Composer Reacts to Aphex Twin - Flim & Avril 14th (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on 'Flim' and 'Avril 14th'
ORIGINAL VIDEO (Film) // • Flim
ORIGINAL VIDEO (Avril 14th) // • Avril 14th
ALL LINKS // linktr.ee/criticalreactions

[@CriticalReactions]

Yes, I now know the song is called Flim and not Film. I'm embarrassed but can't change it now -- it'll live eternally on KZbin 😅

[@articircle]

It's amazing how much our brains / eyes run on autopilot. After reading the title multiple times, I also saw "film" every time.

[@CriticalReactions]

Amazing and scary. Makes me wonder how many other things I'm 'missing' because my brain is overriding what my senses are telling it with what it expects. 😅

[@bricriu]

it's done on purpose. similar to autechre's tri repetae. a trick to get you to analyze, listen again and again. plus aphex is the devil.

[@tre6316]

I was today years old when i realized its Flim and not Film lol

[@hippo50410]

Everybody does this mistake 😉

[@Bob-pz7xr]

Aphex twin is unbelievable. I’ve been listening to him for close to a decade and still regularly find songs by him that I’ve never heard before. Truly a generational artist.

[@justinjancauskas1571]

Agreed! I just revisited Kick Ass (Violin Solo) and Stone in Focus; after that initial wave of early-aughts nostalgia, I gained a brand new appreciation for his creative method. Outstanding.

[@S14M07]

I feel the same about him and deadmau5

[@aspect57]

genuinely one of the best artists of my generation. rdj is astonishing.

[@Darrenski]

I've been listening to the man for over 30 years. When everywhere you went it was just awful jungle and the worst of all time 'happy hardcore' warp records was such a release from all that garbage. Basically brit house started out ok in the late 80s when it was an underground niche scene but by 91 to my ears every track just sounded exactly the same with an annoying as hell mc non stop throughout. Just awful awful generic trash. Just got syro today. Still got it. This man was a game changer. Who else would release an album called 26 mixes for cash. One day, when he dies they'll find him in like a typical hoarders house hidden beneath about half a million CDs, DATS and about 25 years worth of incredible music.

[@aspect57]

@@Darrenski This is trite as fuck (my response I mean, not yours), but he's an iconoclast. He's not always more "fun" to listen to than the current shit, but he's always better.

[@evansmith6552]

+1 for more Aphex Twin. He is prolific and his work is hugely varied, ranging from absolutely placid to terrifyingly manic.

[@static_motion]

So glad you checked Aphex Twin out. He's just one guy, and he's arguably the most influential electronic music artist ever. Dude really paved the way for a lot of things we can hear in electronica, and I've even heard some of his influence (especially on a rhythmic level) in metal music. He's a master of counterpoint and composition, that's for sure. Fun fact: he's a mad scientist of the music world, a lot of his music comes from modifying old synthesizers and writing his own software instruments. This isn't too uncommon these days, but back in the nineties he was a pioneer in this field.

[@pmc8451]

He’s also 100% self taught, in his early days (up until the late 90s) it was also clear from intervies that he was blissfully unaware of huge swathes of music including artists and styles many had assumed as his influences.

[@ggluckmanful]

On Flim… My impression is that just as the drums sit higher in the mix more like the melodic elements usually would, the melody loops more like rhythmic elements usually do. That juxtaposition seems pretty central to me with what the composer is doing. At first listen, it seems like endless drum fills, but as it’s all electronic. It’s not a skilled player flourishing instinctively, it’s a composer programming considered choices. All of that seems, to me, like an expression of what can make electronic music fundamentally different than that played on analog instruments.

[@CriticalReactions]

I didn't pick that up but you're right. And I agree about it being a strength of electronic music. While any genre can flip the roles of instruments I think electronic is a bit ahead of the game as it can as simple as moving a midi roll form one voice to another and then maybe tweaking some notes that don't sound quite right. The ability to play around with sound is exponentially easier for electronic music.

[@articircle]

Wow. That first song just feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket of comfort. And the second one like the joy of coming home to family after a long day of work.

[@CriticalReactions]

I have since listened to "Come to Daddy" and it couldn't have been further from these feelings. I get the feeling that Aphex Twin has a wide variety of styles in his music.

[@articircle]

@@CriticalReactions Just listened to Come to Daddy. Uhhh yeah... to say that was different would be a *massive* understatement XD. What an unsettling trip.

[@CriticalReactions]

The music video doesn't help with the creepiness of it all either.

[@Dragonpuncher123]

@@CriticalReactions And then realise that Flim and Come to Daddy play back to back on the EP. Aphex Twin/Richard D. James has maybe the most impressive discography of any electronic musician.

