Aphex Twin - DrukQs

 Welcome back everyone to the blog! Today, I will be reviewing Aphex Twin's fifth studio album, DrukQs. Cool story: This album actually exists because Mr. Richard forgot an MP3 player with almost 200 unreleased songs from him, on a plane and with the fear of these tracks being leaked online, he quickly put together an album, featuring some of these songs. However, from what I know, the tracks never got leaked so... yeah. Enough chit-chat, this album is long, let's get started!

Disclaimer: A lot of these tracks have really weird names.

And starting off the album, we have Jynweythek. It had a very oriental feel to it, featuring instruments you'd hear in a generic East-Asian setting. It was pretty slow and calm, giving off a great start to this album.

Next we have a song that I had heard before, Vordhosbn. It was a beat-oriented track, featuring some synth melodies in the background. It would worked on "The Richard D. James Album".

Kladfvgbung Mischk was another beat-oriented track, only much slower, featuring some almost tribal sounding percussion and bell-like chimes. Pretty good track.

Omgyjya-Switch7 brought back the fast drums, and some weird whip-like sounds. Nothing else special about this track actually.

Strotha Tynhe was a simple piano melody. It had melancholic feel to it, but was overall a nice track.

Gwely Mernans was just eerie noises. That's pretty much it, yet still was an interesting song.

Moving on, Bbydhyonchord was completely different from anything else I would have expected to hear from Aphex Twin, having an almost tropical vibe to it, it was very relaxing and reminded me of tracks I'd hear around the middle of "Selected Ambient Works Volume II", just nice and simple songs.

Cock/ver10 was very energetic and overall just an absolute bop. But my favourite part was at 2:48 in the song, you can hear someone yell out "Come on, you c*nt, let's have some Aphex acid!". Ahh, absolutely beautiful...

... Actually, Avril 14th may just be the most beautiful Aphex Twin song to ever exist. It's soothing piano melody is just absolutely amazing. 10/10.

Also, Kanye tried to sample this without permission and even tried to rip Mr. Richard off! Thankfully, he later credited him.

Moving on, Mt. Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount was eight whole minutes of fast and bombastic drums and glitch melodies. Was just all over the place, didn't really leave an impression on me.

Gwarek2 started off simliar to Mt. Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount, but transitioned through some eerie noises and the rest of the song, being a whole 5 more minutes, where just creeking and metal sounds. Disappointing.

Orban Eq Trx 4 was a quick hip-hop beat. Nothing else to it.

Aussois was just 13 seconds of unintelligible whispers.

Hy A Scullyas Lyf Adhagrow was very simliar to the first song of this album, Jynweythek, having a very oriental vibe to it.

Kesson Dalek was a short piano melody, with a very urgent feel to it. Pretty neat.

54 Cymru Beats was an epic beat-oriented track, with some heavy, metallic sounding drums and a surpsingly catchy glitch melody.

Btoum-Roumada was an orchestral sounding song, with a very eerie undertone to it.

Now, time for the most wholesome song I have ever heard in my life... Lornaderek. It's not even a song, it's voice message from Aphex Twin's parents , wishing him a Happy 28th Birthday. It was just so wholesome, it was... a Keanu Reeves Wholesome 100 Big Chungus Reddit Moment.

QKThr was a short accordion melody.

Now back to the fast drumming! Meltphace 6 was another great drum 'n' bass song. Just a really good track! Nothing else to say.

Bit 4 was 20 seconds weird alien-like synth noises.

Prep Gwarek 36 was a short, very echoey drum melody, similiar to what you would hear from a street drummer. Pretty neat.

Father was a whole minute of random piano keys being played.

Taking Control was a drum oriented song, but not as catchy as previous ones.

Petiatil Cx Htdui was a short, eerie piano melody, with a lot of reverb. It was surprinsingly atmospheric.

Ruglen Holon was a soothing Asian-sounding melody, with not really that much to it.

Afx237 v.7 was a chaotic, yet catchy beat-oriented song, with not that many glitch effects. It is actually one of my favourite songs from this album.

Ziggomatic 17, though fast paced, had a soothing background synth, that went surprinsingly well together. It was another great track.

Beskhu3epnm reminded me of those eerie songs on Selected Ambient Works Volume II. Those slow and very atmospheric songs.

And finally, we have Nanou2. An absolutely beautiful piano piece that ended this chaotic album perfectly.

So, what are my final thoughts? This album is all over the place, and doesn't have a reccuring theme. Amazing! Absolutely amazing! This was just a completely different experience.

Score: 9/10