The Cult Of Aphex Twin - Music writer John Doran ventures into the strange world of Richard D James
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2018
- Music writer John Doran ventures into the strange world of Richard D James. Over the course of three decades James, known to his legion of hardcore fans as Aphex Twin, has achieved the primary but evasive aim of most serious musicians - the invention, exploration and curation of a truly unique and inimitable sound.
Born in Ireland and raised in Cornwall, James was radicalised by the underground acid house phenomenon that swept UK clubs in the late 1980s but, unlike many of his peers, he seemed equally influenced by ambient, New York minimalism, power electronics, avant composition, techno, industrial and pop music.
By combining these strands, he became just about "as important as a single figure can get in electronic music" and the more that the press wanted to speak to him the more he treated their attention with a mixture of irritation, gleeful mischief and wilful myth building.
Realising that legend is often much more interesting than truth, he slowly began to construct a personal mythos that many still believe to this day. Does he really write songs while asleep after training himself in the practice of lucid dreaming? Does he drive a tank round Cornwall? Did he once live in a bank vault in the middle of the Elephant And Castle roundabout? Does he own a submarine? Does his DJ tech rider include a food processor and sheets of sandpaper? Does he move among his many fans on electronic dance music forums online, often trolling them and stirring up these very myths?
In an attempt to disentangle the man from the myth, we hear from fans such as comedian Vic Reeves and those who know him best such as musicians Tom Middleton, Leila, David Toop and Scanner.
Fan of 25 years John Doran believes that James should be seen as a Cornish folk musician. While a lot of time has been spent talking about how groundbreaking his music has been over the years, less thought has been devoted to discussing how he is also a conduit to the pre-Christian culture of the Cornish past, not just through the song names he chooses or the natural textures of plant and mineral that his music evokes, but also because he is a product of the Cornish myth-making tradition himself and part of a proud heritage that includes mermaids, giants, piskies and pobel vean.
Presented by John Doran
Produced by Barney Rowntree
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4.
• Buried Dreams 
Видеоклипы
When I had a warrant, I used to give the Police the name Richard D James. Fortunately I never met an Aphex Twin aware officer.
We should start a foundation for Aphex Awareness.
The fact he turned down Madonna but asked a boy in Ireland to make his video gets a thumbs up from me.
Cool to hear the dancer talking. I found myself at an Aphex gig back in the early to mid nineties. It was some old club in London.. I think I was there on my own. I'd taken a microdot not knowing how strong it was going to be. Also knew nothing of Aphex at the time, just vaguely remembered one ambient type track I liked. What transpired was one of the most memorable nights ever from my rave/ jungle days. I ended up tripping so hard I had to escape the crowd, go upstairs and found a lovely mostly empty upper level that looked down on the stage. I could sit in a comfy chair with my feet up on a small ledge and trip out in peace. The stage was basically a set of giant curtains. No DJ, no performer in sight. Somewhere there was a sound system. There was this crazy music, you know what I'm talking about, no need to describe. I was instantly being taken on a thrill ride and it was one of those situations where you had to just sit down and take it all in. Believe me I loved dancing, but this was not a dance moment. Then this guy appears on the stage. I can only describe him as a big viking punk type dude. shorts, spikey hair, big boots, angry looking. He was absolutely thrashing around on that stage like a lunatic but obviously loving every mad beat in that music. He was doing the dancing for us. He was translating the sound to physical movement. He owned that stage. I just could not tell if he was from the crowd below, a performer or what. He was mesmerising. I could not work out anything that was going on! Where was the sound coming from? Who was this dancer dude? Who the heck is Aphex Twin? Where's the music coming from? Has anyone else noticed?! That guy danced for us for the entire set. It wasn't till some years later that I found out this was normal for an Aphex gig. To me it was just a really special moment, lost in time, that I experienced totally alone, no other w itnesses to reminisce with. Just a bunch of anonymous RUclipsrs to share it with now in my 50's. Cheers to Richard, his dancer and all of you fans 🤙
Lovely story. Thanks for sharing!
You probably know by now, but that dancer is Paul Nicholson, who also designed the Aphex logo and some of his early artwork, including SAW II. There's a Resident Advisor video of him talking about it.
Haha, that anecdote about seeing Richard walking through the crowd while he was simultaneously on stage DJ'ing was awesome.
