British-Irish DJ Aphex Twin’s impact on music is greater than his output. His last LP was in 2014, since then it’s been a series of pretty short EPs. So what keeps fans and critics alike fawning over him – why does a new release whose entire run-time clocks in at just over 14 minutes get so much hype? In a world where techno has slid into meaning “nosebleeding headbangers” Aphex Twin has always shown its more “tender” side. Tender like a meat tenderiser – your ears are pounded into submission, but out the other side is a kind of calm release, not a splitting, scary come-down. His output is a special combo of unique and listenable, even if it is incredibly short.
Also out this week: The Front Bottoms, You Are Who You Hang Out With; Mikaela Davis, And Southern Star and BAMBII, Infinity Club.
Photograph Mike Albans/NY Daily News via Getty Images
