Aphex Twin - Drukqs

Warp Records

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of Aphex Twin's fifth studio album 'drukqs', pronounced Druk-Queues(?). Drukqs is 100 minutes of Richard D. James. Is there a more appealing statement with regards to electronic music?

Sprawling and sporadic in nature drukqs is the most indulgent release that the Warp Records pioneer has released in his music career. When the length of a project exceeds the hour mark things can tend to go askew. Keeping the material up to par as the runtime increases proves to be an extreme creative hurdle for even the most exploratory of artists. Aphex Twin is no pushover on the creative front and even he has trouble avoiding potholes. By extending the length of a work you increase the chance of slipping into said potholes. The Beatles for instance, known for their forward approach to music making and knack for experimentation, produced many blunders along the course of the White Album. It's not necessarily a 'bad' thing either. It can serve as character and enhance the enigmatic quality of a work. One of the only ways to guarantee an album of 100 minutes is worth every minute is to repeat the same proven formula and iterate. That would become monotonous swiftly. The inadequacies and jumbled nature of drukqs is one of its key elements. It makes it unique and incomparable. Unapologetically idiosyncratic. An experience unto itself.

Drukqs covers every electronic corner possible and much more. The usual left leaning approach is adopted in signature Aphex Twin style. Eccentric electronic music, bent out of shape and molded to fit a misshapen view of life.

October 22nd, 2001.