Customer Reviews

Drukqs

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

To me, this is definitely the best Aphex Twin album. James alternates his signature programmed meltdowns with calm pieces for piano/tape loops, synthesizer, and prepared piano (it sounds like he's listened to John Cage's "Three Dances for Prepared Piano" [1944] a lot). As usual, on many of the tracks the drum machine becomes the lead melodic instrument, processed halfway to incoherence with delay and chorus and probably every effect he could muster. But the structures are less abstract, tighter, and fuller. He creates a perfect balance between lull and storm, like fractal music made at the edge of chaos. This is what Eno should be doing.

What a great album. I have gotten into RDJ's music a lot for the last three or four months. I am relatively new to this style of music, although he is known for many sounds and styles. I first purchased "Richard D. James" album and "I care because you do", and I immediately fell in love with his music, although the tracks on those albums weren't as dark as some of his other stuff.
Drukqs. As many people have stated already, and as obvious as it sounds, has something to do with drugs. I don't care either way, I'd prefer that there was no connection between drugs and any of his music. It is a great album none the less. I'll just give a quick description of each track. Sorry for the lack of Electronica/techno terminology.

jynweythek-10/10 A superb sounding piece. I presume it consists of prepared piano playing, which is the first of a few prepared piano pieces. Like nothing I've ever heard before.

vord hosbn-10/10 Another great track to start you off with this album. Sounds a little like something from Richard D. James album. Excellent mix, emotionally stirring.

kladfvgbung micshk-10/10 I believe another one of his prepared piano pieces. Dark and awesome. Something to show us that he can create something as equally dark with a piano as he can using software and computers.

omgyjya-switch-10/10 First starts out with "whipping sounds(?)". Then sneaks in with the snippet of vocals and vocal-like electronic sounds. This is the track that compelled me into purchasing this CD. Throughout the track are excellent sounds, this description like all my others may be vague, but just listen to the samples of each track on Amazon.

strotha tynhe-7/10 A nice piano piece. Dark at times, but just a little too inconsistent, I'm not saying that I want it to go faster, the pace is fine. It's just that I would have liked a little more consistency in the structure of it.

gwely mernans-9/10 Dark and very emotionally disturbing, which is why I love his music so much. I would have just liked a little bit more of that sound in this track. Other than that, it's beautiful and almost makes me want to cry.

bbydyonchord-10/10 Another one of those tracks that makes you think of "Richard D. James album" and "I care because you do". A beautiful mixture of synth and percussion, just listen to the sample.

cock/ver 10-10/10 Flawless. Some jungle is mixed into this little gem. And if you listen to the whole album, you'll notice that this is track is one of two tracks that gives this album its "Parental Advisory" label.

avril 14th-10/10 Absolutely beautiful, one of my favorite piano pieces from this album. I've cried once listening to it(it's that beautiful). An awesome contrast to his work.

Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount- 10/10 Really fast, but full of distinguishable sounds, none of them get in the way of the others. The second part to this track provokes emotion. The synthesized vocals(I think?) plus all the other elements together just gives you this vision of what Mt Saint Michel and Saint Michaels Mount would look like, human intuitiveness at it's best.

Gwarek2- 7/10 The beginning is pretty weird, a bunch of people making noises. Kinda sounds like they are suffering or are in "hell". I'm partial to that part. But then the rest of it sort of lingers on.

orban eq trx4-9/10 A strong hip-hop sounding track. I just want it to keep going and going, but the fact is, is that it's too short or not long enough.

aussols- ? I can't really say too much about this one, it's 12 sec's long and is just some people talking in an indistinguishable language. Funny.

hy a scullyas lyf a dhagrow-9/10 Another prepared paino piece. It's not as good as the first one but is still a great piece. It's also nice to have it towards the end of the first CD.

kesson dalef-10/10 One of my other favorite piano pieces from this album. It's so beautiful and another one of his contrasts in this album. Not too long though.

