Aphex Twin my beloved, where do I even begin? Richard D. James, better known as Aphex Twin, has well earned his title as one of the most influential electronic musicians of all time. His most famous releases remain his collections of “ambient works,” where he uses a multitude of synthetic waves and electronic beats to create absolutely magnificent tracks. Aphex Twin’s albums have a wide range of tone, although each release somehow maintains the electric yet somber and inviting tones that he makes his trademark.
Aphex Twin’s newest release, Music from the Merch Desk hit streaming platforms in mid-December. A collection of various tracks that hail from a certain period in the artist’s life, it boasts an extraordinarily long album track list of 38 never-seen-before tracks. The music is split into six individual sections; Texas (2016), London (2017), London (2019), Manchester (2019), Barcelona (2023), and London (2023).
Each chapter reflects the shift in Aphex Twin’s interests as he began to focus heavily on the DJing element of his career over album releases. It leans more towards the dance and electric vibe to his music that accompanies much of his music. This collection gives attention to those tracks who ideas and flows were not necessarily processed into an official, fully idealized studio release.
While I love this idea, I feel like many of the songs on the album blend together. Few of the songs break the mold and all fall into a similar identity that make the album flow in the worst way. It found it hard to decipher each part, as an excruciating amount of the album sounds so similar. Also, many songs from the album features the same repeated beat for minutes at a time, leaving listeners desiring more variety from the extraordinarily long studio release.
However, I would not be writing this review if it found it all bad. Trust me, this album has some saving graces. I absolutely adore some songs from London 2017 and all of London 2019. This collection of songs felt like the true essence of the release. They stood out to me as they felt like original, fully baked Aphex Twin songs that so many of us have come to love.
My personal favorite track on the list is Nightmail (London 2019). It was the only song I found myself coming back to, even after my second listen-through of the album. Every listen brought a haunting vibe blended with an electric, trance-like beat over the following continuous lyrics;
This is the Night Mail crossing the border
Bringing the cheque and the postal order
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor
The shop at the corner and the girl next door
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb —
The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time
Nightmail is an excerpt of a poem written by W.H. Auden, back in 1936. The full poem captures the emotional need of mail and the fear of not being forgotten by others. In quoting this passage, Aphex Twin expresses his desire to stay relevant within the music field.
I wish I could love this release. I adore Aphex Twin, with Syro and Drukqs being some of my favorite albums of all time. But unfortunately, I would personally give this album a 7/10. While there are a decent amount of hits, the album certainly leaves much to be desired, especially from an artist as incredibly talented as Aphex Twin.
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