DEEP DISCOG DIVE: Aphex Twin 

Captions will be up and running in a new few days. Thanks for your patience on this one, now I’ve got some arson charges to dodge (jokes jokes jokes I do not commit arson)

If you noticed, after a certian point Richard's face is on every album cover. That's cause someone told him once an unwritten rule of EDM/IDM is being anonymous. Naturally he immediately refused and trippled down.

I don't think I've seen a single person talk about IDM without complaining about the genre name at least once

Kinda weird this was just 37 minutes of footage of you smiling creepily but nice video as usual Mic!

32 years ago I was in my favourite basement rave vinyl record shop and the girl behind the counter handed me a 12" saying I put this aside for you because I thought you'd like it. It was Annalogue Bubblebath! Alysa if you're out there - I'm forever grateful!

Remain in Light remains Aphex Twin's best album to this day

Quick note: Cornwall is a county, not a town. It was actually a country separate from England made up of the indigenous Celts of Britain until it was gobbled up by England over the middle ages (similar to Wales, and Brittany and France over the Channel at around the same time). The language and national pride still survives to this day.

Oh boy I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about my favorite ambient album SAW vol. II!

I've never clicked this channel faster, RDJ is my favourite electronic composer of all time and his catalogue goes so deep that it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything he's done. It makes me happy to see you covering him!

I feel like Mic the Snare should do a "Double Discog Dive" where he takes two bands that have short discographies (like Derek and the Dominoes, Neutral Milk Hotel or The Stone Roses) and do two in an episode

selected ambient works volume ii is still the best ambient album ever imo

I understand your take on Selected Ambient Works Vol. II. Personally, it's my favorite album of his, I love ambient stuff! And #20 is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

He grew up in the village next to mines. He has a very proud mother.

I think a lot of people miss all the non-Aphex Twin named projects and it’s hard to cover his entire discography mentioning all his projects under those names but you did an amazing job! The Tuss, Caustic Window, Polygon Window, the Analord EP’s plus the collab album with µ-Ziq, Expert Knob Twiddlers are all just as essential as his mainline studio albums. Such a deep yet rewarding discography, fantastic video!

Mr. Twin is basically the whole reason Breakcore exists.

Big fan of how you don't say anything about the album covers but make it 100% clear about what you think about the album covers.

Great job not getting lost in the weeds on this one. Between the official and unofficial releases, his discography can be pretty difficult to get your arms around but I think you did a good job navigating through.

We’ve Aphexed many Twins to get Alberto Balsalm to where he is. Perfection to the most beautiful degree

i have been waiting for this day for YEARS. thank you mic.

this video is beyond surreal to watch as someone whose entire life is electronic and ambient music and who's so immersed in this particular 90s IDM scene that I just got finished making videos reviewing every Mike Paradinas (u-Ziq) album earlier this year, but I'll always be happy to hear this kind of stuff get more coverage

sad story: I once found a cassette of the first Analogue Bubblebath album at my local record store for $5. When it started to make a weird noise while rewinding I opened it up to try and fix it and immediately snapped the tape in half. I was so distraught I threw it all in the trash. I still regret everything (especially since the tape is like $100 on Discogs)

Ok, I could not have clicked on a video with a title like that any faster. I am a devoted acolyte of SAW 85-92. EDIT: Really appreciated the Girl Talk shoutout, All Day is such a great mashup album.

Man I'm close to finishing a 3 hour review of Richard's discography and you come in here and do it 10 times better! I was even planning on making that Wonderful Christmastime joke too.

Im surprised after Prince, Mic chooses to make a ddd on another artist also known for his enourmous discog. Major props bro

I agree whole heartedly with Richard about the "On" video. It absolutely does the job and definitely feels like what happens when you get Jarvis Cocker to direct a stop motion video for your heady, instrumental dance track. lol.

‘Ambient music can be great - for background noise’. Er yeah that’s what ambient music is in its origination - like ambient temperature - as Eno explains. It mixes and merges with the sounds of life. Selected ambient works vol II has some of the best and most original ambient sounds I’ve ever heard and is a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned. Especially considering many of the sounds come from rewriting the equipment to get new sounds out of it - if that anecdote is true. It certainly sounds like it. Very enjoyable vid to watch though, nice job.

Great video, Druqks got done so dirty though, that album is a 10

This was the DDD I don’t know I needed until I saw it in my subscription feed, I think Mike’s lighthearted approach to reviewing albums that still digs super deep is exactly what I needed to get me inspired to check out more from Aphex, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now 🌈 P.s banging thumbnail btw

