How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92 • Hacker News Board

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#21

Post by eagleal » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:02 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

Being trained to appreciate it.

Ambient music in harmonics or patterns is a lot more abstract and different then pop, so to the untrained ear it looks more generally like "static noise" and boring. Trained ears you can for example take notice of evolving patterns (albeit their usually slow evolution, seemingly repetitive). And it's not only about the stuff you're hearing but also about what could be and what I call the negative space in-between (sorta like the counterpoint in classical music).

It's the same phenomenon as to why you'd like more songs on a particular genre you're accustomed to like Pop, then to something different in patterns like Metal.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#22

Post by Synaesthesia » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:03 PM UTC

karmicthreat wrote: post #15

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

Drukqs was great because it was something different. He has been kind of hit or miss since then.

I really liked Syro personally, as a long time fan.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#23

Post by peatfreak » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:06 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

I like his music a lot, but I do get tired of nerds constantly fawning all over him.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#24

Post by sph » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:08 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

I have loved Daft Punk for a long time, but one day I wanted to learn more about Aphex Twin and IDM in general and I must say it's an acquired taste. It's like getting into whiskeys.

There are still some tracks that are impenetrable, but I've been enjoy this album and the works of Squarepusher a lot. Squarepusher has such a wide range of sounds it might be a better gateway drug. I love the unapologetic electronic, artificial, synthetic feel of these two artists.

These were my ways into the genre:

- Aphex Twin - T69 Collapse (https://youtu.be/SqayDnQ2wmw) (as someone said "it's like jacking into cyberspace, but the RAR is corrupted")

- This album

- Squarepusher - Terminal Slam (https://youtu.be/GlhV-OKHecI)

- Squarepusher - Hello Everything (album)

In general many genres outside of pop are an acquired taste. If they were easy to get into, they would be called pop. You just need to find a way in, even if you decide it's not for you.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#25

Post by pavlov » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:13 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

Daft Punk is fine, it's fun pop music extremely well executed, but it doesn't transport me anywhere. Listening to Aphex Twin always felt like I'm taking a journey somewhere.

It requires some focus, but doesn't need a massive cultural decoder ring like many kinds of contemporary Western art music. (I mean the post-WWII music by classically trained composers.)

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#26

Post by billfruit » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

sph wrote: post #24

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

I have loved Daft Punk for a long time, but one day I wanted to learn more about Aphex Twin and IDM in general and I must say it's an acquired taste. It's like getting into whiskeys. There are still some tracks that are impenetrable, but I've been enjoy this album and the works of Squarepusher a lot. Squarepusher has such a wide range of sounds it might be a better gateway drug. I love the unapologetic electronic, ar…

Like for example Daft Punk has a crystal clear sound that seems to have a certain warmth to it, and their seeming high production values, their good diversity of sounds in their work.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#27

Post by laumars » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #20

laumars wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do some people prefer Daft Punk to Led Zepplin? Or Tchaikovsky, Frank Sinatra, Taylor Swift, Bolt Thrower, Sex Pistols, Tupac or any other artist? People like what they like and are interested in what they're interested in. A thousand people could post intellectual insights into their personal preferences but a thousand more could cite the exact same arguments as reasons why they don't like the same music. It's j…

People's individual preference is a thing, but it does not explain anything. But one can seek to understand the aesthetics of something none the less.

You cannot explain it though.

I could say I'm drawn to Aphex Twin because it all sounds really diverse but someone else would say they disagree and prefer rock music because Aphex Twin sounds really samey.

The problem with conversations about personal preference is it's not a rational decision. You either like something or you don't. Someone could try to intellectualize why they like something but ultimately that reasoning only applies to them.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#28

Post by billfruit » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:18 PM UTC

pavlov wrote: post #25

billfruit wrote: post #13

Anyone else find the music of Apex Twin not appealing? Like in comparison with for example, Daft Punk, what makes some people consider Aphex Twin as interesting music?

Daft Punk is fine, it's fun pop music extremely well executed, but it doesn't transport me anywhere. Listening to Aphex Twin always felt like I'm taking a journey somewhere. It requires some focus, but doesn't need a massive cultural decoder ring like many kinds of contemporary Western art music. (I mean the post-WWII music by classically trained composers.)

Philip Glass is one of the post WW2 composers whose music does not need a cultural decoder ring. His music is distinctively Glass-ian, I think very few musicians have carved out such a distinctive musical identity.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#29

Post by laumars » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:20 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #26

sph wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have loved Daft Punk for a long time, but one day I wanted to learn more about Aphex Twin and IDM in general and I must say it's an acquired taste. It's like getting into whiskeys. There are still some tracks that are impenetrable, but I've been enjoy this album and the works of Squarepusher a lot. Squarepusher has such a wide range of sounds it might be a better gateway drug. I love the unapologetic electronic, ar…

Like for example Daft Punk has a crystal clear sound that seems to have a certain warmth to it, and their seeming high production values, their good diversity of sounds in their work.

Daft Punks first two albums weren't like that. They were a little darker and had a rawer production value with very simplistic (read: not very diverse) sounds running through them.

To be clear, this isn't a dig at Daft Punk. I love their early stuff. I'm just making a point that you cannot distill an artist or genre down to a single sentence and use that as an explanation for why you like something.

Re: How Aphex Twin Made Selected Ambient Works 85-92

#30

Post by pavlov » Wed, Nov 09, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #28

pavlov wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Daft Punk is fine, it's fun pop music extremely well executed, but it doesn't transport me anywhere. Listening to Aphex Twin always felt like I'm taking a journey somewhere. It requires some focus, but doesn't need a massive cultural decoder ring like many kinds of contemporary Western art music. (I mean the post-WWII music by classically trained composers.)

Philip Glass is one of the post WW2 composers whose music does not need a cultural decoder ring. His music is distinctively Glass-ian, I think very few musicians have carved out such a distinctive musical identity.

Indeed! I would recommend the Met Opera production of Glass's "Akhnaten" to absolutely anyone, even if they don't like traditional opera or contemporary music in a concert setting. It's transcendental with very beautiful staging.