The thing I like about EP's is that only the best of the best tracks are chosen and this album is a clear example of that, starting with Cyan Hardcore (which is just an amazing name for a song), this song begins with an immediate start no intro needed, the melody then proceeds to jump up and shoot down at fast speed. Cyan Hardcore and to be honest the whole EP have incredible melodies in them and hearing them over and over is just as good as the first time. I think the best part of this song is towards the end of the middle where the melody bells shoot back with this chorus effect and it is nothing short of heavenly.
A song I never thought i'd hear yet im glad I did, a mix of UK Grime and Breakbeat: doesn't sound that great on paper but incredible in practise, Greaze is the most popular song on the EP and its obvious why, the beat is insane and sounds so good on bass boosted speakers, this song ends a bit too short I think but it doesnt really affect the song.
Im assuming thats a warning siren, well whatever it is, it makes for a really good backing. This track sounds very 'underwatery' with its chorused E. Piano and Cyclone warning sirens with the warning that "The Storm Is About To Rage", after the storm decides to rage it sounds mega mega mega cool, no better words. Theres a fan music video made for this song of a dolphin on an adventure in Playstation style graphics and it is probably the best music video i've seen, not really related to the review but still worth a watch.
"And thats when he realised that to stand and consider all posibilities, is to drown in a tunnelling sea of infinite potentialities." What a line that is! This song is fucking awesome from beginning till end, every chord change, drum beat, sample and vocal is just perfect. This is easily my favourite song on here by a large margin especially when you stop playing the song at 4:14 as after that it loses all of its coolness and goes to screaming and really loud shit, got to say i'm not that big of a fan of Machine Girls newer stuff (I loved the neon white sound track however) but I know many people love it so good for them I suppose. Anyways this is my favourite E.P. and if i'm bored and need something to listen to then this EP is always considered.
Tied between this and SAW85-92 as my favourite Aphex Twin albums or for that matter albums ever released, Syro has some of the greatest noise to reach my ears
Starting off with Minipops (named after the KORG drum machine from the 60's) has the best implementation of a piano in an electronic song i've heard (bar maybe 'Children by Robert Miles). This song is very fun to play on a keyboard as you can almost play the entire song no problem and still sound recognisable unlike most of his other works which are far to complex for human playing
Next with XMAS_EVET10, The ambient track on the album, starting with quite a strange synth pattern that appears in full briefly before being played in cut segments throughout the song, again a really nice use of piano, this time being a more worn down home upright piano. While I do sort of like the start of the song I think it's not until about 4:49 that it really starts to take off and become a thing of its own.
My second favourite Track on this album, Produk29, A heavy duty DX100 bass takes the track on its legs and makes for a powerful kick whilst allowing room for the actual kick drum. The pad in the background makes a very "half two in the morning" feel when combined with the rest of the song making it one of the strongest atmospheres in this album. Not really sure how to describe it but at 2:50 an ascending note plays? that part alone makes this track a 10/10.
4 bit 9d api+e+6, this track has the runner up for best atmosphere no doubt, an addictive bassline with perfect drums. Track switches in the middle to a widened saw chord which again massively adds to the atmosphere, after a short segment this part plays again.
This track is straight out of the Analords series without a doubt, its repetitiveness and simplicity is a rare occurance under the 'aphex' alias and much more in tune with 'AFX' even though they are the same person. This track clicks with my head in every good way, a banger in short.
The Circlont series is one of my favourite multiple mix songs that he has produced, starting with Circlont6A, this track takes 8 bit and saw bass to the max sounding straight out of a commodore 64, This track doesn't stop amazing me every time I listen to it, however I do have to say i prefer the other mix.
CIRCLONT14, what a fucking track, hearing this for the first time was something else, the synth is perfect, the drums are perfect, the speed is perfect, the носочки is PERFECT. I don't have any other words than perfect for this song, every instrument and sample in this song works with one another to create no less than a masterpiece, this track could easily fit in a game such as Portal 2 when running from GlaDOS. Oh and another thing, the ending is... you'll never guess, perfect. All my own opinion and other people may think very differently but I love quite literaly everything about this song.
"s950tx16wasr10" or as i just call it 's950' is completely different to every other track here, starting off with slowed breakbeats and eventually speeding up, i suppose in a way you could consider this a breakbeat song, either way it still hits hard. The motif at 0:52 really fits with this song in a way that anything else can't. Whilst I wouldn't say this is my very favourite track here it is none the less a great, especially for that ending.
Xtal, arguably Aphex's most famous song, works incredibily well as an introduction to his first album (under this name), Xtal shows listeners what ambient music is really about although it comes in many forms. Simple repetion and chords that are not supposed to be analysed deeply, just be there in the moment, in the now.
"Tha" goes much deeper into the ambiance than the previeous track, there is seemingly no structure and no complexity in key changes and all that, its organic bassline is nothing short of beautiful as well as its natural vocals softly placed on top. In terms of most songs, Tha is a long track at a whopping nine minutes however when listening, this time simply passes without the listeners knowledge and is... bliss.
Pulsewidth is more upbeat and positive if that makes sense, even width its thunder and lightning sounds in the background, this track switches between to melodies essencially the treble and the bass, the track is just these two interacting with each other and the on beat drum machine assisting on the way.
Ageispolis sounds very 80's to begin with (because thats when it was made?) however it then softly moves into its own thing with a reassuring pad and bass, the bass being very loud yet not sounding loud at all: on larger speakers you can really hear it resonate with the higher notes in the bassline, this track mixes the sound of a rainfall on top to add to the ambiance which is a great small touch.
"I" is the short but sweet track, one of the most audibly appleasing Aphex has produced to date but is over in just a minute. A short confrontation of heaven.
Green Calx is no doubt where my love of acid comes from (The music, i'm not a drug addict lol). Its fast drum machine with high resonance sounds and chords makes for a pure acid tune. The other sound effects thrown in throughout are what I assume the products of a modular synthesiser or mabye just sampling, who knows? Green Calx also starts the Calx series seen later in 'Selected Ambient Works Volume II'
Heliosphan is probably the most overlooked track on the album, having a very similar feel to both 'Pulsewidth' and 'Analogue Bubblebath' (which just so happens to be one of my favourite songs ever), Heliosphan doesn't have a lot going on but at the same time not a lot is needed, the chords and melody alone provide enough material for a three minute song, the drums and other pads extend that out to almost five. Overall, very nice track.
I'm not good at picking favourites but this is a contender, We Are The Music Makers has such a good feel about it right from the start to the repeated not and bassline all the way through to the end,the bass speaking of which is huge on this song and creates this jazz feel right from the moment it's heard. Beautiful masterpiece.
coolest drum machine entrance of all time. Ptolemy has an insane bassline that feeds straight into the drums and when the melody gets put in it is something else, as always the vocal mist of chords sweeps in and out creating an amazing tune, i'd pick this as the best song on this album most likely. Don't even get started on when the resonance is jolted up, like a zap of electricity straight to your ears.
A different song to everything else here but in a good way. This track is probably the one I listen to the most as it is fitting no matter the mood really, its the lack of overly complex rhythms that I like about not only this track but this whole album to be honest, you can play this to anyone and they'll know roughly what your on about.