[@OphoisOne]

Yeah, both of them are just cozy.

[@gigachad192]

If you want your mind blown, listen to "Vordhosbn" or "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount" by Aphex Twin.

[@TheIonizator]

so much YES. Probably my fav Aphex Twin tracks. Also 54 Cymru Beats

[@eatthem5829]

@@TheIonizator and all from drukqs... its just a miracle this album....

[@Artesian_mirage]

You may not read this or may not know this, but Avril 14th was programmed by Richard D James (Aphex Twin) via his own software to a disklavier, he didn't lay a human finger on the piano for this piece, but it was a real disklavier piano playing notes he had programmed from scratch.

[@ggluckmanful]

The range of his work is quite wide, just on the album Flim comes from, it ranges from bucolic to something almost like electronic metal. Come to Daddy from that same album is the classic song that very much defined his sound in this phase and is very very different than the tracks you listened to.

[@ggluckmanful]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioubY2qioNCnj9U this blew my mind the first time I heard it, but comparing it now with Flim for the same record, you can see how the drums are being used in much the same way while the vocals and melody loop repetitively.

[@pmc8451]

Come to daddy, though his most successful track along with Windowlicker, is an outlier amongst his work. He’s stated that he made the track to take the piss out of death metal and he personally dislikes it, even stopping its circulation at one point.

[@mindjam5320]

Aphex Twin - Alberto Balsalm - one of the most iconic tunes

[@ggluckmanful]

Also, Aphex Twin is one guy, Richard James.

[@elevenfortythree4769]

Don't forget the D 😁

[@MrWestie1985]

Brilliant breakdown, Aphex Twin is an absolute pioneer of electronic music. I recommended Four Tet - She Moves She - on another video, if you like Aphex you should also check out Squarepusher - Come on my selector is a good track to start with. Prefuse 73 are also really cool - the colour of tempo is a great track. ✌️

[@dukesarto666]

4 is one of my all time favorite songs.

[@xbenci]

absolutely perfect track

[@swish007]

i love the organic-ness of his drums in flim. the poppy rhythm kind of dances and fluctuates like it's alive

[@maxwoodworth]

These are great songs and I live hearing someone who understands music at a technical level also be wowed by it. Been listening to Aphex since SAW Vol2 came out and have never gotten tired of it. I just wish I could catch Aphex live one time!

[@guidewired]

Really enjoy your take on these tracks. Would love to hear you analyze more of his music.

[@krisverden5274]

You are awesome. I was smiling all the way through the video.

[@TypeRob117]

2:24 is my favorite part of Flim. Even on such a simple and warm song, RDJ can really spice a track up in the most interesting ways

[@aspect57]

Just want to say I'm two years late, but this was very lovely. Thanks.

[@meatsuit6922]

Oh man, i think you'll love the world of aphex twin/breakcore drum covers, im not a drummer but still v inspiring stuff in terms of finding a middle point between traditional songwriting and electronic music

[@guitarshredder456]

Nice to see you checking out some electronic stuff! I’ve had Between the Buried and Me’s new album on repeat since Friday and if you were planning to revisit, I’d highly recommend the song Bad Habits, one of my new favorites and one of the best they’ve ever written imo

[@CriticalReactions]

I'm gonna be listening to Colors sometime next month and then I'll probably check out Colors II because why not? 😂

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Aphex Twin was the first electronica artist I knew that made me aware that electronica was actually a genre. I never really got into electronic music back then, but listening now to what strikes me most is how much Radiohead were clearly influenced by him. Flim sounds very much like Radiohead ca. Kid A, but much brighter/comforting and even, dare I say, "optimistic" as opposed to Kid A's darkness, austerity, and mysteriousness. Avril 14th was quite different, sounds more like indie rock, and is quite lovely. Though the harmonic and melodic language is really different it almost seems Mozartean in how clear, elegant, and beautiful it is. It could be a great piece for a film soundtrack. Both pieces are really good. Guess I should make Aphex Twin a priority.

[@RustinChole]

Radiohead straight up admitted that. Aphex Twin Bjork’s Homogenic and Portishead all were admittedly huge Kid A influences. The song Kid A takes so so so many sonic elements from the CTD ep. I love Radiohead and Kid A especially, but apparently RDJ wasn’t stoked about it. Kinda felt like with Drukqs he was like “here Radiohead, try to incorporate THAT into your sound!”

[@oleander_rabbit]

Avril 14th's one of my favorite songs and I think you helped me figure out why (beyond it just being a really pretty song lol). Since we're on electronic music here, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Ezra by Oneohtrix Point Never.

