Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760

Album review

After releasing the splendid Collapse EP in 2018, Aphex Twin collaborated with synthesizer company Novation on a monosynth called AFX Station, and issued a few limited-edition EPs at some of his festival appearances. Blackbox Life Recorder 21f / in a room7 F760 is his first proper release of new material in five years, and while it felt like the veteran musician was pushing his sound forward on Collapse, here he's essentially in his comfort zone. "Blackbox Life Recorder 21f," the brief EP's first and longest track, starts out with twitchy beats, mellow synth chords, and soft melodies that sound like a sampled human voice; eventually, chunky breakbeats ricochet across the soundscape. Several different breaks pile up, and just as it feels like it's on the verge of overload, the beats pause for a moment in order to refresh, then smoothly return. Second track "zin2 test5" sets an elastic bassline and intricate beat patterns against soft streams of synth pads. If any element of the track was subtracted, it would sound too simple or underdeveloped, but it all fits together perfectly. Racing drums lead the charge on "in a room7 F760," which has a slight '80s action vibe in the beginning, until the synths become more fragmented and the drums are briefly whittled down to sharp, clanging edges, momentarily recalling the abrasive drill'n'bass style of late-'90s Aphex. "Blackbox Life Recorder 22 [Parallax Mix]" is a less melodic variation on the first track, also lacking its sense of balance. The EP isn't a game changer, but it bears enough of Aphex Twin's unmistakable personality to be worthwhile.

© Paul Simpson /TiVo