Album:    Richard D. James Album
Artist:   Aphex Twin
Label:    Warp Records
Released: 1996-11-04
Summary:  Harsh, complex beats and quirky samples never sounded so good.

First off, this album was apparently almost entirely written on a
computer.  While a fully integrated digital environment can make the
music writing process much easier, some people are adamant that
purely digital sounds lack the warmth of old, analogue keyboards.
To grossly oversimplify a holy war, many people prefer the aesthetic
qualities of sounds that are imperfect as they sound more natural
and give the ear little details to relish in.

So naturally, Richard D. James released an album that not only
sounds somewhat harsh and abrasive but also sounds like it contains
a lot of cheap samples and a fair few homebrew ones, from orchestral
sounds that won't fool anyone to samples of the ZX Spectrum game
Jetpac - including the noise of it loading.  Surprisingly, the result
is actually rather good.  Maybe he wanted to prove that high quality
sounds aren't as important as original ideas.  Then again, maybe he
just wanted to see what he could get away with.

Like much of his other work, the eponymous Richard D. James Album
is more like a sketchbook of ideas than a finished album.  If you
want to listen to something instantly accessible then you'd be better
off listening to one of the many groups he has influenced, but if
you're persistent, this quaint little album just may grow on you.

As far as its sound goes, it mainly consists of intricately programmed
drum samples that are far too fast and complex to actually be played
by a real drummer.  Once you manage to stop focusing on this insane
percussion, however, it actually makes a weirdly appropriate backdrop
for the melodies and bizarre sounds that make the album so good.
(Incidently, two of the melodies also featured on the mythical demo
tape Melodies From Mars.)

This album's actually surprisingly coherent for Richard D. James,
which makes a pleasant change.  It even rises to a suitably manic
climax with Girl/Boy Song, which sounds partly orchestral and partly
like a drummer having an epileptic fit.

While not easily accessible, Richard D. James Album is original and
very interesting.  It's also pretty humourous in places, which is
quite impressive for instrumental music.  It won't be to everybody's
taste, though, so it's worth listening to it before you decide whether
to buy it or not.