54 Cymrv beats-10/10 Fast and fantastic. Some dark synth laid over some beats in the beginning and sampled vocals. Intricate layering of sounds. A little bit of jungle laid in. The kinda stuff that a lot of people only look for in an AFX album(shame on you). Listen to the sample.

btoum-rovmada-7/10 I don't quite know what this was played on, but it's nostalgic(subjectively). It's a nice piece.

lornaderek-? Another one of those funny sampled pieces from RDJ's family life. His family sings him a happy birthday song. Funny.

2kthr-6/10 I think the music was played on a harmonium in this track. It's pretty short and doesn't really turn my head like the other instrumental pieces.

meltphace 6-10/10 Yet another track that reminds you of "RDJ album" and "I care because you do". Listen to the sample and dance.

bit 4-? Just a quick piece of synth. 25 sec's worth. Strange sounding.

prep gwarlek 36-8/10 I think it's another prepared piano piece. It's pleasant, but a little too short. I would have loved to listen to this track for a good four to five minutes. Listen to the sample.

father-6/10 A piano piece. It seems like he is incoherently playing the piano. It's also quite short.

taking control-10/10 Another one of those faster tracks. I love it. It incorporates some sampled computer vocals. Another blessing from RDJ. Listen to the sample and dance weird.

petiatil cx htdui-8/10 A nice piano piece. A little more range on the keys would have been nice. But overall another relaxing track.

ruglen holon-9/10 Prepared piano piece. It's very well composed and relaxing, just a little too short though.

afx237v.7-10/10 Yes. It's the infamous track used in Chris Cunningham's short film Rubber Johnny, part of it anyway. Another crazily structured mix. A little dark and creepy, though mixes with a little jungle here and there. Awesome work RDJ. Listen to the sample and dance.

ziggomatic 17-10/10 An awesome mix with overtones of darkness. The perfect track to put near the end of the album. A very enjoyable lengthy track.

beskhuepnm-9/10 Another prepared piano piece. Sounds nice and relaxing in the beginning then about halfway it starts turning the mood of the song in a different direction while still maintaining the higher keys of the piano, great contrast in the track.

nanou2-8/10 It's the last track of the album, and it seems as if it might have lost a little bit of its energy on this track. It's alright for it being the last song, but...

Quick descriptions nothing too elaborate but that's what I thought of the album. RDJ(AFX ect...) has earned a place with Ween and The Talking Heads as one of my god's of music. Anyone want some Beatles, Doors or Led Zeppelin CD's, I'd be happy to give them to you for free. AH HA HA HA...all that time wasted.

Richard D. James has been around the electronic music scene for quite a while now. Under the guise of Aphex Twin, he basically founded the gnere of iDmb, and released critically acclaimed works such as "Selected Ambient Works", "Richard D James Album", and "Windowlicker" EP. His compositions are so musically diverse, so surreal and schezophrenic, that many people have seemingly forgotten that Richard D. James is a human being.

In "Drukqs"--which is said to be Aphex Twin's final commerical release by many--James embarks on a journey of self re-discovery through his old sound mediums. "Drukqs" is filled with his classic signature sounds: the broken twitter box, dizzy drum n' bass, and distorted sound effects. The only difference this time, is that all the songs sound much calmer. James seems to be at a point of reflection in his career, and it is as if he was trying to find peace and solace with himself. Even his drum n' bass tracks seemed to lack the usual jubilancy and driven cynicism that we are so accustomed to.

What is really touching, though, are the piano works that he decided to include in this album (Most notably "Avril 14th" and "Nanou2"). They are all delicately simple, yet shows a emotional side of Richard D. James that we never knew for all these years. And while the sample of James's parents wishing their young son happy birthday (in "Lornaderek") is hilarious at first, it also makes your heart ache at the same time. Perhaps James' endeavors as Aphex Twin for all these years was a diversion to calm his sense of lost identity, or a search for his truest soul.

Have Richard D. James finally reached a state of grace with himself? We'll probably never find out...

My first aphex taste was Flim on come to daddy.

The songs on Drukqs are very distinct from the songs people like when first listening to aphex twin. Drukqs is an advanced album in the aphex style and is the manifestation of Richard James' most honest internal voice out of all the albums made under all of his identities. In this album James bridges the gap between the sounds of his rich electronic music with the subtle complexities of real sound.

