Iconic electronic artist Aphex Twin is releasing a new album next month, but that’s not all. He’s announcing worldwide listening parties for his fans before the record hits the shelves. Find out how to score tickets.
For the first time in 13 years, Aphex Twin is releasing new album. His comeback debut, Syro, is available starting September 23, 2014. The performer went on hiatus after his last album, Drukqs, came out in 2001.
The listening parties will host a select group of Aphex Twin fans who will get the chance to listen to the entire album before anyone else. Each event will play the album from start to finish. Fans won’t be able to buy the tickets to the event outright. You’ll have to win a ticket lottery run by Warp Records if you want to be part of the event.
Despite the long silence, Aphex Twin hasn’t been totally idle these past 13 years. He simply wasn’t working under his famous name.
Richard David James, the man behind Aphex Twin, worked under two other pseudonyms in the past decade: AFX and The Tuss. James tends to keep his pseudonyms to himself, leaving fans to guess which work he’s featured on.
His record label wouldn’t officially confirm that James was indeed The Tuss, and up until the Syro announcement, it was merely fan speculation and fodder for gossip around the obscure music water cooler. Along with the new album announcement, Warp Records finally put The Tuss rumor to rest, confirming James is behind it.
Although he’s put a pause on Aphex Twin for most of this century, the work still influences majorly famous musicians. James’ knack for producing some of the creepiest and most sonically laborious electronic songs hasn’t gone unnoticed by other artists. James recently slammed Kanye West for trying to rip off a sample from one of his songs and pass it off as West’s own.
James told Pitchfork in an interview that Kanye West ‘tried to fucking rip me off and claim that he’d written it, and they tried to get away with not paying.’ This interview came on the heels of the first details released about Aphex Twin’s new album.
According to the Pitchfork interview, the album will have performances from his family members on a few tracks. For casual Aphex Twin fans, James also says the album will be his most accessible one to-date.
Aphex Twin is famous for odd recordings featuring rare electronic instruments and synthesizers. Most of his songs sound unhinged and slightly spastic, with complicated drum loops and ambient instrumentation.
Fans who want to check out his new album in-full before its official release date can head to this address on Sunday, August 31 to sign up for the ticket lottery. Fans need to get there fast because the lottery closes on Tuesday, September 2 at midnight in your time zone.
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