OH SHIT!
Aphex Twin (e.g. Richard D. James), the king of electronic music, is back on the move under his AFX monkier. This time, he’s released a series of eleven "Analord" 12''s on the acclaimed Rephlex label. And you better believe, this shit is for real!!

Like the rest of the series, the first two installments are sinister, three trillion molar, early 90’s styled ACID – heavy, warbling analog synths, the kind that will fuck with your head and reverberate throughout your skull. But this stuff is catchy "listening dance" stuff, more accessible than the drill & bass madness with which you might associate the name Richard D. James. Compared to the rest of the Analord series, these two records are (in large part) slower, plodding, and less immediately insane... but all the more menacing and druggy for it!

Favorite Tracks: 3, 6 (Analord 1)
8 (Analord 2)

- Captain Dee, July 2005


ANALORD 1:
1. No frills acid at a slow pace. Super druggy (but not too trippy). (4:44)
2. Muddled sound. Scary, fucked up, very videogame-ish. (1:45)
*3. Uptempo, slightly silly, bounce-y, old-school beat. (3:46)
4. Sleek, full of staccato snares. Nighttime city walking music? (1:31)
5. Booty-shaking dance theme for robots. (5:05)
**6. Heavy acid. Fast, catchy beats and melody. Strikes me as drugged out. (3:21)
7. Grumpy, yet slightly whimsical. Uptempo. (1:40)

ANALORD 2:
**8. Plodding (but dancey) thumping groove. Robotic, a bit Kraftwerk-ish. Melodic digital ambience intensifies over time. Nice! (9:47)
9. Ghostly synth, slow minimal beat pounds away. (2:15)
10. Chill acid – mellow beat, warm cute-ish melody loop. (5:13)
11. Skittering beat, spooky ambience, grimy bass. (5:55)