Almost two years since the release of his last EP, the ever-enigmatic Aphex Twin has become the subject of a new documentary by the BBC.
Airing on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, ‘The Cult Of Aphex Twin’ sees host John Doran attempting to get to the bottom of the myth and legend that surrounds the mysterious Richard D James, best known to music fans as Richard D James.
Born in Ireland at the start of the ’70s, James began dabbling with music in the mid-’80s, releasing his first EP under the Aphex Twin name in 1991. After releasing a handful of albums, countless singles, and numerous EPs throughout the decade and beyond, Richard D James fully returned in 2014, releasing Syro, his first full-length record since 2001, and giving fans the chance to rediscover his stunning work.
However, his initial rise to fame has always led to fans wanting to know more about the artist, only to receive contradictory answers, tall tales, and even outright lies from the reclusive musician in his rare interviews. Now, John Doran has attempted to set the record straight.
“Realising that legend is often much more interesting than truth, he slowly began to construct a personal mythos that many still believe to this day,” explains the BBC’s write-up on the documentary.
“Does he really write songs while asleep after training himself in the practice of lucid dreaming? Does he drive a tank round Cornwall? Did he once live in a bank vault in the middle of the Elephant And Castle roundabout? Does he own a submarine? Does his DJ tech rider include a food processor and sheets of sandpaper? Does he move among his many fans on electronic dance music forums online, often trolling them and stirring up these very myths?”
Whether you’re an avid fan, or saw the film clips for ‘Windowlicker’ or ‘Come To Daddy’ on Rage one night and vowed “Never again”, ‘The Cult Of Aphex Twin’ is an intriguing listen that is probably the closest fans will get to the truth about the musician.
If you’re keen on giving it all a listen, head over to the BBC and give it a spin.
Aphex Twin’s last EP, Cheetah, was released in 2016, while he has also released a handful of singles since then. Richard D James also made headlines last year for releasing a limited-edition record at a festival that was already being sold for hundreds by scalpers before his set was even over.
Check out Aphex Twin’s ‘Windowlicker’:
