Composer Reacts to Aphex Twin - Rhubarb (REACTION & ANALYSIS)

Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Aphex Twin - Rhubarb
ORIGINAL VIDEO // • Aphex Twin - Rhubarb
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0:00 Intro
0:30 Reaction
8:09 Analysis - It's Just One Idea!
10:33 Analysis - Had This Same Theme In Composition Jam
13:18 Analysis - Emotional Mixture
16:53 Analysis - All Of The Layers and Variations
21:09 Analysis - Commenting on the Time Signature
26:11 Analysis - How the 9/4 is Broken Up
32:12 Outro

[@gustavovalladares5296]

I've cried my eyes out to this song. The fact that it's actually "untitled" allows for so much creativity in the listener's side that the impact is enduring. Frankly one of the best ambient songs in history.

[@HawkOfGP]

Yeah, I'd like to add for context that the title "Rhubarb" is actually a nickname that the fans came up with based on the booklet for Selected Ambient Works II which has a corresponding photograph for each track instead of titles. For this track it's a photo of rhubarb stalks.

[@pengukingmusic]

alongside Stone In Focus

[@zack2804]

Almost all of Aphex's works are untitled. They're untitled, because each one is a different state of being.

[@gengraded]

@@zack2804 Not true, while the SAW albums did just have images and the tracks were untitled most of his tracks are lists of the hardware and memory banks used to create the track. Probably an easier way for him to recognize the tune since he will know what machines were used to make it.

[@mrdetonia]

Gorgeous track from easily one of the most influential electronic artist of the past few decades. Each track on this album is very much like this - a simple idea that evolves and gets played around with over the course of the track. He described it as "standing in a factory on acid", which... yeah... The precursor to this album (Selected Ambient Works 85-92) is much more rooted in techno, and pretty much invented a few genres that became big in the UK electronic scene afterwards. It's very dated by today's standards but well worth checking out if you haven't already.

[@julien3949]

i cry everytime i listen to that track. Sometimes because of sadness but mostly because life is amazing. We're so lucky to feel emotions like that

[@MichaelOdomwest16thAve]

Aphex, really no other like him. Boards of Canada will pull your emotions out as well

[@kinggeedorah9228]

Looking forward to a possible boards of Canada reaction

[@isaiahromero9861]

My favorite band of all time. An Aquarius reaction would be sick

[@kinggeedorah9228]

@@isaiahromero9861 2 years later and still waiting:(

[@pooty195]

this and William Basinski's Disintegretation Loops have been heavily used in my sleep playlist

[@pepperbytez8128]

I like the paul-stretched version a lot. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2SUmqmsd6ajr7c

[@_portis]

Missed this one til now. Ambient vibe hypeless melancholy. Truly a classic in the ambient genre. The great thing about deep ambient music is that 30 years on you add even more nostalgia. Good on you for "tackling" a track that's very non-reaction centered.

[@iggypopdrop3509]

If your in the right mood you should check out the whole album Selected Ambient Works Vol II. You nailed the mixed emotional aspect. It carries through the whole album, mixing beauty with a kind of off-kilter feeling. I’ve never heard anything else like it.

[@jda1069]

For me, the 9th beat relaxes the feeling a lot, leaving room to breathe. In combination with the video, I think this is about relaxation. A break from the stressful, marching modern life.

[@kendrit4885]

Amazing. We had very similar experiences with this song, the difference is that I love this one, is in my top 3 of all time. I will follow you, you are the first analyst of songs that I actually "get"

[@rafaelcamargossantos]

amazing track and amazing analysis, especially when you were talking about the emotions it invoked in you

[@ggluckmanful]

I recall on the last Aphex Twin reaction you did, during the electronica theme week, offering the idea that he’d reversed the purposes of rhythm and melody; the metronome of time and the events that mark time with interest, respectively. This track seemed like an example of a similar technique. To me, the repetitive melody line feels like breathing. The instrument choices as well, call to mind both breath and repetitive motion in the woodwinds and strings. Throw on top of that the minimal dynamism, and I feel like the whole thing is about producing an experience of time, slow introspective bucolic time.

[@ggluckmanful]

Wrote that before I listened to your full reaction. Guess we had a similar experience.

[@ggluckmanful]

Think I hear the nine as a beat between inhales and exhales, not the chugging breath of evenly/symmetrically numbered signatures.

[@CriticalReactions]

That's a great interpretation of that. Sort of forcing the song itself to make natural moments of breath.

[@progperljungman8218]

Beautiful! I'd like to hear this as a soundtrack to something fitting. Just focusing on this?... well as a meditation perhaps.

[@CriticalReactions]

100%. It's gorgeous background music.

