Richard D. James never completely disappeared, but he's certainly been laying low for a very long time. It's been well over a decade since the last Aphex Twin album, Drukqs, was released, and none of his other aliases or projects have replaced Aphex Twin's monumental influence and untouchable sonic achievement. That all changes on September 23, when Warp releases Syro, supposedly the first and most accessible of numerous forthcoming releases (holy shit!). Sounds like RDJ has been building up quite an arsenal.
While, this news has been circulating for days now, today you can actually hear the first track off Syro, titled "minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]," which just rolls right off the tongue now doesn't it. The track gives us the first taste of what James' new music will sound like, and serves as a reminder that "accessible" from Aphex Twin is still gonna be pretty damn weird. It's a mid-tempo rhythm, with woozy piano, insectile vocals, and squelchy synth patterns all swirled around into a beautiful bad dream. The Analord has returned.
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Aphex Twin
"minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]"
- Warp
- 'Syro' out 9/23
