Aphex Twin – Drukqs

Druqks couldn't be more intriguing, than the coupled piano numbers that speckle this semi-compilation. Some tracks leave me scratching my head, but many of them were "taking up space" on one of Richard's hard drives. The nature of them should be considered. And, personally, I would source the tracks from his website in a higher bitrate than what's available through streaming. The discs themselves and package are important, though, to collectors (like myself). If you're a fan of AFX, this record is for you. Let the music play...

Drukqs is a spectacular Aphex Twin album, you can be sure of that, though I do agree that there is a feeling of less moving forward in it. However, does that mean the music isn't as good? I don't think so, this album caught me the first listen, and the more I would come back to it, the more I found to it. If anything, it is kind of like a big meeting point for all of his previous work, like before everything was pointing to a single place, and this is it. Not his best, but quite good none the less.

The apex of Aphex. The songs may not stand out upon the first few listens, but delve in and you will find an alien world of soundscapes like nothing Richard James has ever created before. DRUKQS follows its own rules and its own logic; if you're not willing to submit to them, then no wonder you're not going to like it. The atmosphere is one of familiarity, but uncertainty; musical phrases are repeated, detuned and deconstructed, from song to song, suggesting an almost concept-like approach. Once you start listening, you won't want to stop.

Quit now, Richie, you're never going to top it.

This is Aphex's worst album by a long, long way. The prepared piano pieces are so light and inconsequential they'll blow away in the slightest breeze, and compared to a century of modern classical music they just don't stand up at all.

As for the hard and heavy electronic tunes, they re-hash all the same noises from the previous albums but with none of the imagination. Worst of all, they're embarrassingly BORING and they go nowhere (apart from "Meltphace 6" which is one of his best tracks ever).

The abiding impression when listening to 'Drukqs' is that whereas on his previous albums there was a definite sense of stepping, nay sprinting, forward musically and in of ideas, here he's just treading water and in danger of drowning in mediocrity. As a rabid Aphex fan it pains me to write this, but 'Drukqs' sukqs.

His most abstract album, and IMO one of the best. Maybe it's just imipramine withdrawal but I'm really getting into it. This is the thing more people should be buying, instead of the cookie-cutter rave crap, with the same freakin' boom TSHH boom TSHH boom TSHH rhythm over and over...