Syro
A masterfully engineered labyrinth of warm analog synths, hyper-detailed breakbeats, and unexpected moments of serene, acoustic beauty.
A masterfully engineered labyrinth of warm analog synths, hyper-detailed breakbeats, and unexpected moments of serene, acoustic beauty.
Grand return
A thick forest of warm analog synths and hyper-detailed breakbeats replaces the cold digital glare of previous years. You are pulled through a labyrinth of frantic, twitching rhythms that suddenly give way to quiet, acoustic piano. It feels like stepping inside a massive, hand-wired machine that has somehow learned how to breathe.
A mischievous, fluid energy bubbles up through the intricate hardware patches, elevating a playful spirit that softens the usual cold precision of the machinery into something warmly eccentric.
Critics widely praised the album as a welcoming and quietly elegant release that easily met high expectations while reinforcing the artist's unique creative relevance. Reviewers particularly appreciated how the music maintains a cohesive flow and sense of purpose beneath its lively, ever-shifting textures, making it one of his most approachable works.
“Still bracingly strange in places and never complacent”Read review
“This record never puts Aphex Twin’s legacy into question, yet it may ponder his continuing relevance”Read review
“Thick with Seventies jazz-funk nods, it answers Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories with future-shock electronics supplanting nostalgic dazzle”Read review
“Imagine a mirror which distorts not just the reflection, but reality itself, and you have a fair idea of the stunning legacy to which Syro triumphantly belongs”Read review
“Charms and beguiles”Read review
“Anyone hoping for radical revolution will not find it here, but a more complicated quiet evolution does seem to be underway”Read review
“Manages to convey a strong sense of unity and direction despite the effervescent, constantly shifting surface”Read review
“It is by turns raw, intricate, and intimate”
“The care and virtuosity with which these tracks were assembled is immediately obvious, but nothing feels difficult; the record’s easy flow despite it all is one of its primary virtues, and there’s something new to uncover with every listen”Read review
“SYRO peaks as Aphex Twin’s most accessible album since his ambient works”Read review
“These tracks actually enhance, rather than hinder, one of James’ most inviting and enjoyable releases”Read review
“There is craftsmanship here, but its genius lies in letting the raw quality of his sound speak first rather than arranging it into something new”
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