Come to Daddy

by

Aphex Twin

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The Video for "Come To Daddy (pappy mix)" was my first exposure to Aphex Twin, and boy did it leave a scar. How the hell can this sort of music exist in the pop-culture vacuum that is the "backstreet boys era?" Upon picking up the CD, I was plesantly surprised about the variation of styles represented. Nay,I was stunned.

I have, since then, been able to come up with a genre name for RDJ's music: "smart-as." Yes, that is the only way to describe what he does. Come to Daddy let him out-Prodigy Prodigy, Windowlicker let him out-blaxploit the rap community.. I shudder to think of what he'll do next.

Flim and IZ-US are wonderfull... it harkens back to his Selected Ambient Work days, and "BBB" and "Funny Little Man" have that "RDJ Album" experimental-to-the-edge-of-sanity feel to them.

My girlfriend is mortified of the way he uses his/children's voices. I'm inclined to agree, but it's so tongue in cheek, it's silly. "CTD (pappy)" is like nothing he's ever done, and nothing he will ever do again. RDJ never has and never will take himself seriously. kudos for him.

If you've never heard aphex, start here, it's a good introduction (and pretty cheap, too).

This mini-album/EP is a bit too harsh sounding to stick it on repeat in your CD player, but... it's a guilty pleasure that warrants a spin once every fortnight or so.

1. Come to Daddy [Pappy Mix]

This is the video death-metal version. Splintered beats rattle behind a heavy three-note guitar riff with mad Richard screaming "I want/will eat your soul". Like Windowlicker, it loses quite a bit without the excellent Chris Cunningham video backing it up.

2. Flim

Not as ground-breaking as others may have you believe. Basic playful melodies with a skittering jungle beat. Serves as a good contrast to the mayhem that precedes it, but it's minutes too short to amount to much.

3. Come to Daddy [Little Lord Faulteroy Mix]

Better than the Pappy mix. This features the typical Aphex 'sick keyboard' sound combined with suitably creepy skewed kiddy vocals chanting 'Ooh you dirty little boy' and something about watching swans and listening to birds singing. It's quite catchy too which is unfortunate, as any attempts to sing it on the bus will get some pretty strange looks.

4. Bucephalus Bouncing Ball

Fast junglish beats coupled with metallic bouncing effects. The first half is nice enough, but it deteriorates into a mess of noise towards the end.

5. To Cure a Weakling Child, Contour Regard

Probably the EP's highpoint, although I can't really point out why. It's the most tuneful anyway.

6. Funny Little Man

A funny Daft Punkish electro tune with "Oh you funny little man" samg over the top in a warped computer voice. Amusing in a mentally ill kind of way, but nothing that you'd listen to too often.

7. Come to Daddy [Mummy Mix]

Not really a tune, just screeching white noise with jagged breakbeats. The worst side of Aphex in my opinion, but it's a side he likes to excercise on most of his newer releases. Noteworthy because of his mother's voice fed through his PowerMac.

"You've got so many machines Richard".

"I 'aven't got that many."

Funniest is a slowed down Mrs. James intoning over ear-splitting white noise, "Oooooohhhh, thaaat's a naaastyy noise... but I like those faaast bits."

8. IZ-US

Mellow synths with unusually paced beats. Like Flim, too short to do anything worthwhile.