Aphex Twin - Collapse EP

Aphex Twin
Collapse EP
2018
Spotify

You never quite know what you are going to get from experimental artists Aphex Twin. It could be industrial doom electronica or disparate soundscapes, it's always a mystery. One thing you can count on however is it will be weird. The thing about Aphex Twin is it is not so much about liking the music, it is far more about appreciating it than enjoying it if that makes sense. This is an idea that I actually tend to hate in music, but some artists manage to transcend. Aphex Twin is one of those.. When you listen to his music it creates this unique place that is solely his own. The music, the vibe everything is so singular. This record in particular though happens to soften things up, and open Aphex Twin to a new dare I say organic sound? The notes and sounds themselves are highly tech, synths, drum machines amd computers doing the heavy lifting. In previous record Aphex has experimented with new forms of instrumentation, like down tuning pianos and hitting instruments that seemed to be just broken. On this album though he explores the ideas of techno and footwork in really interesting ways. The drum machine clap on "1st 44" reminds you of Jlin, but instead of dialing on the genre Aphex Twin blends it in to a track that goes so many other places. It is so nice though to hear Aphex Twin getting into some grooves and slick movements that aren't totally predicated on being avante garde. He let's himself relax into some beats, allows them to be minimal and often melodic.

Don't let my flowery and light description be taken the wrong way, there is plenty of dread and doom throughout the record. "MIT1 t29r2" begins with this super ominous oppressive sound wall, but then shifts into bright chimes before retreating back into a darker place. This might sounds bad but this is one of the first Aphex Twin albums that doesn't make you want to jump off a cliff. I don't mean that in a bad way either, it's just that his music can be so heavy and intense that it's nice to have a bit of lightness peppered in every once and awhile. This EP scratches that itch, but you can tell that this is just Aphex Twin indulging some part of his mind rather than a shift in what He does. Collapse still feels very much like Aphex Twin, just a softener gentler side. He definitely has not lost his edge and this record is still fucking weird as hell, just a little less weird than usual. And that's pretty darn nice.

8.0 out of 10