The new single from Aphex Swift
October 23, 2014 2:28 PM Subscribe
David Rees talks about his unstoppable mashup technique
posted by theodolite at 2:48 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by theodolite at 2:48 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Oh god, it's irresistable. Snare rush drill'n'bass, orchestral melancholy, and sugary pop hooks.
posted by naju at 2:57 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by naju at 2:57 PM on October 23, 2014
And yes, "Track 3" is a momentous event in pop history. Taylor Swift is a noise artist now.
posted by naju at 2:59 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by naju at 2:59 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
GO AWAY FROM DADDY
posted by resurrexit at 3:02 PM on October 23, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by resurrexit at 3:02 PM on October 23, 2014 [9 favorites]
Album, please.
posted by Going To Maine at 3:05 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by Going To Maine at 3:05 PM on October 23, 2014
I had no idea that the guy who did Get Your War On was also a mashup artist. And a pretty good one, if this is a sample.
posted by immlass at 3:07 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by immlass at 3:07 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
This is, for some reason I haven't quite figured out, very life-affirming.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:09 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:09 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
I had to listen to IZ US to wash my mind after this.
If it weren't Taylor Swift, there would be no gimmick, and it would just be bad.
posted by four panels at 3:12 PM on October 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
If it weren't Taylor Swift, there would be no gimmick, and it would just be bad.
posted by four panels at 3:12 PM on October 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
Swift's latest release is pretty Aphex Twin-esque.
So far ahead of its time that YouTube had to take it down, I guess to keep their systems stable.
(oh, wait, found another copy. for those who didn't quite get what she was singing about, here's a lyrics fragment, from swift's instagram.)
posted by effbot at 3:12 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
So far ahead of its time that YouTube had to take it down, I guess to keep their systems stable.
(oh, wait, found another copy. for those who didn't quite get what she was singing about, here's a lyrics fragment, from swift's instagram.)
posted by effbot at 3:12 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
I just love this so much. The other APHEX SWIFT tracks are great, too!
posted by sc114 at 3:24 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by sc114 at 3:24 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
David Rees is a gem.
posted by dialetheia at 3:26 PM on October 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by dialetheia at 3:26 PM on October 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
This should have been with Miley Cyrus. Because, naturally:
Selected Ambient Twerks
posted by gwint at 3:33 PM on October 23, 2014 [25 favorites]
Selected Ambient Twerks
posted by gwint at 3:33 PM on October 23, 2014 [25 favorites]
If you wanted more
Oh god there's more. And it's all just as good.
posted by naju at 3:35 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh god there's more. And it's all just as good.
posted by naju at 3:35 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
This should have been with Miley Cyrus. Because, naturally: Selected Ambient Twerks
I think you mean Miley SYRO.
posted by resurrexit at 3:39 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
I think you mean Miley SYRO.
posted by resurrexit at 3:39 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
I can't follow any links for at least an hour but the post content alone is blowing my mind.
posted by ardgedee at 3:39 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by ardgedee at 3:39 PM on October 23, 2014
This is far, far, far better than it has any right to be.
posted by schmod at 3:46 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by schmod at 3:46 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh my god. After the song was done, Soundcloud started playing this, followed by this, and I literally can't even...
posted by schmod at 3:53 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by schmod at 3:53 PM on October 23, 2014
Produgy/Enya remains a favorite of the form.
posted by Artw at 4:21 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by Artw at 4:21 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
Dreadful, tinny sort of sound.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:43 PM on October 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 4:43 PM on October 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
un i think im falling down a mashup hole please to help
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:54 PM on October 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:54 PM on October 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
This is really, really good. Though part of what's compelling about it for me is the showcasing of the production on the original vocal tracks--this arrangement gives them more space so you can hear the billion-dollar digitally micro-corrected harmonies. Pop vocal tracks these days are pretty fascinating on their own because they're so perfect.
posted by The Minotaur at 5:13 PM on October 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by The Minotaur at 5:13 PM on October 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
schmod, mouth sounds/mouth silence was also referenced in these two mefi threads, with links to flac/mp3 downloads and such, if you wish to keep a copy :-)
posted by arrjay at 5:35 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by arrjay at 5:35 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
As an Aphex Twin fan I loved these Rees tracks, thanks. Since we seem to be posting classic mashups, my favorite is Comic Enemy by Mark VII, a blend of Public Enemy with the Comic Bakery C64 game.
posted by foobaz at 5:41 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by foobaz at 5:41 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
I would like some enterprising soul to apply the same internet logic to this. Richard D. James also deserves cookies.
posted by Makwa at 6:01 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by Makwa at 6:01 PM on October 23, 2014
I prefer the original Aphex remix of DMX Krew's You Can't Hide Your Love...
