in 1997, ordered nearly all of his releases I got my hands on, and now they are the only CDs in my shelf. I never collected other music. Your video reminds me to listen again to all of this gems. Great video, mate.

A bit late here, but my absolute favorite rare Aphex bit would have to be his remix of DJ Pierre's 'Box Energy', but not the release on the MEN Records 2-track Remix EP, there was a version he had up for free download on the Rephlex website for a while. It's unmastered, and much more raw, I feel like it just has so much more maniacal energy than the cut that ended up on the record. Great series by the way, love the videos!

Fuck that was amazing, you have a new fan

Excellent work sir! You're so thorough and the sonic descriptions are in point and express how much you listen and really care. Fantastic job, keep it up! 😃👍👌✌️

Hearing 4 is your favorite track made me so happy, its one of my favorites as well.

I'd be interested to see a guide to the Mountain Goats. Your channel has quality material overall.

Been listening to RDJ's disography for almost all my life now. Its important to me.

subbed bc of this vid... been a rdj fan for the past 20 years~ loved hearing your thoughts

i am a massive Aphex Twin fan and have most of his early work on vinyl ,well done on your knowledge and understanding of his music,i enjoyed your guide.Good work.

Funny... A Richard D. James album is in my opinion the most "accessible", and dare I say "pop" Aphex Twin album. Still my favourite to this day.

Would you ever be inclined to do a guide to Fela Kuti or Frank Zappa? Pretty extensive discographies but I'm sure you'd be up to the challenge :)

Quality stuff, been looking for something like this to watch for a while now. (:

Amazing channel! Found your Aphex Twin video first, and you speak about and describe what you’re talking about so well. Instant sub. I’m already a big Aphex Twin and Radiohead fan but these videos are so interesting.

I love youtube's automated captions. I'm totally calling my first EP Hannibal Auto Bowl.

Dude your command of the written word and talent for visually describing sonic experiences is absolutely sublime! Have you written for Rolling Stone? The only writers Ive ever read with your talent, style and colour have been from articles in Rolling Stone. Anyhow I love your channel and admire your linguistic command! Cheers for these brillaint videos!

May I second many of the comments and say what an excellent channel this is! A good guide to RDJ work and a great entry point to electronica.

Wonderfully colorful and nuanced analysis mate! Pleasure to hear this being a long time fan of his music : )

Fresh video man, quality journalism. I have really been getting into researching music and I just wanted to know what album /artist /song got you into music? For me it really was The Gorillaz: Demon Days. The entire band has such an interesting selection of talent. And do you have any other list videos planned? Cheers!!!!

Guide to Venetian snares? I'm a huge fan so I'd love to see your take on his work

...been a fan of richard's music for almost 20 years now, love the video man!... :)

Your guides are going into depth and breadth - it’s so nice to have somebody so passionate introducing people to artists! I think what would really get your videos to the next level is to add samples of some of the tracks you’re referencing. I have to stop watching your video, find and listen to some of the tracks to have a complete sense of the experience. So I thought if you had done that already that would be superb.

NIN album further down the spiral- Aphex twin did track 7 "At the heart of it all"... one of my favorite tunes from that album, only recently discovered it was good ol' Richard D. James himself!

Amazing! very educational can you please do a guide to Bjork ?

at the 3:29 mark i paused for like an hour to check out his AFX & Polygon Window stuff and loved it. so already that means your video worked and now i'm even more excited to discover what else you got for me for the remaining 36 mins!!

Nailed it on I Care Because You Do. Talk about nailing a description while still piquing interest and curiosity. Well done 👍

Please do Guide to Brian Eno

hey this was educational on another level- thanks for the aphex twin rundown as well as teaching me that I have synesthesia

great watch, Richard could well be consdered in the same vein to mozart in his reimagining of what music can become. it is not just something to move to, it can be a truly emotive force, keep it up mate, really enjoyed watching this

awesome video, i appreciate your descriptions of music, very soothing to meditate on, looking forward to hearing more

Ok i'll admit it. I came in here looking at the thumbnail thinking "yeah ok what is this little twerp going to teach me about Aphex Twin that i don't already know" I was completely wrong. This guy knows his stuff, and instead of just waffling a load of useless buzz words, you can tell he has listened to the music and really dug deep to get a wide understanding of what is, probably, one of the hardest artists to just jump into and learn about. There isn't a 'straight path' to navigate RDJ's music but this guy eloquently digs his own way through and explains some of the many soundscapes on offer. The title of this video isn't clickbait it truly is "A Guide To APHEX TWIN". Well done! I look forward to checking out your other videos.

A guide to Animal Collective would be great! Pls?!?!11!?

Crazy man, I just started diggin into RDJ's discography this week, so this video will be very helpful. Great work man, your channel is already one of my favorites!

Aphex Twin. Eno, and Tangerine Dream references! The sound tracks of my life. :) Great video!

Do a guide to Autechre! :)

you should do one on squarepusher's discography

Awesome video, I feel it really did RDJ's work justice. I'll definitely be checking out your other stuff.

It's so good to see someone able to put into words, how music, especially electronic, makes me feel and describe it so well. Cudos

please do a boards of Canada review, you are awesome!

Here's some cool ones from the soundcloud dump: floating∞, lush slow blips, blue carpet, organ epic, last clissold maybe, slothscrape, autumn travels, with my family, just fall asleep, and make a baby.

This is great content, very glad to discover this channel.

Really cool vid! I agree about the track '4', it's actually the first track I ever heard from Aphex and I instantly fell in love with it and was hooked ever since. The track Lush Slow Blips from the SC dump is one of my favourite tracks, and Seckonda and Tsim and... too many to mention :)