Aphex Twin Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt 2 Review: Richard D. James brings the odd with this quick collection of jazzy soundscapes. 

[rating=4]

Aphex Twin’s 2014 comeback album SYRO was a more than welcome return for the enigmatic electronic music iconoclast.

But the one complaint leveled at the album (of which I concurred) was that it felt a bit too…well let’s say too safe. Sure there were his usual quirky moments, but they weren’t as apparent in the overall compositions and construction.

Well, seemingly to answer/appease/prove that he can still bring the weird, Richard D. James is back with  Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt 2, a surprise 13 track EP from Warp Records.

The title seems quite literal; it sounds like natural instruments cut and pasted in an off-kilter sonic skew.

diskhat ALL prepared1mixed 13 is the leadoff track, and ti sets the template for whats to follow: subterranean bass, jazz percussion, and swampy reverb that would sound perfect as a stake out theme in a futuristic thriller. There’s even a hint of the scuzzy urban blues of David Holmes of DJ Shadow if they went on a bender together.

You may ask why a 13 track collection would be considered an EP, and the answer would be the brevity of said tracks: snar2 is literally 20 seconds of a snare drum. piano un1 arpej is a 50 second manic-depressive piano concerto, and disk aud1_12 sounds like a music box in fast forward (its 9 seconds in total).

Luckily the meatier tracks are more satisfying, such as the cloudy funk of hat5c 0001 rec-4, and the ghostly gong soundscape of disk prep calrec2 barn dance [slo]. And there’s ambient piano bliss with piano un10 it happened.

It’s this crazy quilt quality that most calls to mind his 2001 album Drukgs, a blink and you’ll miss it sonic collage affair that remains a polarizing release.

So while it may alienate casual fans, diehards will still want to scoop up Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt 2 . Given that there’s even more rumored Aphex Twin material coming soon, one can only imagine where he’s headed next.

You can preview/order Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt 2  from Amazon and iTunes via the links below:

[amazon_image id=”B00RZUVC1Y” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt 2 EP (Vinyl)[/amazon_image]