[@lingling8046]

I want this to b played at my funeral while everyone is about to leave

[@georgesigalas738]

Come to Daddy for me :)

[@static_motion]

Among my absolute favourite Aphex Twin tracks. I can't even estimate how many times I've just laid in bed with this track playing through my headphones to wind down from a tough day. It's one the most meditative pieces of music I know. I love ambient music, but not a lot of ambient artists can pull it off like he can. I'd love to hear your thoughts on a group named Carbon Based Lifeforms, especially the track "Gryning". One of the biggest masters of ambient in my opinion.

[@SavageIntent]

Oh my gosh the footage is of Cape Town, where I grew up but havent been in ten years. Those mountains look like my childhood.

[@bloop6013]

visit it then!!

[@maxwoodworth]

Having listened to this song and album A LOT as a teenager when it first came out and constantly through the years up until now as a middle aged whatever I always get a powerful reaction to this track. I remember being super stoned listening to this at 18 and crying like a baby listening to it the day my mother died. It’s been with me.

[@Absolute.Virtue]

I don't think songs like these are good react content but it's interesting to hear you having to talk about super simple songs for 30 minutes. :D I love songs like these but I'm also not analytical at all in my listening. I'm all about creating an atmosphere or a vibe for myself or to use music as a tool, like using it to help winding me down after a long day at work or listening to hardstyle when I'm running or working out despite never listening to that style of music otherwise - just because of how much it helps drive me forward. I appreciate you keeping it diverse with your selections.

[@adrianodiaz6995]

You should also check early Autechre tracks, they came from the same musica humus of Aphex Twin (they even published on the same record label if I remember correctly)

[@_portis]

yes, they are both from WARP records. WARP were leading edge in the electronic field, capturing some of the most important electronic music of all time for sure.

[@georgesigalas738]

what a time that was..aphex, autechre, μ-ziq, squarepusher, boards, cylob..

[@codysmith8578]

a masterpiece of ambient here especially given this was published in 1994... "Richard D James album" is probs his magnum opus. i recommend Girl/Boy song next :) in regards to 'stacking on the layers', his newest album, Syno, is the pinnacle. each song is like 4 or 5 regular person songs... not as critically acclaimed as others, but definitely a new high water mark, imo.

[@stereoreservoir]

min maxing is a video gaming term so it was hilarious to hear you talk about "Maximizing the minimality of it" but you also made a really good metaphor out of it without even realizing it. this song is absolutely min max Marty lol. Glad to see more Phex on the channel. 🧸 you should check out "rhubarb donkey" next

[@OnlyCockroach]

the way i could see your eyes tearing up while listenning to this distinct Aphex Twin track really hit me in the feels.

[@rt-viz954]

This is the thing, you said " I would not make this music, as people would find it boring" aphex doesnt make music for people, he makes it for himself and it is whatever he wants to make.

[@CriticalReactions]

I hope most composers make music for themselves first. I suppose I should have said "as I would find it boring" which is better than speaking for other people (though I stand behind the original statement in regards to mainstream music listeners) and doesn't imply that I make music for others (outside of commissioned work).

[@rt-viz954]

@@CriticalReactions ah that makes sense ! Good video though, really enjoyed it would like to see you review some songs from styro the melody is constantly changing, not even like a progressive change just like it cuts and swaps melodies

[@captainhindsight5903]

Warm melancholy 😌 Crazy how time speeds up with age, im suddenly 40, how and when did that happen😬

[@CriticalReactions]

Exactly!!!!

[@coleoakley8661]

This is where ambient music peaked

[@gadpivs]

When it comes to any genre of music, we see a lot of what I'd call imitators -- people who superficially listen to music, then try to recreate it. These people make up the vast majority of any genre, as elitist as that sounds, but Mr. James here is doing something very specific, very melodically and texturally directed, if you're paying attention. Regardless, I've always wondered why most ambient music is far more static than this album. You can go through an entire album and not be able to tell one track apart from another, but on this album, no track sounds like any other.

[@jamesbarels469]

I think you might find Peter Zachos breakdown of the track worthwhile. The feelings you get out of it that you describe I feel are connected to the way the idea is presented. "We'll circle back to it" wrote itself in this review.

[@TheSocez]

It would be very interesting to make a video about Ziggomatic 17 or Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michel Mount. Or Omgyjya-Switch7. All of them from his album Drukqs!

[@old_slap]

This track has always made me think of something out of Twin Peaks.

[@CHROMIUMHEROmusic]

You should check out Floating Points! Couple good starting points are his collaborative album 'Promises' and his EP 'Shadows'

[@aramchek]

Ok, if you're going electronic you HAVE to do Venetian Snares.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Aphex Twin is a name that even a complete electronic music newb like me has heard of, and I know how massively influential he's been both within the genre and even outside of it. I enjoy everything I've heard from him, but tracks like this are better as background music or even imagined as a kind of emotional kindling for scenes from an imagined film rather than active, attentive listening.

