The renowned Japanese company Korg has announced a new analog synthesizer called the Monologue that features presets designed by Richard D. James, a.k.a. Aphex Twin.

Korg has described the model as a “next-generation” monophonic synthesizer that “shares the spirit” of the similarly named and pricier Minilogue model, which was released in January.

As well as being available in five colors, the Monologue features a built-in step sequencer that allows users to record up to four knob movements for creating “motion sequences.” The item can run on six AA batteries, which Billy Steele of Engadget interpreted as a shout-out to a prior era when DJs cut their teeth on equipment from Radio Shack. Engadget has reported that the Monologue costs a mere $300, but you’ll have to wait until January 2017 to buy it.
 

 
The Monologue also supports microtuning, which means that users can generate their own tuning outside of standard scales. To assist owners in understanding the system, Korg has hired Aphex Twin as an advisor on the feature; additionally, he has created preset scales, sounds, and sequences.

The Monologue comes with an OLED oscilloscope so that DJs can visualize their beats, as well as filter, modulation, drive, and LFO controls capable of generating “powerful basses and sharp leads” and 100 preset locations.

Continues after the jump…

 
Richard D. James has been on a bit of a freebie spree lately. In addition to sharing outtakes from Aphex Twin’s orchestral performances and a handful of songs he claims were composed by his five-year-old son, now, per Fact Mag:

Aphex Twin has shared more than 30 previously unreleased tracks, including dozens of studio experiments on his modular synthesizer and early versions of Syro tunes, in the follow-up to last week’s interview with blogger Dave Noyze.

Among them is a collection of over 20 completed tracks made about 12 years ago on Buchla and Serge modular synthesizers, which Richard D. James aptly describes as “a fucking racket”

True enough, that. Though some of these compositions have rhythmic elements, nothing on here has anything approaching a “beat” in the dance music sense. It’s a pigpile of bonkers, loopy scary, hilarious electronic noise, and all of it is downloadable free of charge from AFX’s Soundcloud.
 

 
Earlier this year Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) released Syro, his first studio album since 2001’s Drukqs. Evidently the name of the album came from an utterance from one of James’ young sons—as James indicated in an interview with Dave Noyze, “My eldest son just looked at me one morning and said syrobonkus, I asked him what it meant he said he didnt know” (typography as in the original—this was an email interview, apparently).

In the same interview James revealed that his six-year-old son has made an entire album which had been published on Bandcamp but has now been removed. James stated, “He was 5 when he did most of it n all! I never showed him a thing, he worked it all out himself, mind boggling, 5!” Four of the tracks have since been moved to the Aphex Twin Soundcloud page.

In Rolling Stone two months ago, James gushed about the music his sons (plural) are generating. James said, “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of an artist called Mark Fell—it’s avant-garde techno, not danceable. Someone said [my son’s music] sounds like a cross between that and Holly Herndon, who’s another experimental electronic artist. That’s really accurate, actually. He was five when he did it.”

James is known for perpetrating harmless media games—the announcement of Syro was executed via a number of viral pranks—so it’s hard to know if this is in that category. As Wikipedia drily notes, “He is known for untruths, including a claim that he sleeps only two or three hours a night.” Personally I think James is probably telling the truth here; he’s not unveiling a new album and the news came from a smallish blog. ... and, how shall I say, the music isn’t really interesting or elaborate enough to justify that kind of ruse, it’s just four tracks of melody-free electronic thumpery. It actually seems plausible that a youngster would compose it, given the technology that’s available today.

“Not danceable” is accurate, to be sure. Check out the tracks here:
 

 
The other three tracks after the jump…....

 
I’m an avowed atheist, but I have to admit, the recent discovery of a nearly perfect Aphex Twin logo in Jamaican jerk sauce on a plate in a London restaurant has me reconsidering my entire belief system.

The holy plate has popped up on eBay.uk and is available for £2.20 (as of this writing; about $3.67) from user “2014ukhines” (100% positive feedback in the last 12 months). There are five bids on the plate already.

Here is the description:
 

Mysterious and miraculous jerk sauce apparition.

I have no explanation.

Jerk chicken was from Yum Yum in Clapton, London.

 
Here is a picture of Yum Yum, the restaurant from which the sanctified jerk sauce emanated:
 

 
The infamous “Windowlicker” video, directed by Chris Cunningham:

“Come To Daddy” sleeve painted on “SAW2” cassettes by Sami Havia
 
This is a treat for fans of IDM and ambient music - a 70 minute, 1996 Aphex Twin special from MTV UK’s Party Zone dance program. There’s an interview with Richard James, numerous videos, some live footage from the Big Love festival, and an extended extract from the Warp Records’ film Westworld, a collaboration between Aphex Twin and visual artists Stakker.

There’s always been something about James that has struck me as bratty - from the tales of driving tanks through central London to numerous reports from friends of spending relatively large sums on tickets only for James not to play, or not to play properly. This interview doesn’t really do much to dispel that, but it does give a bit of insight into his working methods at the time, and goddamit his tunes are good. So sit back, relax, and zone out:
 

 
No, this isn’t an Aphex Twin album cover or “Kimmy Gibbler” from 80s shitcom Full House. It’s an advertisement on the side of a truck spotted by Redditor BitchPleeze.

Click on the top image to see a larger version.

 
(via reddit)

 
A suitably creepy promo vid for a March 2011 release under the frequently used alias AFX entitled Seaside Specials. New work by Mr. James is always welcome !
 

 
UPDATE: This isn’t AFX, just a misleading ad for a festival. Sorry !

 
Wow! This is pretty crazy, unexpected and a wee bit creepy. Watch.

At this weekend London Electronic Festival (LED) Aphex Twin used live facial recognition to map the audience and overlay images of his own, trademark distorted face. Mesmerising and disturbing in equal measure!

(via Nerdcore)

 
Seefeel was the first act signed to pioneering electronic dance label Warp to feature guitars but you’d hardly know it from listening, so transformed and synthesized were those steel strings. They also sported floaty, ethereal female vocals, thus ensuring much love from the dream-pop set as well. They burned out around 1996 after a few releases and much touring but are now back, revitalized by a few new band members (including drummer E-da, formerly of The Boredoms), with a new EP and a one-off live show in London, both happening this September. Have a listen to this groovy new tune and an oldie, remixed by Aphex (not Apex!) Twin.
 

Seefeel - Faults by Warp Records
 

 
Seefeel: Return with first new material for almost 14 years + announce one-off London headline show
 
Thanks Hot Wookie !

 
Orchid Removal points us to this lovely and unexpected steel band cover of the subtle and melodic Alberto Balsalm by the venerable Aphex Twin as performed by members of the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.