More coherent/cohesive (even though it's not really a mashup) and it's from the man himself. I also think the root/original song is just way more killer than Swift, but that's just me.
posted by symbioid at 6:25 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
More coherent/cohesive (even though it's not really a mashup) and it's from the man himself. I also think the root/original song is just way more killer than Swift, but that's just me.
posted by symbioid at 6:25 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
You know, with the weird symphonic bits and stops and stars a mashup of Girl/Boy era Aphex Twin and Bound 2 would work really well...
posted by Artw at 6:29 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by Artw at 6:29 PM on October 23, 2014
At first I just couldn't believe that I didn't hate it. Then I said...alright, goddamit, that's damned clever. But let's not mistake it for anything other than a novelty. Then there was about 30 thrilling seconds where I thought wait a minute, maybe it's something better than just a novelty. Then I came to my senses.
posted by the bricabrac man at 6:30 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by the bricabrac man at 6:30 PM on October 23, 2014
Needs more Aphex, less Swift. It's still pretty good pop music, though!
posted by ChrisR at 6:49 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by ChrisR at 6:49 PM on October 23, 2014
Starlightlicker is my favorite now brb moar
posted by aydeejones at 7:07 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by aydeejones at 7:07 PM on October 23, 2014
The Head Like A Hole-Call Me Maybe mashup linked off that page has me giggling.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 7:36 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 7:36 PM on October 23, 2014 [6 favorites]
Guys.
Guys guys guys.
Richard D Janes Addiction.
Someone has to do it for the name.
posted by Artw at 7:45 PM on October 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
Guys guys guys.
Richard D Janes Addiction.
Someone has to do it for the name.
posted by Artw at 7:45 PM on October 23, 2014 [4 favorites]
Nice observation on the pristine vocal track production, The Minotaur. I appreciate obviously auto tuned or otherwise manipulated vocal sampling when it's done as a way of adding another element of instrumentation...like DJ Drama but not quite Akon level. On the other hand I've found myself increasingly put off by a faux nerdy "nasally" twang to white pop music over the last decade or so, first really standing out to me with Katy Perry...
I get it now. It's uncanny valley shit and that's why it sounds better on a spacious digital canvas because in the pursuit of anti aliased vocal perfection they do deconstruct and reconstruct the vocals sufficiently to call it synthesis and another form of instrumentation. It just sounds super aggressively white and unabashedly fake and whiny...and I AM super white, and as a 13 in 1993 dude I appreciate Trent Renzor's super white whiny nasally voice because that's the real part of his voice see, and then he just fucks with a little see, he doesn't demux his throat box, see? OK I'm just old n shit
posted by aydeejones at 8:10 PM on October 23, 2014
I get it now. It's uncanny valley shit and that's why it sounds better on a spacious digital canvas because in the pursuit of anti aliased vocal perfection they do deconstruct and reconstruct the vocals sufficiently to call it synthesis and another form of instrumentation. It just sounds super aggressively white and unabashedly fake and whiny...and I AM super white, and as a 13 in 1993 dude I appreciate Trent Renzor's super white whiny nasally voice because that's the real part of his voice see, and then he just fucks with a little see, he doesn't demux his throat box, see? OK I'm just old n shit
posted by aydeejones at 8:10 PM on October 23, 2014
Down with white singers who sound white! More Iggy Azalea!
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:47 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:47 PM on October 23, 2014
Oh Em Gee, that NIN-Carly Rae mashup is hilariously awesome!
posted by inparticularity at 8:57 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by inparticularity at 8:57 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
aaaaaah Head Like A Hole Maybe is the best thing ever
posted by threeants at 9:07 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by threeants at 9:07 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Wow, I have to admit I'd never heard Girl/Boy before, but after listening to it I'm pretty damn certain that whoever produced Call Me Maybe had.
posted by threeants at 9:12 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by threeants at 9:12 PM on October 23, 2014
The Head Like A Hole-Call Me Maybe mashup linked off that page has me giggling.
That was linked here when it first came out.
There's a really good reason "Call Me Maybe" mashes so well with industrial: It was mixed by Dave "Rave" Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:00 PM on October 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
That was linked here when it first came out.
There's a really good reason "Call Me Maybe" mashes so well with industrial: It was mixed by Dave "Rave" Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:00 PM on October 23, 2014 [5 favorites]
The Head Like A Hole-Call Me Maybe mashup linked off that page has me giggling.
One of my absolute favorites of this genre. Not only clever and well-executed, but actually makes me really happy for some deeply-felt but unknowable reason.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:00 PM on October 23, 2014
One of my absolute favorites of this genre. Not only clever and well-executed, but actually makes me really happy for some deeply-felt but unknowable reason.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:00 PM on October 23, 2014
There's a really good reason "Call Me Maybe" mashes so well with industrial: It was produced by Dave "Rave" Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy.
You are blowing my mind right now - that is fantastic.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:01 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
You are blowing my mind right now - that is fantastic.
posted by en forme de poire at 10:01 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
a bit more understandable - but still!
posted by en forme de poire at 10:04 PM on October 23, 2014
posted by en forme de poire at 10:04 PM on October 23, 2014
right?
posted by Sys Rq at 10:05 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 10:05 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP is junk, sorry.
posted by mistersquid at 10:49 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by mistersquid at 10:49 PM on October 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP isn't junk; hooray!
posted by Earthtopus at 11:09 PM on October 23, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by Earthtopus at 11:09 PM on October 23, 2014 [7 favorites]
I've only recently come around to the joy of the mashup; mostly I'd eschewed the entire concept. Here's arguably my very favorite one: sexygods by JustNIN Timberlake (aka Chaos Royale); this was one I 'tubed for the brief period of collaborative jukeboxing that eventually led to this (for those who remember these things).
posted by ChrisR at 11:41 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ChrisR at 11:41 PM on October 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
~The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP is junk, sorry.
