Aphex Twin returns with new 4-track release via Warp Records
The EP comes with a video that’s everything you’d expect from the enigmatic artist
Richard D. James aka Aphex Twin makes a triumphant return after five years with his latest EP ‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760’.
Out now on British independent label Warp Records, the ambitious EP is paired with a mind-altering music video, just as off-kilter as the producer himself.
Teeming with his signature bizarre breakbeat, this EP, however, has much more mellow and soothing sections than his previous work. There are still moments of his organised chaos that we all know and love, but these are often bookended with serene, soothing motifs. The ideas are still just as mind-bending as you’d expect, with impressive synth work and out-of-the-world creativity displayed throughout the 14-minute run time.
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‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f’ is a standout track and is the only song with a music video. The samples' calmness and synths are held together by the punchy percussion, culminating in a euphoric, uplifting piece of music. It almost sounds like a living organism — ever-changing and growing organically.
The video features a kaleidoscope-like array of visuals, giving the feeling that you’re sinking through the floor on an intense DMT trip. The footage changes with the music’s mood and emotion but never wavers from its intensity.
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The video is dedicated in loving memory to his parents, who recently passed away, with a touching tribute in its closing seconds.
On his website, you can hear the same four tracks of the EP, but processed and mastered differently with specialist analogue hardware by the artist himself.
The EP marks his first project since 2018’s ‘Collapse’, and he is headlining the beloved London festival ‘Field Day’ later this month — his first London show in over four years.
‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760’ is available for purchase on Bandcamp.
Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.
