Richard D. James’s Aphex Twin alter ego has well and truly bounced back from his extended hiatus. During the past year alone, the elusive producer soundtracked summer with his downtempo EP Cheetah, dropped his first music video in 17 years, put his own predictably offbeat spin on the most bizarre event in recent history, and played his first U.S. show in nearly a decade. His Day for Night performance in Houston also saw the drop of a mysterious 12-inch vinyl that inevitably hit Discogs for a cool $349. Now the freshly prolific artist has gifted a surprise holiday track to fans who didn’t get the chance to dance in the rain with Björk while watching his Texas set last weekend. (Don’t worry, we’re sure the opportunity will arise again.)
Uploaded to one of Aphex Twin’s sorta secret Soundcloud accounts on Sunday, “tnodvood104” is an unpronounceable, ambient alternative to the standard festive radio jams. The instrumental track layers warped, wordless vocals over shivering percussion and sporadic chime noises that sound strangely perfect for the weird, indefinable interlude between Christmas and New Year’s. In other Aphex Twin Christmas news, the 12-year-old boy who directed James’s aforementioned video recently filmed a special holiday shoutout to Warp Records and its prized artist “Rich.” Listen to the new track above and watch the sweet message from the “CIRKLON 3” crew below.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Image via YouTube