It feels as though James as finally accomplished the technical mastery of his style and has fused it with his emotions creating a very intense musical voice. He not only demonstrates his musical oration but also exposes familiar human feelings that we can all relate to.

The hardest part of this album for a listener is deciphering the musical expressions of his style and relating to them on an emotional level. That is why Drukqs is best for an advanced and open-minded aphex fan- by far my favorite album hahaha.

My favorite- Penty Harmonium: James jumps out of the synthetic complexity of his electronic machines and records the organic sounds of the harmonium mechanics as it is being played. however simple this melody is, the quality of all the different layers of sound gives the listener much to appreciate. It is a very optimistic song.

From Aphex, I have branched into music from Philip Glass. I was first interested by a song on the donkey rhubarb album called Icct Hedral. I believe philip glass remade it from aphex which goes to show the quality of aphex msuic- it can relate to the intellectualism of modern composers such as philip glass.

I am slo interested in kruder & dorfmiester, peace orchestra, tosca, mouse on mars, metamatics, plaid, thievery corporation, air, and niccola conte.

Richard James AKA Aphex Twin has finally released another full length. Actually, it's a double CD set containing 30 tracks and almost 100 minutes of music. Most of the electronic music listening community have eagerly awaited this release and wonder what direction he will take this time.
Truth is, he seems to have gone back to the sounds of the RDJ album. There's plenty of manic drill and bass, with clean, precise, quality production. Other tracks include what seems to be single takes of short and usually sparse piano interludes. These are somewhat similar to the quiet, atmospheric works of Harold Budd. Other tracks are along the experimental and downright spooky vibe, making these discs have ample variety.
A welcome subtraction is the lack of cheesy, or humourous material like tracks 'Beetles' or 'Milkman' from the RDJ album. Instead Aphex Twin lets his programming wizardry do the talking, and he gets pretty hectic with the variety of sounds that are packed into some of these tracks.
It's a little difficult to absorb these discs in a single sitting, as many tracks move around and change direction and sound. A change is necessary throughout certain tracks due to their lofty beats per minute and style. If it wasn't for Richard's smooth transitions to different themes within tracks, the music would soon become tiresome. Needless to say, there's something new to be heard, even after several listens.
If you're looking for the next "...I Care Because You Do", you will not find it here. You won't find much older-style Caustic Window or Aphex either. What you will find is some very interesting busy beats, acid lines, and hyper-creativity. Not for the faint of heart, Aphex is showing his talents once again.

When chronicaling Richard D. James's illustrious and warped career there is an obvious evolution from simple beats and Melodies (I Care Because You Do...) to insanely complex programming masterworks (Richard D. James Album and windowlicker)Drukqs shows the best of both sides. The tender beauty of his Selected Ambient Works, and I Care Because You Do... shine through the insanely complex drum beats that equal even Tom Jenkinson's Go Plastic. Not to mention the new piano side to Aphex Twin. Which are his most beautiful songs to date.

However, i can see how some people could really hate this album. Its dark and twisted with juxtaposed bittersweet piano songs between industrial drill 'n bass songs. Rolling Stone is obviously a bunch of thumb twiddling morons to give this i star while Jeniffer Lopez (i refuse to call her J. Lo)gets four stars. which is a ranking usually reserved for those artists who give their soul to the music and aren't in it just to reveal their bodies in some akward mid song dance sequence in every single on of her god damned videos!

but back to the topic at hand, Drukqs shows Aphex Twin's many sides. Some may call this album pretentious, i call you jaded. Drukqs is what other electronic artists should aspire to create.

In a world where everyday music numbs the mind of even the most simple individual, this work of art(in it's entirety) wakes the soul, and inspires a new thought. People disappear, problems vanish, and we are left with an everlasting joy that creativity is not dead. The world is not flat, it is not round, it is inside out and distorted only as much as the avatar believes it to be. Aphex Twin, Richard D. James, is an amazing character who is blessed to captivate an audience in his own time and not years after his death. Drukqs are necessary.