~The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP isn't junk; hooray!
No...It's definitely junk. Meh.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:03 AM on October 24, 2014
~The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP isn't junk; hooray!
No...It's definitely junk. Meh.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:03 AM on October 24, 2014
Thirding junk. The, ahem, "production" is way too crowded.
posted by ZipRibbons at 6:31 AM on October 24, 2014
posted by ZipRibbons at 6:31 AM on October 24, 2014
This is great. And I'm so happy that people are discovering Call Me a Hole. I love that song so much.
posted by Bugbread at 6:38 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Bugbread at 6:38 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
Sys Rq: " It was mixed by Dave "Rave" Ogilvie of Skinny Puppy."
And here's an article where Ogilvie discusses the mixing.
posted by Bugbread at 6:40 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
And here's an article where Ogilvie discusses the mixing.
posted by Bugbread at 6:40 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
schmod, mouth sounds/mouth silence was also referenced in these two mefi threads, with links to flac/mp3 downloads and such, if you wish to keep a copy :-)
No clue how I missed this being mentioned on MeFi, but thank you. Reading those threads made my day, and confirmed that I am not some kind of weirdo for finding both of those mashup absolutely amazing.
I was grinning from ear to ear for the entire two hours.
posted by schmod at 7:04 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
No clue how I missed this being mentioned on MeFi, but thank you. Reading those threads made my day, and confirmed that I am not some kind of weirdo for finding both of those mashup absolutely amazing.
I was grinning from ear to ear for the entire two hours.
posted by schmod at 7:04 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Shameless plug for my Steely Dan / LL Cool J mashup.
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:10 AM on October 24, 2014
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:10 AM on October 24, 2014
I'm still a fan of "Without a Love Story."
posted by jbickers at 7:26 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jbickers at 7:26 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Shameless plug for my Steely Dan / LL Cool J mashup.
Man, Peg is exactly right at the tempo they recorded it at. It gets all flobba flobba when you slow it down, even minimally. How tempos work with grooves is what gets lost when this stuff is treated as an elastic band — it ain't one. I'm being fairly gentle here — email this to Chuck Rainey (who played the bass on the track), and expect silence or a reply that will blister paint.
posted by Wolof at 7:53 AM on October 24, 2014
Man, Peg is exactly right at the tempo they recorded it at. It gets all flobba flobba when you slow it down, even minimally. How tempos work with grooves is what gets lost when this stuff is treated as an elastic band — it ain't one. I'm being fairly gentle here — email this to Chuck Rainey (who played the bass on the track), and expect silence or a reply that will blister paint.
posted by Wolof at 7:53 AM on October 24, 2014
~The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP is junk, sorry.
~The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP isn't junk; hooray!
The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP has some bits that work surprisingly well and some bits that are super clunky, but is overall quite amusing!
posted by Artw at 7:58 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
~The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP isn't junk; hooray!
The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP has some bits that work surprisingly well and some bits that are super clunky, but is overall quite amusing!
posted by Artw at 7:58 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP has some bits that work surprisingly well and some bits that are super clunky, but is overall quite amusing!
And now to distribute these miniature American flags!
posted by kenko at 8:00 AM on October 24, 2014 [4 favorites]
And now to distribute these miniature American flags!
posted by kenko at 8:00 AM on October 24, 2014 [4 favorites]
The Swift/Aphex mashup in the FPP has some bits that work surprisingly well and some bits that are super clunky, but is overall quite amusing!
And now to distribute these miniature American flags!
Mixing, mashing our way towards freedom!
posted by Going To Maine at 8:24 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
And now to distribute these miniature American flags!
Mixing, mashing our way towards freedom!
posted by Going To Maine at 8:24 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
oh my dog mouth sounds is just killing me right now
posted by Earthtopus at 9:12 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Earthtopus at 9:12 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
it just keeps Smashing me in the Mouth and I keep coming back for more
posted by Earthtopus at 11:33 AM on October 24, 2014
posted by Earthtopus at 11:33 AM on October 24, 2014
Incidentally, if you haven't been keeping up there are eight Aphex Swift tracks now. Eight!
posted by Going To Maine at 4:02 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Going To Maine at 4:02 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
and if your partner turns out to have had a secret love for Smash Mouth THIS WHOLE TIME then your day is somehow continuing to improve
posted by Earthtopus at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Earthtopus at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
There's more of Aphex Swift... a whole album worth... this is [good/bad/a thing].
posted by filthy light thief at 8:43 PM on October 28, 2014
posted by filthy light thief at 8:43 PM on October 28, 2014
UPDATE: I'm to Starlightlicker, and it is VERY GOOD. Seriously, this is just a step or two off from being a Weird Coast Beats (Brainfeader/ Low End Theory) r'n'b.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:53 PM on October 28, 2014
posted by filthy light thief at 8:53 PM on October 28, 2014
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