[@dmitrigukasov8618]

Can't believe you reacted Aphex Twin. I highly recommend to do a revisit. He has a ton of heavy stuff. Come to Daddy would be a good heavy electronic track to check out.

[@_portis]

my recommendation would be stay away from Come To Daddy.

[@11vvERN]

@@_portis Absolutely agree, same with Ventolin

[@_portis]

@@11vvERN agree 👍

[@DAVIDE-bk8by]

@@_portis Me too, there are so many tracks from him that are better, anything from the Selected Ambient Works 85-92 album, which is my favourite album of all time

[@_portis]

@@DAVIDE-bk8by Mine is I Care Because You Do

[@fabianriechers195]

There are three people in the UK that I'd love to meet and have chat with one day: Aphex Twin, Banksy and Steven Wilson.

[@3rd_ear]

about rhythms/time signatures please investigate hindustani - north indian and carnatic - south indian systems. percussionists like Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, Zakir Hussain, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, T.H.Vikku Vinayakram. must see how their fingers work :)

[@threedeemelodies]

you should do Boards of Canada - An Eagle In Your Mind it’ll blow u away!!!! promise :P

[@chernobylcoleslaw6698]

One of my top 10 songs of all time I'm not aware of a more beautiful song. When I drift of this mortal coil I hope this song is playing. Also Aphex Twin is just one guy. :-P

[@CashewBestofNuts]

8:39 8:39 Have you not listened to boards of canada?

[@CriticalReactions]

That doesn't sounds familiar

[@CashewBestofNuts]

@@CriticalReactions are you being sarcastic?

[@CriticalReactions]

@@CashewBestofNuts Nope. I checked out some of their most popular songs on KZbin and I don't think I've even heard them before.

[@dalek604]

​@CriticalReactions yeh, I've not seen you do Boatds of Canada yet, which comes as a slight surprise as you've done Aphex, Autechre, Clark, and Squarepusher.

[@dalek604]

I'd be interested in your take of Boards of Canada's Geogaddi

[@ghostly606]

Try Taken by Eluvium. Same idea. Beautiful

[@yigitozver4345]

Burial - Raver

[@dumbstupid5065]

Guarantee you this song was written faster and then he slowed the whole track down. He does this.

[@markstubington8730]

Aphex twin is one man who is a prodigy whose body of work using several monikers since his free time is spent making music of which 10% has been released and if you don't agree his status is God like it's his mate's who determine what is going to be selected. You were speechless at the end because RDJ knows music is not to be spoken about. Like John cage his instruments are all made by his own stuff no synthetic. He said he could have done Kid A in his sleep and doesn't rate Steve reich. His other monikers are polygon window, caustic window, gak, diceman, AFX, to name a few but aphex twin is his most popular. Listen to acrid avid jam or fingerbib just beauty pure beauty

[@efphy6219]

Really inovate band no doubt

[@perhvarnes]

Techno Burzum. Just kidding 😂

[@efphy6219]

What happened in the burzum video it's kinda a shame, keep in mind that I do not support varg vikernes believes by any means but what he did for black metal and how he composed Black metal it's really among the best musically (I didn't got the chance to see what exactly happened in the comment section but I got a idea). As one of the pioner bands Burzum influence is everywhere in the genre.

[@efphy6219]

I still think the song Burzum - Dunkelheit is a must to react to, It's one the cathiest and one of the best uses of black metal usual characteristics

[@efphy6219]

Also this is me just casually commenting this and pointing out, I don't want this to spead controversy in a Aphex Twin video which is a really good project

[@radfaraf]

It's really strange to me that you can call it boring and evocative emotionally at the same time!

[@CriticalReactions]

Those are across two totally different axes. Something can be emotionally engaging while lacking the depth to be intellectually engaging. My go-to example is the White Painting, a style of painting that a few artists have done, consisting of either a blank canvas or a canvas painted entirely, or mostly, white. It's not very interesting on an intellectual level but that's something transformative about seeing it in an art gallery -- something that registers on an emotional level, a human level. I think that's where Aphex Twin is at with this piece.

[@articircle]

Haunting atmosphere, but I found it hard to pay attention to.

[@CriticalReactions]

I think something like this would be amazing for background music. Something calming to meditate or work to.

[@articircle]

@@CriticalReactions oh, for sure. Just not so much a focused listening kind of song for me

[@joalco3]

"composer" lmao

[@pantsedjuniorhayseed4816]

he looks like he got into mommy's makeup