Aphex Twin Has New Mutation-Based Music Software in the Works
If you had the chance to listen to Aphex Twin's latest LP, 'Syro,' you'll quickly notice all the quirky nuances in Richard D. James' music. Just in case you didn't, he recently shared a lengthy list of all the high-tech equipment he used to make it.
While the intergalactic sounds are mesmerizing and most likely complicated to put together, it looks like James is finding a way to make things easier for himself next time around. In an piece for German magazine Groove, 25 artists, producers and other music makers asked the Apex Twin mastermind questions about everything from his life goals to his latest album. But when Native Instruments founder Mate Gallic asked him a very techy question about his use of hardware and software, James tossed back an answer that makes him come off more like a mad scientist than a DJ.
I’ve actually recently hired a Chinese programmer to make music software for me. It’s taking the concept of mutation into music software. You give the program some sounds you made and then it gives you six variations of it and then you choose the one you like most and then it makes another six and it kind of keeps trying to choosing the variations by itself. It’s a bit like that, but more advanced, but basically it starts with a sound, analyzes it, then does different versions of variations. It randomizes, it compares all of them to the original and then it picks the best one. It sounds totally awesome, but it needs to be tweeked a little bit. I will continue with this. I have a whole book full of ideas for software and instruments.
While there's no word on whether he's already used this new software or when his next LP will be out (keep in mind he surprised everyone with 'Syro'), this gives us hope there will be more from Aphex Twin in the near future.
Aphex Twin - minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]