♫♪  Aphex Twin - “minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]”

In 2013 alone we had Daft Punk, My Bloody Valentine, and Boards of Canada emerge from periods of inactivity that have lasted from eight years to nearly two decades. Another act whom we’ve collectively wondered whether or not we’ll ever hear any new material, Aphex Twin, has resurfaced! You’ve seen the blimp and gone into the “deep web,” all in the hope of finding news about new music from Richard D. James. Well, as I write this from a hotel room in Portland, we’re about nine days out from the release of RDJ’s Syro, his first record in thirteen years. The first song from the album, “minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix],” appeared online in the past week, and listening parties have already taken place around the world.

As far as the song goes, it whets the appetite for those who have been waiting on new Aphex music these past thirteen years. It’s neither as head-scratching and bloated as Drukqs nor as blissfully narcotic as SAW vols. I and II; rather, it’s an ideally low-key, acid-tinged return that picks up where he left off. Listening to this I can’t help but speculate on how the rest of Syro is going to sound, and whether or not it will be any good. I would not put it past RDJ to purposely put out a shitty record, sit back in his rocking chair, and laugh at all the critics and fans heaping praise on garbage all because it was stamped with the Aphex logo (I can’t help but think of this. Until Syro hits the streets next week, all we can do is speculate; however, I’m hoping that I can stop speculating and enjoy “minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]” for what it is, and that’s a damn good song.

• Aphex Twin: https://twitter.com/AphexTwin
• Warp: http://warp.net

Chocolate Grinder

CHOCOLATE GRINDER is our audio/visual section, with an emphasis on the lesser heard and lesser known. We aim to dig deep, but we’ll post any song or video we find interesting, big or small.

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