Analord is a series of eleven 12" vinyl records released in 2005 by UK-based electronic music artist Richard D. James, primarily under the alias AFX. The series marked James's return to primarily analogue equipment following his computer-oriented programming work in the late 1990s. After their release, James "distilled" the 3½ hour, 42-track series into the 10-track compilation album Chosen Lords (2006), effectively his first full-length release since the 2001 album Drukqs.[6]

Analord
EP series by
ReleasedDecember 2004–July 2005
Recorded2003–2005
GenreAcid techno[1]
Length
11 EPs
  • Analord 01: 21:57
  • Analord 02: 23:11
  • Analord 03: 18:44
  • Analord 04: 18:25
  • Analord 05: 10:44
  • Analord 06: 22:58
  • Analord 07: 20:24
  • Analord 08: 20:04
  • Analord 09: 16:34
  • Analord 10: 12:53
  • Analord 11: 19:26
Total: 3:24:04
LabelRephlex
ANALORD01 – ANALORD11
ProducerRichard D. James
Richard D. James chronology
26 Mixes for Cash
(2003)
Analord
(2004)
Chosen Lords
(2006)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
PitchforkAnalord 1: (5.6/10)[2]
PitchforkAnalord 2: (6.0/10)[2]
PitchforkAnalord 3: (7.5/10)[3]
PitchforkAnalord 4: (7.0/10)[3]
PitchforkAnalord 5: (5.8/10)[3]
PitchforkAnalord 6: (6.3/10)[4]
PitchforkAnalord 7: (6.2/10)[4]
PitchforkAnalord 8: (6.7/10)[4]
PitchforkAnalord 9: (6.8/10)[5]
PitchforkAnalord 10: (7.6/10)[5]
PitchforkAnalord 11: (6.6/10)[5]
PitchforkSeries Average: (6.5/10)[2][3][4][5]

On 24 December 2009 the Rephlex Records website began posting unreleased/bonus tracks for the Analord series in MP3 and WAV digital formats. In all, 21 bonus tracks were added to the series, totalling 62 tracks for a runtime of 4 hours and 36 minutes.[7]

History edit

The first installment, Analord 10, went on sale through the Rephlex Records website on 15 December 2004, and was packaged in a faux-leather binder with sleeves for housing the rest of the series. It was later re-released as a picture disc. Both pressings of Analord 10 were marketed under James' primary alias Aphex Twin, although other Analord recordings were released under the AFX pseudonym.[8][9]

A condensed, album-length version of the series, Chosen Lords, was released in 2006.

Musical equipment used edit

James has programmed a variety of analogue equipment throughout his career. Instruments on Analord include drum machines such as the Roland TR-606, TR-808, and TR-909; sequencers such as the Roland MC-4; and various synthesizers and polysynths, including the Roland SH-101 and Roland TB-303, a Synton Fenix Modular.

Allusions edit

Track listing edit

Analord 1 edit

Released 24 January 2005.

Analord 1
No.TitleLength
1."Steppingfilter 101"4:45
2."Canticle Drawl"1:45
3."MC-4 Acid"3:47
4."Bubble 'n' Squeek 2" (Untitled until December 2009 reissue)1:31
5."Where's Your Girlfriend?"5:06
6."Grumpy Acid"3:21
7."Analord 158b"1:40
Analord 1 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
8."Canticle Drawl" (Alternate Version)0:36
9."Where's Your Girlfriend" (Another Version)3:36

Analord 2 edit

Released 24 January 2005.

Analord 2
No.TitleLength
1."Phonatacid"9:47
2."Laricheard"2:15
3."Pissed Up in SE1"5:14
4."Bwoon Dub"5:56
Analord 2 bonus track
No.TitleLength
5."Carnival Acid"3:32

Analord 3 edit

Released 21 February 2005.

Analord 3
No.TitleLength
1."Boxing Day"6:36
2."Midievil Rave 1"2:44
3."Klopjob"5:24
4."Midievil Rave 2"4:00
Analord 3 bonus track
No.TitleLength
5."Stabbij"4:21

Analord 4 edit

Released 21 February 2005.