Releases of his that you left out: Universal Indicator Red, Universal Indicator Green, Smojphace EP, Analogue Bubblebath Vol 5, MARCHROMT30A edit 2b 96, Korg Trax+Tunings For Falling Asleep, Orphans, Peel Session 2, Mt Fuji Tape, 3 Gerald Remix, plus the 6 festival exclusive vinyl records (so far). Also fact check: Bradley’s Beat is not from 1991. It came much later, 1993 at the earliest but probably not until 1995. They liked to put an earlier copyright on some of these releases to establish 1991 as the starting point of Rephlex. The actual Rephlex promo sheet for the record is from 1995. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Pa1OfT0hfCc.html Also the songs on SAW 85-92 are not as old as he wants you to believe. There were much older tracks in the SoundCloud dump, where you can find his first moniker: Phonic Boy on Dope. Here are some of those earliest tracks: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Kr5sS6mfEyo.html The track you called “Mashed Potatoes” is actually called “Children Talking”. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cLAb-ZIFsGQ.html The track Thom Yorke cited as most influential to Kid A and Amnesiac came from a Warp compilation called We Are Reasonable People, and was a collab between Aphex Twin and Squarepusher called “Freeman, Hardy and Willis Acid”. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-p24VtXcy4ws.html The most thorough summary of his discography I’ve found is on Reddit here: reddit.com/r/aphextwin/s/PejKkaLuNM

So glad you're covering this! Aphex Twin is my favorite artist and SAW 85-92 is one of the first albums I ever loved. I still vividly remember the first time I heard Xtal.

Hearing a lot of songs from the Bomb rush cyberpunk ost being used in the background makes me so happy it’s so awesome that these artists are getting more recognition

I think this has got to be the funniest DDD you’ve made so far. Good job dude. Also, I feel like Aphex Twin is one of these artists where you always get a different answer on what the favorite album or project is depending on who you ask. Honestly you could call any of his 6 main albums your favorite from him and I would completely agree with you to some extent

SAW II is my all-time favourite by him. I almost never listen to it all at once though. If you're the sort of person who goes to galleries and looks at each painting for a really long time, I recommend it massively.

Had the fortune to do some VFX on the "Come to Daddy" music video and it made me cry for my mother. It's an improvement on "Windowlicker", which just made me cry. Good times!

I absolutely loveee that you keep doing deep dives of my FAVORITE artists! not only because I appreciate the journey through my teens years but also your humor & research makes everything SO FUN!!! 🤗👍🏾

aphex twin helped me thru some of the darkest times in my life, the way the music blends to tell a story thru so many layers still blows my mind every time i listen, and while i get your take on the ambient stuff, i find that for me personally, the ambient tracks are swelling with emotion that i can’t really even put into words, it just makes me feel so much lol aphex twin means so much to me and i’m such a music nerd, i am so happy this video popped up in my feed. definitely got my sub man, awesome video

Been having an extremely rough day and this was a pleasant diversion that I really needed. Thank you.

An artist on the "haven't heard yet but know of his reputation and legacy" group? Alright, I'll surely learn a lot of new stuff here.

I absolutely loveee that you keep doing deep dives of my FAVORITE artists! not only because I appreciate the journey through my teens years but also your humor & research makes everything SO FUN!!!

this will be a banger episode! thank you so much

Drukqs has become one of my favorite albums by Richard

USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS!!!! THANKS MIC!!!!

No artist has filled more of my life with beauty, joy, catharsis, and whimsy than RDJ. I fucking love this man's work.

Great attitude towards your own perspective on SAW2. I appreciate where yer coming from, and yeah, a multihour chill soundtrack is very much for me.

Oooh! I literally just did the studio album run a few weeks ago! Great timing

Syro is so fucking good and really encapsulated all of his best skills. I hope he releases another full length album again sometime. Xmas_eve10 is his absolute masterpiece IMO.

Very nice to see a Mic The Snare video pop up in feed. Good seeing you again!

Thank you so much for mentioning that Girl Talk mash up it’s SO GOOD, Also my favorite track by Aphex is Bucephalus Bouncing Ball, my Dad introduced me too it and it was one of the first hard electronica songs I loved!

Drukqs is a very very complex album, I think alot of people just dont realize its greatness.

I only wonder how fans recognize certain songs from his catalog. "Holy shit fellow Aphex Twin Fan, Richard is performing 's950tx16wasr10 (earth portal mix)"

This is one of the few DDDs I've gone into knowing only the basics about the artist and I have to say, they're so much more fun this way! I feel like I've gained such a deeper appreciation for music in general this year and it's helped me get closer with my brother, who has a degree in music and has played in bands for the past 15 years. Something tells me you two would get along really well. Also, perfect timing yet again (seriously how??) on this one as I just started grad school and usually turn to electronica/ambient music when I need to focus on studying. Congrats on the new place, btw! The old background was nice, but this one has a much more homey feel. Totally digging it! (Also also, the haircut really suits you. Long hair was fabulous too but this look is especially striking! Hope you're taking care of yourself with this fresh start 😊)

I HAVE BEEN WANTING THIS VIDEO FOR SOOO LONG AND NOW ITS FINALLY HERE!!! i am so unbelievably happy (now I just have to wait for the Ween DDD and my life will be complete)

85-92 is undoubtedly one of the best albums, of any genre, of all time. it takes you somewhere.

today i learn "film" from come to daddy ep is actually "flim"

YES!! APHEX TWIN!! I'll be looking forward to watching the first video you did about A.T.

Love these deep dives

Oh boy I hope the Autechre vid is coming up, I know you love long albums!

I gasped when i got the notification!!!! So excited!!!!

