I’m not the biggest nerd over this stuff, but there’s no denying this is pretty historic for someone to be what he’s doing right now.
For those just tuning in, he (or someone) is uploading about 50 new, unheard of tracks per day since yesterday. At first he was changing the soundcloud account around leading people on a goose chase, but he seems to have settled into a groove.
The crazy thing, to me, is he appears to be uploading these in chronological order - we’re in about windowlicker era now, and still a ways to go.
I’m just wondering what he’ll do after he’s unloaded all that. I mean, there will be literally hundreds of Aphex Twin tracks floating around – must be a bitch trying to people to pay attention to future releases.
Unless they’re something completely different from his past catalog, of course.
I believe this is actually the point - I mean…I personally wasn’t aware his new record came out yesterday (same day as mass uploads), until I started realising about these new/old tracks.
So it is a great publicity effort, and I like this idea of the digital format being widely/freely available, and recouping costs with the physical object that people STILL want to buy. Again - I wouldn’t have even known about it had not been for this free barrage.
I also think people would get pretty sick of it if he started releasing anthology albums one after another, and charging for it. Can you imagine a new afx record every month?
Dude knows what he’s doing, and he doesn’t even seem too selfish, so much respect.
Yeah, I agree it’s a great thing to do – people have been dying for him to lift his shroud of mystery, and now he’s doing a 180: publishing gear lists, putting out track after track…
So I applaud him for doing this.
Still, I can’t help but think:
People will have a backlog of hundreds of Aphex Twin tracks to listen to – why should the random listener be interested enough in his newest to purchase it?
I know that to some, it’s almost bad taste to associate any commercial thoughts with the man, but I just don’t want him to go broke Kids to feed and all.
Again, no criticism to him, I’m just interested in how the market will work in this case. Nobody really knows the dynamics of such a stunt.
Judging by his recent and past behaviour, he will leave these up for a while, then whip them away again, just like he did with all that modular stuff on soundcloud, and the syrobonkus interview.
This slow version of Everyday off Hangable Auto-Bulb is my fave so far:
I’d suggest, the random listener probably wouldn’t have been interested enough in the first place, but at least this way its on their radar.
Going broke? He’s probably one of the most guaranteed-to-sell artists amongst all others in similar genres. Granted, hes not megastar status, its still a niche market, but that’s kind of what I was getting at when I said he’ doesn’t appear to be selfish. I think he’s pretty happy right where he’s at but probably is stoked about selling a few more records (at the same time putting everyone else to shame so effortlessly). Still it is nice of you to care :].
And yes - its more interesting than anything how the market will work, and it is a stunt, but that’s kind of why he’s at where’s at now - he’s pretty consistently been an innovator and I think he’s gonna do just fine.
In regards to being fake - just listen. It’s pretty obvious. However there are TONS of fakers cropping up now and that is pretty pathetic.
It’s good times, right now, for sure. I appreciate everyone’s take on this, very unique event.
Iirc, he did say in an interview around the release of Spyro that he wanted to clear the decks of his old music. This is a brilliant way of doing it. Now new music will be the ONLY stuff that he can release commercially. Some of the tracks he’s uploading are bloody excellent. I loved his Selected Ambient Works tunes, and many of these are of the same ilk…
I’d bite his ginger ponytail off for some of these on wax.
He’s just re-upped the rather lovely orchestral version of rhubarb that he put up weeks ago on his official page.
I’d bite his ginger ponytail off for some of these on wax.
He’s just re-upped the rather lovely orchestral version of rhubarb that he put up weeks ago on his official page.
No idea what his game is.[/quote]
That’s just splendidly beautiful!