Then you look at everyone else on the floor and they all have the Richard face…
Pretty much the only artist who's music I keep coming back to, and I discover something new every time, even when it's tracks I've listened to countless times.
As far as I'm concerned, no other artist compares. His music speaks to me in a way no other has and I just can't explain why. There's just something magical about it, like I feel homesick when I listen to his music, but not for a home I've ever actually had.
Probably sounds pretentious as fuck but who cares
He reminds me a lot of Zappa. The seriousness of the music, tempered by the big lump of humour and sarcasm...a phenomenally talented musician.
there's next to no seriousness in his music
literally exactly what I said when I started watching the video! we miss this kind of tickling in "modern" music!
@@LfunkeyA pls define seriousness.
@@LfunkeyA he def takes his music very seriously, but i cant say the same for himself as a famous figure tho
I saw the aphex twin doing his Christmas shopping and I'm listening to a ten hour loop of Avril 14th whilst working night shift on a Cornish psychiatric ward.
Peak aphex shenanigans.
(True story)
I love that story! 🙏
John that thing where Richard appeared on the dancefloor happened to me and I was completely freaked out. It would have been around 2000, downstairs in Switch nightclub, and he had done a set in the Templebar Music Center earlier that night. I also met Tom Jenkinson not knowing who he was inside the Templebar Music Center one day a few hours before his set (I used to work there) and literally asked him 'do you know Squarepusher?' XD
lmao are you implying you may have had a hand in naming his 2002 album "Do You Know Squarepusher?" pretty epic, if that the case
@@vertsk8er419 I've considered that but I think it's more likely that he got asked the question frequently before his face became better known.
This is a great audio doc, as is John Doran’s video lecture about his trip to Cornwall to visit the locations and delve into the lore Richard has referenced throughout his career. Tho, to this day, I still find it difficult to understand how people came to the assumed conclusion he’d retired to the country, decided releasing music had become a chore, and wasn’t sure the public cared about him anymore. I mean, he always considered releasing music as a chore. And we all wondered if and when he would come back with an official major label Warp release. However, Analord anyone? The Tuss? Not to mention he was touring far more frequently back then, and it’s those tours that started his professional relationship with weirdcore leading to him being solidified as Richard’s longest running collaborative artist and the weirdcore element of his shows becoming an essential part of the live afx experience.
Doran is well versed enough with the afx story to understand this. I’m sure he’s well aware of his rather consistent output over this time, albeit without the corporate backing of Warp.
His hiatus was merely a commercial one.
And he’s made it clear enough that the discontent that led to his hiatus was more to do with his struggles regarding the cult of personality element of fame. The pedestal placing, the expectations of living up to the greatness he never believed he he was yet was thrust upon him. The growing elitist toxicity within the fan community that came about from the pedestal he’d been placed on that projected him as an almost Devine being, literally at times depicting his image with religious iconography. They literally put him above others. Almost more than human. A higher being better and more worthy than the majority. And that projection of him by parts of the community resulted in an element of superiority. That they were better and more worthy for understanding and appreciating his material.
But he has never put himself above anybody. He found the high end adoration overwhelming. The couldn’t relate with being labeled a genius and it made him extremely uncomfortable.
His hiatus was because he was no longer able to cope with what everyone else made him. He never even wanted to share his music with his friends initially.
So he stopped it in its tracks. His own way. Took a while. Almost 13 years to be precise.
But he never stopped being the artist he always was. He just did it on his own terms for a while.
The Tuss was a direct message to the community about his feelings about it all. And it kinda worked a little too well. Literally divided the community. So much so that some hostility on the subject still remains to this day.
And when the caustic window kickstarter happened, it moved him significantly. he also felt extremely guilty about how the Tuss thing all went down.
So he decided to release Syro. Come clean on the Tuss. Learned how to deal with the elements that bothered him and embraced everything good about his community. And the good always outweighed the negative. The negative was just louder.
