Aphex Twin - Cheetah EP

Aphex Twin's Cheetah EP finds Richard D. James in quietly mischievous form, building an entire record around one notoriously awkward synthesizer. It comes on vinyl with a digital download card included.

Released in 2016 on Warp, the EP takes its name from Cheetah Marketing, the British company behind the MS800, a rack synth with a reputation for being fiendishly fiddly to program. James had teased early versions of these pieces online the year before, and the finished set plays like a studio diary of a producer coaxing warmth and melancholy out of a stubborn machine. The Designers Republic handled the artwork, renewing a classic Warp partnership.

CheetahT2 (Ld Spectrum) sets the tone with a slow, rubbery bassline and wistful, slightly detuned melodies, and CheetahT7b keeps the mood hazy and introspective. The flip side leans more playful, with Cirklon1 closing the record on a lighter, almost tender note. Throughout, the beats are restrained and the textures intimate, closer in spirit to his ambient work than to the drill-and-bass chaos of the 1990s.

It is a small, beautifully formed release that rewards headphones and late nights. For collectors tracking James's prolific run after Syro, this one is a key piece of the puzzle.