🌝🌝🌝🌝🌗 Review: Aphex Twin - Richard D James Album

The Prologue

This was my very first Aphex Twin album I have listened to in full. I have heard Mister Twin’s music in the pop arena recently. Especially on a lot of short form content platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. So I thought I would give them a listen.

The Review

I absolutely love the sound design in this album. A lot of atmospheric soundscapes with analog synthesizers and very busy analog synth drums. I believe they are Roland synth drums of some kind. But the very fine interval between the drums gives it a very glitchy aura. It makes you feel a bit uneasy but excited at the same time. I believe Carn Marth took this concept to the extreme, and it is my favorite of that style.

Then, there were moments in the album with a complete tone shift. They were almost like full orchestral arrangements, but with some type of old (probably new in Mister Twin’s time) MIDI ROMpler. It makes you feel like you are on a cool adventure in a JRPG or something. Particularly in “Goon Gumpas” and the other half of “Girl/Boy Song”. Then, the final song “Logan Rock Witch”, I felt like was kinda of thrown in there. Sounds like something that would come from the soundtrack of Banjo Kazooie.

There are also a few songs that are kind of in the middle between the busy chaotic drums and the orchestral arrangements. Like “Fingerbib” and “4”. These are just as great. Everything in this album feels like it holds some sort of purpose and nothing overstays its welcome. It does feel like the songs do not have much continuity and are just a compilation of works. But they still all work together.

I think my favorite song in this album is “4”. It feels like the primary voice in this album, and it’s a template for what to expect for the rest of the album. It is not too busy with the drums, and it has good melodies and rhythms. There is a part in the song that breaks down to I believe a 3/4 rhythm, and it added a lot of interest to the song.

I will be giving this album 🌝🌝🌝🌝🌗

July 04, 2025, 02:56 PM

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