His return to the mainstream was far more significant than him coming back after an extended hiatus. He never actually went away. He just took a long time learning how to properly accept how he’s perceived by embracing how he wants to be perceived, all the white maintaining his integrity as an artist on his own terms and for his own reasons in his own way. His return was a personal statement of acceptance and new found strength and confidence to be Aphex Twin how he dictates it. That’s why the blimp was so perfect. Grandiose. Bold. Yet absurd and satirical. An arrogant and egotistical statement from a man who possesses no arrogance and rejects ego
I feel like John should have been all over that. He knows everything that lead up to it….
albeit*
@@vertsk8er419 lol. Well, that makes far more sense. I was aware of this, but I've been using "all be it" since I was a kid and it just became a muscle memory habit even tho it makes absolutely no sense. Anyway, Its corrected. I appreciate the grammar nazi correction. It shits me when people English wrong too. Pardon my retardation. I don't generally take my spelling and grammar for granite...
Druqks was hated? Unbelievable.
Yeah it's probably on my Top 3.
I love Druqks!
I know only that "Come To Daddy EP" was hated by fans that don't realised that this is parody
But, only this
How can any album from him being hated?
It is truly unbelievable
Only thing I can figure is Druqks was heavy digital/software base vs his normal heavy analog. I can see the hardcore analog snobs not liking it. Hell I’m kinda a analog snob but I still think Druqks was a masterpiece.
It's a beautiful album. I remember how stoked I was when it came out. So many tracks.
...but he didn't disappear for 13 years!!! How many Analords were there? 11? Each with about 3 - 4 tunes on? And had two releases as 'The Tuss' :D :D :D hardly sitting on his arse!
and rephlex was booming then
@@maxwatson9450 Did a full album as The Tuss. ruclips.net/video/R-5koLtMy98/видео.html
@@lukevanbloxam1180 Yeah that is what i meant.
@@lukevanbloxam1180 between his best works btw, even to this day it sounds completely unique
This is gold. Been a fan since ambient works first came out. Thanks so much.
Thank you much for the adventure. The adventure has thanked me.
Great job with this. Much appreciated...
Ricchaaarrrddd!!!!
Richard: yup!
Tea's ready
Brilliant - Thanks for the upload
cheers mate, i don't have to register with the beeb thanks to you!
cheerz fert upload :-)
I think it depends of what music your in to in order to like the genre he makes and it sounds like Richard is into everthing thats why it all so eclectic.
the part of the kid talking at the end kinda choked me up. richard champions the right people. great overview.
Still never managed to see him live, will do as soon as the opportunity arises...
Saw him live in '95, Washington DC.
supposedly Richard used to come into #aphextwin on efnet years ago. If you talked about his music to him he never talked to you again, but if you talked tales of various female conquests boy he had some stories. He used to sign his emails with a big giant ascii art 7\ that I have on some old dead/ish hard drive from the late 90s / early 00s
Holy shit man, can you retrieve that from those drives? You're sitting on golden stuff
Crap, I did oversee dead/ish from the excitement.. fuck
The mystique and myth around Aphex Twin was definitely true when I first discovered him in around 1994. He was seen as a sort of Jimi Hendrix of electronic music, a prodigy who built his own gear and was just in a league of his own. For me his greatest work is everything up to and including his 1995 album, I Care Because You Do. Wasn't a big fan of much after that. His 90's material stands the test of time very well, Still listen to it to this day without ever get sick of it.
Ok boomer. Lol I couldn't resist. But truly I never understand this point of view.
@@TarquinFoundump Do you even know what a boomer is? I'm a Gen X'er.....so no need to be sorry. I'm from the era that everything from your era tried to copy but just ended up creating a watered down and generic version of it all.
@@Abruzzo333 ahh yes, generation x. The last analog generation of humans. People who played outside when they were kids...because their was literally nothing else to do. People who had to make plans with friends ahead of time and trust that everyone would show up at the agreed place and time....because they had no other choice. People who had to practice handwriting....because the majority of written communication they had with people (letters, homework, applications) was done with their own hand and this had to be legible. People who didn’t believe everything they were told or saw on tv....because propaganda and psyops and tales of self aggrandizement weren’t part and parcel of the technology they didn’t have to constantly consume media that wasn’t available to them.
Yes sir, gen x: the last real generation whose experience of reality was truly their own to make of it what they will.
@@jahread3322 going to raves end of the 80s early 90s no phones in our hands...going to record shops to buy records that was never spoon fed online ahhhh
I like Richard D James the album, also. In general I agree with you, although I'd include Come to Daddy and Windowlicker in his masterworks. It took me a while to just admit to myself that I no longer got the same enjoyment out of the Analord series etc.
Alberto Balsam is playing now. Sublime.
As of Aug, 15 2021, 30 downvoters had this on mute.