I've pogged SO HARD when I first saw the thumbnail. Great Dive Mic! (DrukQs is Richard's best idc)

Dank video! Will be following for more material!

hell yeah mr, the snare. i’m finally gonna understand my friends’ jokes

This is a great video to put all these EPs in a timeline along with the albums! He also did a "remix" for Nine Inch Nails in 1995 on "Further Down The Spiral", the track "At The Heart Of It All" which is a dark, brooding and incredible track with industrial overtones.

I LOVE APHEX TWIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE VID MIC THE SNARE

Great video Mic. The Elephant Song gag was hilarious. Let's get a Pretty Lights DDD please!

I am gonna say it, this series is my cocaine and I need it directly injected in my bloodstreams. NO, I AM NOT ADDICCTED, I just dont want to stop watching all of the DDDs on repeat, and u cant stop me!

Literally got done exploring Aphex's catalogue myself! Never clicked faster

Amazing time i had watching this thank you

Great video, it finally got me to listen to Windowlicker in its entirety after I first heard it in the movie Climax and it’s a banger

All dance music is Intelligent Dance Music because is always a smart idea to go out and dance and have some fun

Absolutely great timing. I've *just* started a dive into the Aphex discography lol

Love your channel ❤️❤️❤️

Thanks, great overview!

that john cage mindset, the brian eno grindset

Yo, arson’s been dropping some fire cuts lately - Especially to mic’s hair (Thank you Mr. The snare, great to see you again ❤)

Love this series!

I love how absolutely matter of fact and blunt Richard is in interviews

love the video, slight correction: Cymru is the native language name for Wales, pronounced "kum-rhee"

Ventolin used to be available on the Touch Tunes internet jukeboxes 😂. I only played it a couple times, but it was definitely at bars where we were treated poorly by staff or patrons. It's too bad they must have got clued in. I need new sonic weaponry and I doubt they'd pick up Merzbow for their catalog.

I love the little snippets of the Bomb Rush Cyberfunk soundtrack spliced throught

What a great video, thank you!

I love how Mic pronounced 'cymru' as if it was a made up word when its actually the welsh name for wales aha

I purchased my first Aphex Twin album when I was 14. It was Selected Ambient Works Vol. II and I hated it. Over the years I have gone back and it has since become one of my favorites. I definitely don't listen to all the tracks. But there's about 12 or 15 that are wonderful.

Love the pop edits ❤

Was hyped when I saw Aphex Twin, great video

Fun fact: I first heard Windowlicker through a furry dance competition video. A fursuiter actually danced to this in front of an audience. God I love the furry fandom.

I was wrong about this being Talking Heads but this is even BETTER

YOOO LETS GO IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE. DUE IN NO SMALL PART TO WANTING TO HEAR MIC TRY AND PRONOUNCE APHEX TWIN SONG TITLES!!!! (oh yeah I like his music too)

Man, been a big fan of Aphex for years and even saw him live here in Dublin. I've listened to all his albums (SAW II is a hard listen tbh, although I love some tracks on it), and the big EPs I've checked out but damn I've never seen such a comprehensive list of his albums. All the analogue bubble bath and analord things, I never knew much about them, so great video.

I was introduced to Aphex Twin when a friend of mine showed me a fanmade music video for his remix of Let My Fish Loose by Nobukazu Takemura, which is still one of the weirdest and creepiest songs I’ve ever heard To this day I still have no idea how my friend found it, and he doesn’t even know who Aphex Twin is

Ok, I'm being honest here: I saw the announcement vid with the "burning down the house" remix playing in the background, and now I'm both surprised and somehow not surprised. AFX was going to happen at some point when you least expect it. ^^

Great content as always.

thank u for this video because everyone always says to start with one of the two ambient albums and that was not a good place to start

One of the most influential and important artist in music. Bro was so versatile, he created side quest artists and projects.

Radiohead is my favorite band and I listened to their albums in order. I heard good things and started with Pablo honey. Loved the Bends, and OK Computer slowly grew to be one of my favorite songs of all time. When I first heard Kid A I was like “what is this?” It felt like there were no hooks and it was meandering and ambient and I just didn’t get it. I must have given it like 20 listens to come up with a review and I actually began to love it and now it’s one of my favorite albums of all time and I also love Amnesiac.

Thank you for this ❤

Love, love, love Aphex Twin

I'm lowkey convinced the story about his name coming from his stillborn older sibling is true cause the same thing happened with my Irish grandmother- older sister died in infancy and when she was born they just reused the old birth certificate for her. Idk they're wild out in old Aran.

I'm surprised you didn't mention the track on the Windowlicker EP that's a really long numerical equation (which is why it's usually just called, 'Equation'), which if you run it through a spectrogram you get a stunning self portrait featuring Richard's smile we all know and love and get nightmares from.

I thank mic the snare and for the time in making the content. I also love the fact how a lot of RDJ's chunes stay out of the light of youtube. Like hidden gems for diehard aphex geeks. While making his money in the lime light. There's a reason why Ap, Rd, Af, Lv, Tj etc release what they release. It be does diggers that reap the rewards

Oh I've been waiting for this for so long.