Analord is a series of 12" vinyl recordings by UK-based electronic music artist Richard D. James. The first installment, Analord 10, went on sale through the Rephlex Records website on December 15, 2004, and was packaged in a leather binder with sleeves for housing the rest of the series. The record was marketed under the James' primary alias "Aphex Twin", although subsequent Analord recordings have so far been released under the "AFX" pseudonym.

A departure from his more recent digital drill n' bass outings, Analord tracks are themselves similar in atmosphere and melody to James' early acid and ambient recordings, prior to the release of ...I Care Because You Do (1995), yet are still marked by the fast, choppy, multi-layered drum sequencing he has perfected from the album drukqs (2001) onward. The Analord tracks are almost all driven by very distinct drum machine beats, not couched in static but instead surrounded by waves of shimmering melody, murky synth and raw lasers, claps, and unmuddied bass. The longer cuts, such as "XMDA5" or "Crying in Your Face", are unique among James' body of work by virtue of their tight composition, akin to "Vordhosbn" from drukqs or to James' beatsmithing as "Brad Strider" on Bradley's Beat (1995) and Bradley's Robot (1996). The songs follow strong and diverse structures that develop step-by-step over the course of each track rather than loosely and often frantically, as is characteristic of James' more acidic techno or his drill n' bass on, for example, druqks and 2 Remixes by AFX (2001).

Series details

The records are loud-cut, 180 gram vinyl. There are currently plans to release the series on "a more common format," but little is known beyond this claim.

It should be noted that tracks on Analord 8, 9 and 11 appear to be deliberately named after spyware and Trojan programs, possibly in an attempt by James to discourage the file sharing of his new tracks. Anti-spyware programs will delete so-named files automatically.

The name "Analord" is probably taken from Luke Vibert's song "Analord" from his vinyl release "'95 - '99" on Planet Mu. The name may in part refer to the analog equipment James has used to make most of his music.

Track listings

Analord 10 (Released January 5, 2005):

Side A Fenix Funk 5

Side B XMD5A

Analord 1 (Released January 22, 2005):

Side A Steppingfilter 101 Canticle Drawl MC-4 Acid "Untitled"

Side B Where's Your Girlfriend? Grumpy Acid Analord 158B

Analord 2 (Released January 22, 2005):

Side A Phonatacid Laricheard

Side B Pissed Up in SE1 Bwoon Dub

Analord 3 (Released February 17, 2005):

Side A Boxing Day Midievil Rave 1

Side B Klopjob Midievil Rave 2

Analord 4 (Released February 17, 2005):

Side A Crying in Your Face Home Made Polysynth

Side B Halibut Acid Breath March

Analord 5 (Released March 10, 2005):

Side A Reunion 2

Side B Cilonen

Analord 6 (Released April 9, 2005):

Side A Batine acid Snivel Chew

Side B I'm Self Employed 2 Analogue Talks Analoggins

Analord 7 (To Be Released April 2005):

1. lisbon acid
2. pitcard
3. afx acid 04

Analord 8 (To Be Released April 2005):

1. PWSteal.Ldpinch.D (Side 1, Track 1)
2. Backdoor.Berbew.Q (Side 1, Track 2)
3. W32.Deadcode.A (Side 2, Track 1)
4. Backdoor.Spyboter.A (Side 2, Track 2)

Analord 9 (To Be Released May 2005):

1. PWSteal.Bancos.Q (Side 1, Track 1)
2. Trojan.KillAV.E (Side 1, Track 2)
3. W32.Aphex@mm (Side 2, Track 1)
4. Backdoor.Netshadow (Side 2, Track 2)

Analord 11 (To Be Released May 2005):

1. W32.Mydoom.AU@mm
2. VBS.Redlof.B
3. Backdoor.Ranky.S

External links

• Rephlex Records
• Forced Exposure, buy Analord online.