I believe the lucid dream writing bit. I do all of what he was talking about. It's a beautiful, liberating, and creative state of mind.
Dali was also inspired by dreams both lucid and the moment you just wake from them and are half in the dream half in reality
Seeing him in Brooklyn on April 11th. I'd faint if I got the chance to say hello... I'm terrified and excited all at once.
RIP
Didn’t age well
@@Gorgonzola0987 Yep, it aged in dog years..so sad.. *Alexa, play Avril 14*
Thanks for this - the alternative was to make an account on BBC site \//\
Richard knows who I am (btw he’s a nice guy)
I got to tell him that Frontline assembly sampled him on their song paralyzed.
Drukqs was an amazing album, one of my favourites.
He totally disappeared except for the Analord series of 12 vinyls and Tuss and who knows what. But except for this masterpiece, he totally disappeared.
Yeah, the producers might want to revise lol
if he disappeared that leads well into the mystery narrative, haha
He also did the computer controlled acoustic instruments ;-)
This is hilarious
Thought this was gonna be crap.Was actually pretty good.
Nice to hear from Toop. Read "Ocean of Sound" if you can find a copy. More products from his interviews can be found in his chapter on Aphex Twin.
We can take comfort from the fact that this video concludes just as dearest Richard would have wanted, including remembering him (at 26:42) as part of a 'proud heritage', a 'conduit to the pre-Christian culture of the Cornish pasty.' Unsure? Bemused? Go back and gwarek it.
The best thing about Aphex I've ever heard.
Fascinating listen
i love aphex. i love aphex tween. i love u richaaard
I laughed really hard when they said Drukqs got the lowest possible score in Rolling Stone. Fuck Rolling Stone, if it wasnt for Hunter Thompson nobody would know it exists
lol then 10 years later Aphex gets a grammy lmaorofl
Sweet 👍
Respect to John Doran for making this about the one and only
if he wasnt as illusive there'd be nothing but hit pieces about him because he is one who can see through the mainstream vomit.
Druqks was one of his greatest works - I love it! Besides most of his other work :D
I loved Drukqs. It's beautiful in places.
I honestly think Richard D. James isn’t his real name. It’s a chop up of names. I’m pretty sure its another name he made. **RICH(ard) D.J(Ames)**
My thoughts as well, although I struggled to convince people...
John Olson.
Oh shit that might just be the truth.
@@marshallemmet1366 it's not lol
it's said that the public persona we see is just a friend of his who is more photogenic and that the real Aphex Twin looks like sheldon adelson does in 2020.
"I like u2 but I dont like Bono"... This kid is awsome
In some interview a million years ago he was asked what he would do with a U2 song and he said he’d crush it into a split second and use it as a snare.
That actually had me laugh out loud. Well, cackle.
Sample worthy.
Bono has more for humanity than this lot#blah blathering
@@paulmurphy122 He sure does as he has had an affair on his wife Ali w his publicist of 20 yrs.
Orbital, Moby and Aphex all together
Analord might be the hardest moniker ever. The word describes the music to a T
Aphex is Brilliant. But more accessible with his later releases. Those Scottish Brothers are a harder tungsten to try find anything about. Both of equal value in utter inspiration... but far me... BOC are just so closed. Can't you guys jut come out and play.... so wising this :))))))
BOC and AphexTwin are both awesome... how do you feel about Animal Collective?
Game changer
Does anybody know what the name of the piano tune just before Avril 14th is?
Still waiting...
The aphex twin logo is from superdimension fortress macross, it appears in a light box advertisement on the street in macross city
The logo already existed when Macross+ came out. Plus if you look closer at the light box, it says "Selected Ambient Works vol 23" (he made 3 of them in the 90's). It's a fake ad for a potential future record of his. I don't know if they asked for his permission for this, but it's a neat detail, and it means he's cannon in the Macross universe :)
Wow.
Richard David James abbreviated is “Rich DJ”. Coincidence? ;)
Not if he is not rich and he is not a DJ.
he had a dream about his future clearly...
2:34 This sound of a cassette being inserted into a radio will never be understood by newbies. The sound itself has it's own timestamp.
Hm! Top loading CD Beat-box maybe ?
@@TonicSoul Maybe
I have only one tattoo and it's an aphex twin tattoo. Lol
I heard he stopped music to build metropolises out of crisps. He's stuck on quaver city.