[@JiggyGnorrus]

Aphex will always make me smile and feel ☺. So many surprises 😮

[@ShadowSamba]

Listen to a song "Rubber Johnny" and you get a picture just how versatile Aphex Twin's music really is

[@LesterDariusDoesThings]

Technically called afx237 v.7

[@robynhab]

He's also released music as AFX if you want to delve further 😊

[@RustinChole]

And Analord. And The Tuss. And Polygon Window. Analord is pretty amazing, not often talked about and hard to find. But worth it.

[@KainLustt]

I'm already subscribed and probably will watch a lot more of your videos, but please consider reacting to Mt saint Michel + St Michel Mount by aphex twin. It's a long song but I think it's the most complex yet best work by him. Anyway thanks!

[@JoshBratton]

I think you'd love the jazz band The Bad Plus's version of "Flim". Damn impressive.

[@ambassadortourettes753]

About time 🤘😂 Love me some A. T 🤘Like shopping in JC-Pennies in the 80(s) on LSD 👌

[@MichaelOdomwest16thAve]

Aphex! Nuff said. Dudes being doing this since the 80s. Master class.

[@adrianodiaz6995]

You shoud really check Autechre, they were from the same record label and same "musical humus"

[@JiggyGnorrus]

Tom Jenkinson of Square Pusher is unbelievable at drums

[@Mondaydark2o12]

Aphex twin is amazing. He can use silence as a sound. Check out the track Taking Control.

[@Muckduckly]

The Zappa of his genre.

[@hedonicmusic]

There are very good renditions on youtube covering some APhex tracks. May recomend Windowlicker by BinkBeats Flim by The Bad Plus Alberto Balsalm by some kids in a school can't remember the name of the video and I can remember also a very cool rendition for Nannou (or Nanou 2??) This without considering the several solo piano covers by a lot of musicians in their channels, cheers from MExico!

[@Darrenski]

'Their works' should be his (RDJ's) work. Aside from that a good breakdown, his music to me, at the most basic level is mostly about atmosphere. This man has so much music it would take a long time to get a full grasp of it, and 30 years down the line I'm still no nearer pining him down. Just a genius. Another pair of artists id recommended would be autechre, especially tri repete.

[@bitspacemusic]

Aphex Twin beats and melodies rarely line up perfectly with bars and grids. Beats expand and contract. The silent pauses are a chance to reset parts that are going faster or slower. A master class of this is Vordhosbn from Drukqs.

[@nathanroberson]

Listen to Mount Saint Michael🤯

[@kingcrimson234]

I like how you do all kinds of different genres. I listened to this back in the late 90's, while also listening to bands like Genesis and Yes. Good music is good music, genre is irrelevant.

[@apiapip]

Instant subscription

[@gotho0102]

For everyone who wants to know how Flim sounds live performed - look for JD Beck Flim here on KZbin. It is possible.

[@triumphtinltcomicdg]

Amon Tobin should be here too, maybe something from ISAM

[@darrylbradshaw216]

Listen to Mt St Michel/St Michel's mount. Many consider it his magnus opus.

[@codysmith8578]

bro, look into the rest of this album and appreciate the contrast. then look into Richard D James album as a whole and see the more orchestral, modern Mozart vibes :)

[@thepostapocalyptictrio4762]

Have you seen the drum covers of “Flim”?

[@BrotherJP333SP]

Would you ever do another Aphex Twin reaction and analysis? There is a wide range of stuff in that library.

[@CriticalReactions]

I'm sure I'll get to another one eventually.

[@BrotherJP333SP]

@@CriticalReactions Melodies from Mars

[@b.l.fisher8230]

Other great Aphex Twin songs are "Come To Daddy" & "Windowlicker".

[@perhvarnes]

And the videos are freaky!

[@STAR0SS]

Some of his worse tracks imo, just known because of the videos.

[@2lowkey100]

Imo those are probably some of the worst recommendations you could make to somebody that’s barely familiar with Aphex Twin. A song that he essentially admitted to making to troll people, and another which was openly an attempt at making something more radio friendly... so a novelty record, and deliberately watered down Aphex Twin. Doesn’t reflect the true essence of his work or artistic ability at all tbh.

[@xbenci]

those who say these are some of his worst tracks are snobs. definitely agree that they're not reflective of his work though

[@b.l.fisher8230]

@@xbenci I know, I just recommended some "more accessible" tracks for a review. Some of his other stuff is a bit strange. The internet...😖

[@ThePangro]

and the beat that is just impossible to program, aphex is a genius.

[@thewhorocks515]

This would be really good background music. Like way more enjoyable than a lot of the typical lo-fi stuff out there as that little bit of extra complexity makes this way more interesting to me.

[@pmc8451]

Domi & JD Beck have started playing “Flim” during their live shows, but of course JD Beck is not your average drummer.

