Very big Richard D James fan right here.
Not sure where it all started, I feel like I'd always heard of Aphex when I was younger - probably through 'come to daddy'. I remember another favourite band of mine, The Dillinger Escape Plan, did a cover of this song and pushed me a little bit closer to checking him out with a bit more attention.
I came across the Chris Cunningham video, Rubber Johnny, and this made it very clear that RDJ was something that was right up my alley.
Downloaded the discography (sue me) back in 2010, and didn't really know where to start - the older stuff sounded 'dated' and didn't really know how to frame it in my mind - at this point I didn't know anything about synthesizers, modular synths, "acid" and such; I didn't know how any of this music was created (music should be music no matter how it's created - but somehow knowing the process of it's creation adds another dimension of understanding and enjoyment).
Anyhow, I got mega high on BHO one night and chose an album purely at random and I chose 'Analord 1' and listened to 'grumpy acid' and 'stepping filter 101' and was sold immediately. I distinctly remember feeling like the synth in 'stepping filter 101' was talking - and to me it still sounds heavily like the rhythm, and the up-and-downy-ness of human speech. Very clever stuff.
The entire analord series remains one of my favourite compositions of music, and some of my favourite stuff through all of Richard's work; I have a number of them on viynl but would love the complete set. There is definately an element to his music which is extremely distinct, unique and completely immune to imitation; a sign, imo, of very high quality composition.
After this I basically started working my way back through his music and now love it all.
Not sure why, but probably more to do with personal circumstance, it took me some time to fully appreciate and enjoy the richness(!) and diversity that is The Tuss. Some of those tracks are absolutely spectacular and I still have moments where I notice gems I had never previously noticed (The Tuss - Last Rushup 10 - that section starting around 3.00 - I'd love to know what the vocoded vocals are saying). The Tuss is particularly good to listen to with nitrous oxide. Especially parts like 3.30 in 'Fredugolon 6' on the Confederation Trough EP - totally mental.
I saw him live in 2011 at Bloc Festival in the UK and had the strongest LSD trip of my life - it was unreal and there are no words, and I have literally been a changed person from that day forth. The trip report I ended up writing was absolutely monumental - thousands of words.
I was pretty excited when Syro came out, as I feel RDJ never disappoints and I am always interested to see what he can do next.
I think Syro is great album, and I still don't think I have fully explored it's depth. Two friends and I listened to it on mushrooms a few months ago, and it's a very fond memory - especially the last piano track 'aisatsana' (aisatsana is anastasia backwards; allegedly his partners' name) with the birds in the background and that everpresent tape hiss.
In fact, this tape hiss was my one big gripe about the album; as I can hear it on every track, and I can't help but find myself fixating on it. I am more of headphones, totally immersed, type music listener - especially if I'm tripping and I find the tape hiss and the flat dynamics of the whole record somewhat distracting - my loss, I guess - I love the music, just have a different personal taste regarding the mastering and wish it was mastered with clarity of his other releases.
When the soundcloud account stuff started, I couldn't believe it - it was like dream come true and was a pretty exciting time to be an aphex fan. I've listened to a lot of it, certainly not all of it, and I think it's going to keep me busy for some time. There are some absolute gems on there, but I'm a little uncertain of their track titles. 'Red Calx [slo]' is a fav, as is 'japan', '[Slo]w early morning clissold sunrise', and 'Jonny Hawkes Broken Guitar' - but there's heaps more! I haven't even had a chance to listen to the latest release of tracks.
I would love to know the dates each composition was made, so I came frame it all a lot better for myself - 200+ tracks is a lot to put into perspective and appreciate and I need some form of heuristic to get my head around it easier.
Oh, and my username is deeply inspired by that beautiful track of the same name.
I found this video on youtube a few months after my best friend (and I, him) committed suicide, and it moves me very deeply. I'm not sure who the guys in the video are, but I hope they are good friends still, the way my friend and I once were.
[YOUTUBE]