It will take more than a pair of human ears to really appreciate this album. Not to say that a casual human listener couldn't get into Richard's latest offering - there is just a lot there even a bat couldn't listen to. Of course you all noticed I said "listen" not "hear".

On my first excursion with this album I was fighting to stay conscious. I lost that battle on the first track, Jynweythek. Oddly enough I hadn't consumed any chemical substances or inhaled anything out of the ordinary, I'd put it down as my then lack of interest in sleep. I was prepared to listen, unconditionally.

Gwarek2 was everything unpleasant I had ever imagined magnified by infinity, served on a silver platter (with headphones, no less). How can you describe waking up at 4:15am covered in sweat only to realise you were never really asleep? I was lulled back into that state by Hy A Scullyas Lyf Adhagrow. The strangest feeling came over me, I was being drilled alive then taken to the most spacious sounding of places. 54 Cymru Beats / Btoum-Roumada.

I could only describe this album as the best and worst moments of my own life and that covers things yet to be. I highly recommend listening to Drukqs in its entirety, it would be a shame to waste such a diverse experience for the sake of a few preferred tracks - though I must admit, the energy on Meltphace 6 still makes every one of my hairs stand on end in an orgasmic like way. Only the sight of the milkman's wife could ever make me feel so.

Overall this is a solid purchase for anyone really prepared to listen, a definite 5 stars.

I have to say this is the most well-rounded aphex recording I've encountered. Earlier work showcased various "smaller personalities" within his musical persona from unsettlingly beautiful ambient work (SAW Vol. 2) to uber-orchestral soundscapes (I care cause you do) to spastic sound-bite geometry (come to daddy). All of them, while elevating their respective styles, never quite captured the breadth I was expecting.

This one plays more like a musical slideshow than a cohesive album per se. Breaks between tracks are sometimes a bit too long, and some pieces seem more like sketches than fully realized tracks. This adds credence to the rumor that much of this material was simply "odds and ends" that never made it onto other albums. Despite this, I like the eclectic quality of "drukqs" and this music is still far and away more engaging and thought-provoking than a majority of the other stuff out there.

From a sound-design standpoint, Richard's still at the top of his game. His maniacal attention to detail produces everything from gorgeous to downright eriee. Samples of pianos, zithers, and other acoustic instruments get passed through subtle effects making them almost ghost-like. James has a knack for imbueing normal sounds with an urgency and life all their own. The only place where he falls a bit short is in the compositions. Too often they rely on standard concepts and techniques that lack the innovative nature I've come to expect from Aphex.

Bottom line: If you're already a fan, this album will not disappoint. If you've never heard him before, I would recomend starting with the Selected Ambient duo and Richard D. James album first.

Let's go: After 4 years of dissappearance, Richard D. James alias Aphex Twin hits back the scenery with a new album called "drukQs" (drug use ?). There have been several innovative groups (Autechre, Luke Vibert's "TEK 9"), new projects (does drum 'n bass still exist ?) and groundbreaking new styles (two step !?) in those 4 years, and at a first glimpse it seems "drukQs" can't quite compete with RDJ's earlier stuff, which was always the most interesting, innovative and best electronic music at the time.
But:
"drukQs" is full of magic moments and contains everything you'd expect from an Aphex Twin recording, such as: sweet and tender melodies over brutal drum 'n bass breaks, complicated loops, clever samples and so on (there's also a "Happy Birthday to you" piece, which was sung by RDJ's parents (!) for their son's 28 birthday. There are many so called "interludes" in a way only Erik Satie could have made them. These piano pieces were entirely composed and created on a computer, simulating the illusion RDJ really could play the piano. They are not only beautiful, they also fit great into the whole concept and make the 102 Minutes (!) of playtime more even more "enjoyable".
You really should spend some time with the album and if you are familiar with Aphex Twin's earlier stuff (or Polygon Window, or AFX, or The Dice Man, or....) you surely won't be dissapointed.
RDJ's mother can be pround of her son's work.