Review Summary: The triumphant return of the father of modern electronic music after 13 long years is definitely worth the wait.
Electronic mastermind Richard D. James A.K.A: Aphex Twin, AFX, Caustic Windows, Bradley Strider(this guy has a LOT of monikers) has been considered one of the biggest influences in the genre. However, he hadn't released anything in 13 years(at least under excluding a two song long EP. We all waited in anticipation for him to release a new album, and boy did he deliver when it finally arrived. His new LP Syro matches up to the standards we expected him to meet, possibly even exceeding those expectations.
What makes this guy so great? Why does he deserve all this hype? He's been able to be consistently at the top of his game for over 20 years. This was his biggest challenge, as artist who come back from very long hiatus usually don't come back as great as they were previously. However, Aphex takes that possibility and blows it away, as he has all the components that made his previous work so great. He's able to take so many musical ideas, knows exactly how to blend them together just right, and never leaves one idea alone without adding another layer of complexity or replacing it altogether. He also has the amazing ability to absorb into the surreal yet surprisingly emotionally driven music. I feel like one of the best cases of this being shown is the fan favorite track,"PAPAT4 [155]" (pineal mix) . It's able to mix those beautifully crisp calmer moments of the song and can easily flow into the climax to give you that exhilarating moment in all good techno songs.
While "PAPAT4 [155]" (pineal mix) is considered the best track by many, that doesn't mean it easily stands high above the rest. All the tracks are on the same amazing tier as each other, some just get that extra "oomph". For example, my personal favorite, "syro u473t8+e [141.98]" (piezoluminescence mix), has an amazingly fast pace that gives just a good thrill as "PAPAT4 [155]" (pineal mix). It even fits in a bit of bongo-like drums in there for a bit, so that's something. However, while "syro u473t8+e [141.98]" (piezoluminescence mix) is the best track on the album, the closer "aisatsana [102]" is the best experience. A departure from the previous 11 club tracks, this one is a strikingly soothing piano instrumental. The only other sounds in this track other than the awe-inspiring piano is the sounds of nature. I interpret this as the escape from the high-energy techno to give listeners a break after the near hour long jam session.
Aphex had something to prove with this record: was he still the same man he was in the 90's? The electronic scene has changed so much since then, would he still be relevant? The verdict: yes. So much yes. He has this amazing ability to mix the inhuman sounds of a computer and can create so much emotion with it. He is not simply electronic artist: he is a musical milestone. Aphex Twin is back in full swing, and lets hope he uses this momentum to become even better in the 2010s. Or take another decade (please don't, my heart can't take another decade without new Aphex. But either way, Aphex Twin has another masterpiece under his belt, but what's new?
