I promise, I’m not actively seeking out weird records during this final month of The Swole; they’ve just been making their way to me. Richard D. James Album is one that I’ve been meaning to get to since the start of this project, mainly because of its interesting/unforgettable cover. So, not knowing anything about Aphex Twin, I decided just to dive in. This is a strategy that works about half of the time with Swole Ear, so no reason to abandon it now.
I am impressed. A fairly unperceptive person would describe this music as electronic. So that’s what I’m going to do, but I’ll manage to stretch it out over 250 words. Somehow, I have readers…
But poor writing technique aside, I’ve met many people who have trouble getting into music made primarily on a computer. One of their main gripes usually has to do with the long song and album lengths that dominate this infinitely expansive genre. Similarly, dissenters and haters are quick to classify this music as boring and repetitive
I understand this. As a fan of brief records myself, I’ve been known to cut a 12-minute track short every now and then. That’s why Richard D. James Album is almost perfect. There isn’t a single song that reaches the five-minute mark, and the whole thing wraps up in 33 minutes—around the length of your average punk record. For those looking for a gateway into the world of electronic music, this record provides a great opportunity.
Believe me, it helps that these tunes are actually jammin’. These beats are so fresh (snap), I thought I was at my local farmer’s market. With samples of everything from orchestral sections to various unrecognizable speeches, there’s a whole plethora of material that Aphex Twin effectively uses in this record. Seriously, check this out.
Swole Ear 