A mixed bag of sweets and rocks - As indicated by the running times above, this album is relatively brief, such that it could almost be considered an EP -- the best stuff is found when Aphex Twin mixes frenetic beats with lush melodies. The paragon of that is Girl/Boy Song, fusing pizzicato strings with crisp, yet at-times sloppy drumwork. Snares flail and assail as the string bite back, harmonic development pulling you in deeper (as opposed to the same thing repeating over and over, which is a common failing with this kind of experimental music).4 has a delightful, Oriental steppishness to it, with an overall mood that sounds fast and slow at the same time -- RDJ, when he gets it right, is a temporal master of controlling mood through precise sound selection and arrangement.Fingerbib is another of my faves, its near-pastoral beat tapping along, sounding like the soundtrack to a Flash animation with a humanoid and his pet-something-or-other.Most of the other tracks, however, work as LOLarious jokes suited for Internet viral videos (like the perverted innocence of Milkman), but they re not something I ve listened to with any great length. I m fond of experimental techniques melded with hummable tunes, but can t say I like abrasive bursts of noise which don t advance the music.
I have to be honest, - I know exactly why people rate this much higher than i have. I m not criticizing anyone who rated this higher, this is just a personal opinion. Basically, after hearing what Richard D. James is capable of, this just fell short of a few expectations. I LOVE most of the songs, but there are a couple of songs i dont like as much that drag the whole album down for me. Tracks like 4, Peek, Girl/Boy Song, Yellow Calx and Milkmen are GREAT! I love listening to these tracks because they re so cleverly made. But, for example, the high pitched keyboard in Corn Mouth and the whilstles in Logon Rock Witch just come across as annoying. I respect experimentation in music (please dont get me wrong), and i listen to a lot of music like Merzbow, Sunn0))), Sonic Youth, but when i hear some sounds on this album, i skip a track. I m not sure what others think of this, but it s just these tiny things that ruin it a little bit for me...HOWEVER, i still think people should buy this. I m giving this 3 and a half stars, because a majority of the songs on this album are freakin awesome but it s just those couple of tracks that i could have done without. I recommend people to buy Selected Ambient Works and I Care Because You Do first.
Engulfing ... but in a good way - I have the European version of the album so I will be reviewing based on the first 10 tracks. Intense, fierce, engaging. I really like this album. 4 kicks off the whole album with such a fever pitch that it commands your attention. You may ask why only 4 stars? I ll give you 2 answers, Peek 824545201 and Logon Rock Witch. They have got to be 2 of my least favorite tracks from AT. It s a shame because the remaining tracks are insanely good. Since I have the European release, I too have a gripe about it s length. This could have been an EP as it clocks in at barely 30 minutes. Standouts: 4, Fingerbib and Yellow Calx. Enjoy.
4 and 1/2 stars. - weird and wonderful stuff in the shiny metal of this disc. it s an electronic spazz-out tempered with lush ambient carpeting for your ears to walk on. at times it feels as if you are inside a musical pinball machine and brain is being used for the pinball. if lewis carroll had dreamed music instead of lunatic books it might have sounded like this. your aural center becomes the rabbitt hole, and it s fun falling down and down. definitely headphone music. doesn t work quite as well being tossed to you from speakers. yes, headphones required. and i recommend it.
Terrifying album!!!!!!!!! - Yeah, if you look at the cover and judge the album by it. Why am I telling you this? No Clue.Aphex Twin will prove to you that electronic music is a worthy genre, _______ close minded rock fans. Just for the record, Richard D. James himself dosen t really like rock and roll (Radiohead asked for him to tour with him, he said no because he dosen t like them! HA!). He probalaley thinks the same way about your music that you electronic haters think about his music. How s that for a slap in the face?None of the songs miss the mark on this album, and there isn t a dull moment. Like DJ Shadow, Aphex Twin melds an image of his music, whether it s the image of a creepy old witch or the polar opposites of a boy and a girl. The beats are pulversing and tasty (yeah, stupid), and the melodies he puts over it are contrasted nicely. A good example would be Girl/Boy song. Aphex Twin dosen t set his machines on auto-pilot. Those who hate europop s _______, simple beats will dig the beats on here. Words can t describe it as well as sound samples (hint hint).Technical mumbjo-jumbo aside, how do all these great concepts make great music?Well, I said it before, but the images I can get from this album are outstanding. Take, for example, Loon Rock Witch. A creepy bell chimes in the backround, weird, up and down sounds. With a combination of different things, James totally can conjure up and image of a creepy, sinister witch, standing on a rock in Portland, on a dark stormy, rainy night, looking at the sleeping village. Beetles has already been said by the amazon reviewer, but imagine somebody frying beetles with a magnifying glass. THe other images aren t as easy to figure out, but then again, it may just be telling you to figure them out yourself. Only Richard will truly know the reason why he created the songs, even if if was to entertain us and get us listening. Could be disturbing things as well, heck, just look at the cover.The bonus tracks actually are just tacked on, but they aren t bad, in fact, they are quite good, but they can t compare to tracks 1-10, which are the main tracks originally released. For people wanting to buy this album, don t be fooled, this album isn t that disturbing. Don t judge a book by it s cover...9.5/10