Wowww that’s cool.
Fantastic Irish producer.
Can anyone ID the track that's playing at 11:54?
Thank you
Fork Rave
Absolute musical virtue. To me anyways... Great video.
It's not really a video though, is it?
@@antiphlex No it s a suspension bridge.
He started me on my own musical journey! If he had a church in his name I’d be the first at the alter! Haha
11:51 does anyone have the track id for the song playing in the background
FORK RAVE ruclips.net/video/-QwpDJ_vDek/видео.html
Ok, Obviously people were working on things before Richard. Morton Subotnik for instance. John Cage, isn't the whole record he made basically referencing that?
Also the whole mystery behind the aphex twin logo is from an Armin Hofman graphic design manual. Look it up.
Definitely. Kraftwerk is a pretty big example after Morton and the original synth gods. I have tons of weird and rare electronic vinyl from 60’s 70’s and 80’s. There’s ton of strange and cool stuff out there so yah, but Richard definitely took things to the next level later on. But electronic music been around for a while. I mean look at some of the Sun Ra albums even.
"Brilliant" - Every English person ever
Track ID 15:28 - vic reeves chatting over
'Fingerbib' 4th track from 'Richard D. James Album'
This man is very misunderstood.
Yo at the beginning what he says, that's the description for his page on the Day For Night website, which is now down I think. Does anyone else remember what the rest of that text was? It was so wild.
@tonic I know you got it!
@@lurid_phaesporia nope, i haven't
@@TonicSoul I'm shocked!
What is the audio from?
Radio 4
How did ppl not know that his logo was an A? On S.A.W.2 the whole name “Aphex Twin” is spelled out in those letters. At least on the packaging I’ve had since like 95.
The Designers Republic made the lettering/logo. He primarily used the 7\ but the full proper name/lettering was used on Xylem Tube (IIRC) and a few other things. IIRC SAW 85-92 also had that full lettering and SAW 2 had the messed up / jumbled version of the lettering.
@@sinicalypse right!!! Xylem Tube as well!!! I forgot abt that. I don’t think SAW 85-92 had it. But thanks for info. Designers republic were doing tons of important work back then!
Before I even knew who he was I knew it was an A! 😂
What’s the song that starts at 2:37??
Pulsewidth
someone know the song at he end?
This is "Logan Rock Witch" from his (still) unreleased album Melodies from Mars
The track is 'Logan Rock Witch' last track on the ' Richard D. James Album'
What's the song @2:36???
I too am wondering this. I cannot find it
Chris H I think it’s Pulsewidth. Been listening to their discography since yesterday.
It is indeed mate :)
anyone know the song at 6:10?
Ageispolis - SAW 85-92
I don't know how, yet.
But somehow, Æpx x2 = "Dark matter".
That much chaos belongs to the cosmos.
He called himself that because his twin brother died
What’s the song that starts at around 1:33?
if you mean the piano track, it's one of his versions of avril 14th,Avril Altdelay i guess, who was released as part of the syrobonkers interview tracks
Avril 14 sheet reversed.
Cornwall great
Does anyone know the song that starts around 22:50??
here you go ruclips.net/video/id7_p_L35zc/видео.html
Thank you so much!!!
@@jonthebillabong what was is??
One Piece fans know the truth.
what?
23rd November 1968 ? Huh ? That's incorrect.
Which song at 22:14
Flim - Come To Daddy 12"
Track at 22:53???
Saw 2 cd track 1 four tet remix
and sub. sincerely, a hopeless fan of Aphex Twin.
Twinning is winning
whats the track that starts at 11:48?
Fork Rave
Good piece. Some writers sound like total wankers trying to write about Aphex, but this is a good listen.
3:10 ID?
Bucephalus Bouncing Ball
song at 10:58 ?
54 cymru beats my g
@@vertsk8er419 thank you very much
I just like his music, don't care about what the rest of you are on about lol
The a is clearly lambda
cornish mythweaver
Irish
big up big sexy land john doran u legend
He’s born in limerick, he’s Irish. That explains his musical and poetic talent 😌
It might be this.
Syros was a big disappointment to me though. Really wanted another Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Also the drukqs rumor was that he released a double album to finish off his contract with warp, not that the album was shit. It was really one great LP and the other? *shrug*
He's still with Warp tho
Not a Dj dude.