Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount is one of my favorite songs of all-time. Listening to that ending with headphones on makes air blow out of my ears.
Likewise. Drukqs is my favourite album of all time, and that piece is number 1. Absolutely glorious. It’s as if you take a persons entire life, and all the emotions in it, and put it into one piece of music.
I bought this when it first came out, and its aged so well ,the more you listen to you realize,how much hard work he put into every track , production is on another level
I realized that when it came out. I also thought it was a little pretentious at first because of putting the piano pieces in between drum tracks which he hadn't really done that before. I still do like the more electronic pieces but I have come to appreciate it all and especialy the sonicscapes he was able to create in the kinda less music more sound avant garde tracks.
Vordhosbn might be my favorite track of all time, from any artist, any genre. It has so many emotions wrapped up in it, and there aren't even any lyrics. To me, it conveys worry, fear, anxiety, panic, but also relief, resolve, determination, and calm at different moments. Not to mention it fucking slaps and holds down the beat for it's entire duration, even when it becomes minimalistic. The portion where you're bopping your head is me for the entire song.
Yes Vordhosbn is absolutely crazy. It’s the first track I ever listened from Aphex Twin. I found a LOT of tracks tracks from Aphex twin that are simply amazing, but never found something that beats Vordhosbn for me.
Avril 14th was sampled by Kanye West in his song “Blame Game” off of MBDTF which is a pretty big reason why its one of Aphex’s biggest song And the song QKThr has been exploding with popularity on TikTok which is also why it’s popular
@@tiIebreaker I agree to an extent, because artists making music with the sole purpose of blowing up on tiktok sucks and definetely reduces the quality of the music. but it's not like QkThr was made for tiktok, it just happened to blow up on the app, so i dont see why its such a bad thing. it just brings more attention to great music.
@@zxr9291 I agree with you, i didn't mean that QKThr was made for tiktok, infact im happy its becoming popular, but yes I agree with you about the reduction of the quality of music
At one point you mentioned wanting to know what his dreams sound like, and there is actually a way to do that! Aphex Twins's 2nd studio album, Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2 was created by recreating soundscapes Richard heard in his dreams. Richard compared the experience of the album to standing in the middle of a power generator while on acid. If you enjoyed Selected Ambient Works 85-92, I think there's a lot you'll like in Vol. 2. Keep in mind this album is actually ambient music. Be sure to check it out!
tbf, aphex does take the piss quite a bit and i feel like that interview where he said that he made SAW II using 1 hour a sleep per night and transcribed his music was bs
Thank you for reacting to this, it was cool to see your reactions to each song. For some backstory, this album exists because Aphex Twin left an mp3 player on a plane, with a bunch of unreleased songs on it, and in order to make sure they didn't get leaked, he made an album with those unreleased songs. That's why the album feels so all over the place, but I think he inadvertently created a masterpiece. This album to me represents going through a very hard time in your life, and all of the different emotions that come with it. The noisier and drum and bass tracks remind me of those angrier and more anxious points that you may have, and the softer instrumental pieces remind me of those more sombre and emotionally vulnerable moments. This album means so much to me because those are feelings I've had for a very long time, and this chaotic, disjointed "thing" brings me comfort, almost like someone is personally speaking to me through the music. Much like what "Geogaddi" by Boards Of Canada has done for me. In fact, this kinda music resonates so strongly with me because of your ability to create your own narrative within it, music with lyrics is fine, but it kinda forces me to stick to one particular story instead of trying to find my own meaning within it.
The abstraction of emotion made into an explorable place, that's how a lot of IDM is for me or music in general. A great way to work out your feelings by having an inner dialogue and listening, you know.
Some interesting tidbits about the album off the top of my head: A lot of the titles are in the language of Cornish which is a near dead language native to Cornwall in the UK where RDJ is from. Lorna and Derek are Richards parents, he loves sampling his families voices on his tracks, mainly his mum but on his newest Syro you can also hear his wife for instance. Father is named as such because apparently Richard’s father liked the track. Nanou was the name of his girlfriend at the time. Interestingly the last track on Syro is also named after his partner and is equally sweet sounding. All of the piano tracks are played using a computer controlled piano called a Yamaha Disklavier and a lot of them are prepared piano pieces, meaning the piano strings have been messed with to create unique sounds. But thank you for making a vid on one of my favorite albums:) loved to hear what you had to say
Yay this is my favorite music discussion channel. Love some Aphex Twin reactions! (More please? O: ) Btw Acid is referring to the Roland TB-303 a bass synthesizer responsible for the squelchy basslines in Aphex Twin's discography and in dance music in general. I want to recommend Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue for some more music for you :)
The piano tracks are made using a Yamaha Disclavier, which allows him to control a real piano using Midi. There are also a lot of prepared piano tracks-technique pioneered by John Cage-where you stick a bunch of stuff in between the strings of the piano to change the sound, making it more of a percussion instrument. Also, a lot of the track names are Cornish, a Celtic language once spoken by the people in Cornwall, where RDJ comes from.
