AboutRichard D. James Expertise I am a fan of Aphex Twin, and have been for a good while now. I have collected some rather interesting facts during my quest for enlightenment. Please feel free to tax my noggin at will. If I don`t know the answer, I know where to find it!
Question Hi there! I've had the luck to find Aphex Twin's 'Classics' cd on a library sell out, and have been hooked ever since. At the moment I am making my own music, and it is now that i learn to appreciate Richard D. James music even more, as it's a tough job getting some reasonable together.
I would like to know, what kind of software and hardware does Richard D. James use at the moment? I've read he likes to work from a laptop with specially written software. Also, any idea how he gets his samples? I've read some diverse answers to that (tapes everything / records his own sounds and through the pc gets every note of it)
Any information would be valued. Note, I am not working on becoming a copycat, i just want to know how to make quality music.
I thank you in advance,
Thomas
Answer Good to hear you're producing your own stuff.
I'm afraid that I'll not be able to provide a very succinct answer to your question. As I'm sure you're aware there is likely to be no one set of methods that Richard James utilises or any other musician for that matter with regard to the production of their music. For any artist the act of generating ideas, writing and producing work is a constantly evolving process. this includes the equipment and techniques used in this process. The music of Aphex Twin is likely to have involved any number of technologies new and old at any one given point in time. It is true that RDJ has discussed in interviews the possible use of specially programmed software aswell of allowing the computer to make descisions for him. How far this goes is anyone's guess. It is also viable to suggest that he is likely to frequently use a laptop running a number of the modern software packages that emulate modular analogue synth's and alike. But again this is pure speculation, I'm sure he has used a multitude of equipment over the years spanning acoustic & electronic instruments, digital & analogue recording devices, and computers.
In essence, there is no formulaic approach to music production that I am aware that Aphex Twin employs. My advice to you would be to explore your own ideas, explore the possibilities of the tools at hand and find inspiration in play.