Analord 4
No.TitleLength
1."Crying in Your Face"4:23
2."Home Made Polysynth"4:07
3."Halibut Acid"6:07
4."Breath March"3:46
Analord 4 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
5."Flutternozzle"6:28
6."In the Maze Park"1:31
7."Halibut Acid" (Original Mix)4:35

Analord 5 edit

Released 14 March 2005.

Analord 5
No.TitleLength
1."Reunion 2"5:10
2."Cilonen"5:34
Analord 5 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
3."Gong Acid"3:05
4."Reunion 2" (Alternative Version)6:23

Analord 6 edit

Released 11 April 2005.

Analord 6
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Batine Acid" 5:26
2."Snivel Chew" 4:02
3."I'm Self Employed" 4:26
4."2 Analogue Talks" (Split into two tracks on December 2009 reissue)
  • "Analogue Talk (Claknib)"
  • "Analogue Talk (Chorus 3)"
 1:45
  • 0:57
  • 0:52
  • 5."Analoggins"Captain Voafose and Smojphace7:17
    Analord 6 bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    6."Bodmin 1"4:36
    7."Bodmin 2"4:17
    8."Bodmin 3"5:26

    Analord 7 edit

    Released 25 April 2005.

    Analord 7
    No.TitleLength
    1."Lisbon Acid"8:29
    2."Pitcard"6:18
    3."AFX Acid 04"5:37
    Analord 7 bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    4."Wabby Acid"3:33
    aphextwin.warp.net bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    5."lisbon acid unedited original live version"8:32

    Analord 8 edit

    Released 9 May 2005.

    Analord 8
    No.TitleLength
    1."PWSteal.Ldpinch.D"3:44
    2."Backdoor.Berbew.Q"4:57
    3."W32.Deadcode.A"6:18
    4."Backdoor.Spybooter.A"5:06
    Analord 8 bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    5."Backdoor.Berbew.Q" (Tollwedgechord Mix)4:59

    Analord 9 edit

    Released 13 June 2005.

    Analord 9
    No.TitleLength
    1."PWSteal.Bancos.Q"4:50
    2."Trojan.KILLAV.E"3:03
    3."W32.Aphex@mm"3:52
    4."Backdoor.Netshadow"4:49
    Analord 9 bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    5."Liptons B Acid"5:47

    Analord 10 edit

    Released 15 December 2004 and credited to Aphex Twin rather than AFX. Re-released as a picture disc on 11 July 2005.

    Analord 10
    No.TitleLength
    1."Fenix Funk 5"4:58
    2."Xmd 5a"7:55

    Analord 11 edit

    Released 13 June 2005.

    Analord 11
    No.TitleLength
    1."W32.Mydoom.AU@mm"8:47
    2."VBS.Redlof.B"4:39
    3."Backdoor.Ranky.S
    • Backdoor.Ranky.S 5
    • Backdoor.Ranky.S 4
    " (split into two tracks on the 2009 reissue)
    6:00
    • 4:08
    • 2:29
    Analord 11 bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    4."Not Disturbing Mammoth 1" (Mono)2:05
    5."Not Disturbing Mammoth 2" (Mono)2:00
    6."Love 7"4:45
    7."3 Notes Con"4:54
    8."VBS.Redlof.B" (Bass Version)3:28

    * Released on 24 December 2009; only available through download.

    References edit

    1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r825965
    2. ^ a b c "AFX: Analord 1 / Analord 2 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    3. ^ a b c d "AFX: Analord 3 / 4 / 5 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    4. ^ a b c d "AFX: Analord 6 / 7 / 8 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    5. ^ a b c d "AFX: Analord 9 / 10 / 11 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    6. ^ Fallon, Patric. "Aphex Twin Albums From Best to Worst". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
    7. ^ Analord, www.discogs.com, Retrieved 2015-07-11
    8. ^ Aphex Twin Interview, www.clashmusic.com, Retrieved 2015-07-11
    9. ^ A beginner's guide to the many sounds of Aphex Twin, www.avclub.com, Retrieved 2015-07-11

    External links edit