Man I love this setup for some reason, so unique, most reaction videos r just in a bedroom/living room. it also really sets the mood for album. Jynweythek just feels like such a nature song.
I live in the same place where Aphex Twin grew up, in Cornwall, and there are many references to Cornish things in his music that go unnoticed for the most part, an example of this is the song "Mt St Micheal + St Michaels Mount" from this album, is named after a historic castle on an island here in Cornwall.
Hooray, more Aphex Twin! I guess fast-paced IDM (which has its own genre name drill and bass, btw) isn't really your thing but that's OK, still really enjoyed this video. I think all of his 6 albums under the Aphex Twin alias are essential (to different degrees, of course). So 3 more albums left, haha?.. Also I want to mention that he has a fantastic EP called Come to Daddy which is worth its own reaction as well. It has 8 tracks and I'm certain that you'll really love at least 2 of them because you seem to like his mellower/dreamier side more :) It can also be joined by his Windowlicker single which is probably his most well-known track. It kinda sounds like a crazy person's attempt at making a radio-friendly pop song, lol
Definitely my favorite album from Richard. it’s not really full video reaction worthy id recommend giving the windowlicker ep a listen only because it’s title track might be one of the of the best pieces of electronic music ever (definitely not pretentious statement)
what your hearing on a lot of the instrumental tracks such as the first song is a prepared piano, basically piano with objects put between its strings to alter the sound. thats why it sounds like theres a piano and another instrument
Just letting you know that in this albums, the more orchestral songs were for the most part all piano, including Jynweythek and songs like it. They're simply played differently, in a practice called "prepared piano" in which you put objects like metal rulers, screws and whatnot on top of the piano strings for them to get a different more percussive timbre. I fw with Prep Gwarek 36.
super interesting seeing a zoomer take on this.. most of what I and my gen y as well as gen x peers favor seem to be too harsh for you. Although , I am biased.. Most of my context is as an audiophile/audio-engineer and from others with similar backgrounds. The magic is in the UNBELIEVABLE sound design and mixing. We still have a really tough time recreating these techniques over 20 years later. It's a marvel of sound engineering. Good sht tho bro. Keep doing these! Maybe one day get some high quality open-back headphones and run a re-review! :)
If someone isn’t into avant-garde sound design and musique concrete, they could very well have a hard time with this album. But for those of us who are, oh man, this album is incredible!
He doesn’t represent zoomers. The guy seems absolutely uncomfortable to innovative ideas, and rejects any sounds which sounds too harsh. Doesn’t understand the art of it. “Bro! It’s just people screaming! Now we’re playing basketball! Are we in a school?” Ffs 🤦♂️ guy cant piece it together.
Funny you said i wonder what his dreams sound like. They sound like this. He actually dreams a lot of his music at night first. He said in an interview
everyone’s suggesting you to listen to SAW II and I agree (although be prepared bc it’s very very very long and the songs are mostly super repetitive), but I would say to listen to Syro as well, it was my introduction to Aphex Twin. However it’s more on the IDM side like RDJA and Drukqs than the ambient side like the two SAW albums so idk how much it would be up your ally
The point of the album is to overload the senses… prepared piano pieces juxtaposed with something you might hear on an alien planet is something else … this album isn’t for everyone but if you know you know
There's a psuedo structure in this album that RDJ placed, which is that the hard DnB tracks are placed right after the piano pieces, but it's not consistent and apparent right away. Also, his earlier project Come To Daddy would be a cool record to listen.
