Ready lets go- opening with some crazy stereo stuff- the way the synth shifts between each ears and even shifts its own position is hypnotic- i'm not sure how they recorded this but it's a good intro to open the ears with!
minipops 67- this song sounds so alien yet somehow keeps it all together- aphex twin strikes me as an artist that really lets his ears guide him in that there's so many unusual sounds that get paired in unexpected but ultimately pleasing ways. it's almost like he creates songs just piecing together sounds that sound good together over actually thinking about notes and what not- but i know he also is able to write more straightforward piano tracks so that's probably not true. to me his music expresses the idea that pure audio satisfaction can be engaging enough. Also the production is just really clear, precise, and detailed.
mic check- this version of the song has an intro that ends around 55 seconds. The intro to this song is so clever and interesting- he samples the audio captured from a binaural mic to make the song. to me this is a reminder that considering the space a sound occurs in is an integral part of interesting production- this would relate to how you pan audio left and right, how you filter it, and how you apply reverb. trust your ears!
souvenir- the ghostly wailing in this song adds a ridiculous amount of atmosphere and presence to this track, and the crisp and clear production of the synths in this track are a great complement. production benefits from clever contrast- punchy vs soft, clear vs muddled, near vs far.
idyll- this song comes with a great video. there is a lot of flashing lights however. it starts off very simple, but builds into a huge climax. i like at 1:12 when a very slight bit of noise is put in the left ear- the subtlety is great
nin-com-pop- this song has such beautiful and delicate production. they put some sort of phaser or something on the main synth that lets it shift around and stay fresh. the vocals are extremely dry with little to no reverb and contrast well with the slightly distorted drums of the beginning before the drums eventually reveal themselves. when i started producing i was using a ton of reverb because i thought it was a cheatcode to good sounding music but knowing when to leave a sound more bare is a good.
Jennifer b- i chose this for the pure odd-ness of it. there's a lot of strange and unique choices in the production of this song. one of the reasons i like to hear stuff like this is because it's fun to consider all of the little tricks you could use in your own song.
tales from the trash stratum- i think this is a gorgeous track- so detailed, so many little touches and sounds that all come together to create something like an impressionist song. the little taps in the beginning are an interesting almost amsr-esque touch. the way reverb is played with on this track is fun, it's like the room is shifting from a big spacious opening to a more intimate middle.