Aphex Twin - Syro [3LP]

Syro ended a thirteen-year wait for a new Aphex Twin album in 2014, and this 3LP set in a gatefold jacket, with a digital download card, gives it all the room it needs.

Richard D. James had never really stopped making music, but after Drukqs he largely went quiet in public, so the arrival of Syro felt like an event. What emerged felt like a homecoming, warm, intricate and playful, built from a vast arsenal of synths and drum machines. It went on to win the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

The opener "Minipops 67" sets the tone with rubbery acid basslines, warped vocals and melodies that tumble over one another without ever losing their footing. "Produk 29" slinks along on a lazy, funk-tinged groove that sounds almost casual until you notice how much is happening underneath. Then, after all that kinetic detail, the record closes with "Aisatsana," a hushed solo piano piece accompanied by birdsong that lands like a deep breath.

Every track is dense with tiny rhythmic tricks and sudden, sly melodic turns that reveal themselves over repeat listens.

Spread across six sides, it's the perfect way to get lost in one of electronic music's great minds at his most inviting.