[@STAR0SS]

Avril 14th is a bit of an interlude / contrasting element and doesn't make much sense outside of the album. I think Jynweythek and Vordhosbn (first two tracks of the album) would give you a much better idea of what the album is about. That said if I had to recommend a single track it would probably be syro u473t8+e [141.98][piezoluminescence mix] (easily the best synth solo ever written).

[@machinegunhippy]

Agree

[@sb848]

I believe avril 14th was performed on a pianola or something of the sort.

[@regortex3364]

Is this channel just a somewhat brilliant troll? I salute you sir, well done.

[@davidlukey5189]

Can't wait to see your face if you ever react to Come To Daddy.

[@sampitman3630]

you never mention the lack of a drop in flim

[@Kostly]

aphex twin is one man bro

[@FelihKitten]

54 Cymru Beats

[@DrDeepstack]

1997 baby

[@user-ec3tb9xe6p]

Nice one! Check out Aphex's "Meltphace 6" for sound designer's heaven.

[@nonyabiz9487]

So how i heard Ahex Twin did it he was on very little sleep and just composed a ton of stuff than had his friends pick out the ones they liked the best thus becoming his biggest hits.... My question what was he on when he did Come to Daddy? Most of been some serious sleep depravation man!

[@CatsAreRubbish]

Avril 14th was made for/performed on a player piano.

[@xx-ug9hn]

A prepared piano?

[@CatsAreRubbish]

@@xx-ug9hn Sometimes called a pianola en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_piano

[@xx-ug9hn]

@Cats Are Rubbish right, I remember reading something about this

[@HawkOfGP]

@@xx-ug9hn I think on this track the piano sounds normal and not 'prepared' but on many of the other piano tracks like Jynweythek (my favourite) he's messed with the the sound quite a bit.

[@xx-ug9hn]

@@HawkOfGP beautiful track

[@gowtham7673]

Do more aphex twins. You should hear Vordhosbin from Drukqs. One of his best IMO. And rest of his ambient works too.

[@disasteriz3766]

He should analize QKThr

[@machinegunhippy]

Please do more aphex twin!! Have you dove into more of his music 🎶 man ?? What do you think? Anyhow u got a sub I like you brother thank you

[@CriticalReactions]

I listened to a couple of tracks on my own and they've shown up in 1 or 2 of the livestreams. I'm probably close to having heard 5 or 6 songs. It's interesting but not necessarily my cup of tea. I haven't quite figure out of that's because of the music itself or if I just need more time to acclimate to their unique take on electronica music.

[@machinegunhippy]

Awesome man .. he exploded my head once it clicked .. here check this one out brother kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWPTmXWafa6Yl9U

[@gr00veh0lmes]

@@CriticalReactions maybe start from the beginning of his catalogue, as he developed he became much wilder.

[@kelpkelp5252]

What actually is a song?

[@imambaybars3405]

check out Alberto Balsalm

[@Quoyth]

fuckin hell yyeah

[@glenn1974]

react to t69 collapse :P!

[@Juan-wo7zu]

Flim

[@RaduGiurgiu]

Just an advice, next time, please listen a couple a while, the coment. The idea is to listen at least a while, the you can come with more awesome and understandable fair critic! 👍👍👍

[@raphael.cavalcanti3301]

Now listen to Come to Daddy

[@duncanlgeoghegan6333]

Looks a bit like Aphex Twin too.

[@glenn1974]

Could you check sometime Boards of Canada or Autechre? more people i feel need to check them atleast, I'll subsribe if you do these :P!

[@l1fef0rm]

Read into how he made avril 14th. its far from "traditional playing".

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

Boards of Canada is an electronica band with a ton of filler tracks. It's a pity "The Devil is in the Details" is just over three and a half minutes. It's one of the most disturbing tracks I know, along with Kate Bush's "Under Ice" (which is 2:22). "A is To B as B is To C" follows on from "The Devil is in the Details". A really interesting track, as is "Roygbiv". (Or maybe I just like the groove.)

[@ggluckmanful]

Did you mean ‘killer’? If so, I’d agree.

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

@@ggluckmanful "killer"? You got me there. (Adamski comes to mind.)

[@ggluckmanful]

Just wasn’t sure what you meant by “Filler tracks” but also a fan of the Boards.

[@jeannettesimpson9778]

@@ggluckmanful I meant the short tracks they use between the longer tracks. They all stand together, but I think they can stand alone.

[@ggluckmanful]

Haha, that entirely makes sense but I didn’t clock it at all. I guess ‘filler’ rings more pejoratively to me and I couldn’t square it with your enthusiasm.

[@FefferoniDadadel]

nooooooooooooo

[@perhvarnes]

Aphex Twin looks (and sounds?) like Jamiroquai on acid :-)