Hey! I discovered your channel recently, and i love your vids! Crazy how you can sit and listen to a more-than-hour-long album. Love your videos, keep it up :)
I have decided that im gonna be commenting on every Smags video telling him to react to the American Football debut starting now because I have no life. Wish me luck also cool reaction
Admittedly i really like this alblum because its somewhat different yes aphex twin almost always trys something different for his alblums but this just has like really cool piano and the drum and bass tracks are probably his most comicated noisy interesting and dark drum and bass composition
About the piano tracks in this album. They are a type of piano playing called "prepared piano" where you insert objects into the piano's strings in different configurations which alters the sound of the piano. So everything you hear in the piano tracks is actually only a piano with stuff put in between strings etc. I dunno if he sampled the sounds and made the tracks in a DAW or if he actually played them live and recorded them.
This album is really great, especially with fast tracks like Vordhosbn and ambient tunes like Avril 14th. If I could recommend an album, i'd suggest "Achievement" by Pilotredsun, a surreal comedy artist and musician, I could describe his music like the beats of Aphex but the soothing sounds of Boards of Canada combined. Keep up the work!
I've been watching PilotRedSun for a while, and I've recently discovered that he makes music too, and I decided to give them a shot. I unironically loved them
Pretty sure gwarek 2 is supposed to represent a bad acid trip also i do believe some of the stuff isnt instruments like there is some tape manipulation air conditioner some sort of heater and water running and what im pretty sure is either his kids screaming or a disorted stock sound effect and yeah there are some bell synths its possible the heater and air conditioner and water running are also synthesizers but im pretty sure its manipulated samples of those sounds
Cymru is pronounced kime (or kum) rue... it's the Welsh name for Wales. Not that that info will ever serve any purpose in your life, but you may win a game of trivial pursuit with it.
33:37 Quick note about this track Afx237 v.7 .. There was a video done by Chris Cunningham (who does all of AFX's newer music videos) called Rubber Johnny, which is one of AFX's obscure pseudonyms (there was a vinyl EP released) ... You should react to that video.. It's probably the weirdest thing ever done.
Just found you today, and have been binging your videos. Looking at what you have been recently reacting to, i would recommend I'll Be Okay by Sign Crushes Motorist. Truly the most depressing album ive ever heard. Please check it out 🙏
Drukqs is like two different albums in one competing for plays. BTW wanted to mention...Richard is suspected to be autistic. If you really dig into his interractions and hear what he has to say...you'll see.
another banger by smag smags smasg recommended listening: very different from everything i've seen you listen 2 so far, but more underground stuff RUBBER or WFLYTD by six impala Fishmonger or Fearmonger by underscores The Heat Death of my Hometown by jimbo jones yeah thats all i can think of rn
11:41 Acid is the type of music. It's categorized by the noise done to bassline synths when using cut off filters with resonance, made popular by the Roland TB-303. "Aphex acid" would be more innovative styles of acid as most acid basically just used the Roland TB-808 or 909 drum machines and had simple 4 on the floor type beats or other simple beats. This blends a bit of drum'n'bass into it.
Oh man 😂 you weren't ready AT ALL for this album and its completely understandable. I had so much fun seeing your reactions to this masterpiece. Please, do yourself the favour and return back at it at another time of your life, you won't regret it.
I love the way you express your opinion tbh because you handle everything with respect yet still are honest and I love watching people discuss things like that
Strange. I don't think he's being respectful to the material at all. I'm halfway through the video and it feels like he dissed 80% of the tracks on album 1.
@@jaycarv1710I mean would you rather he just pretend to like it? he seems like he’s not vibing w a lot of it but that’s ok and he’s not like “this is the worst shit i’ve ever heard” or anything, plus he’s had more favorable opinions on other aphex albums
This is the moment in time where I request Siamese Dream OR Mellon collie and the infinite sadness every video. SD one of the best guitar centric albums along with Television’s “Marquee Moon” and also if you haven’t checked it out yet “Room on Fire” by The Strokes. “The Mollusk” by Ween could be a fun reaction too! Ah!! So many choices.
You gotta check out You’d Prefer an Astronaut by Hum. My favorite alternative rock album of all time, no misses. As for the next Aphex Twin album, it’s gotta be I Care Because You Do. Contains my absolute favorite song of his and is probably more in line with the side of him you like.
I highly highly recommend a Queens of the Stone Age discography listen overtime. You would have so much fun listening to the riffs and lyrics. Some are better than others but I promise you will never be bored. Every album is good and different. “Songs for the deaf” and “… like clockwork” are 10/10 for every reason. Fuckin love ur honest and hella enjoyable reactions man!
