"Mt. Saint Michel Mix" starts as maddening drum & bass, but is soon transfixed by glowing tones, hand drums, and police sirens. "Vordhosbn" is all acid beats and mad synths matched with fart-bombs and haunted cries. "54 Cymru Beats" sounds more like the tweaked-out, goofball techno of Wagon Christ than Aphex, while "Taking Control" goes metaphysical with cerebral synth-drums and muddled vocals. If Drukqs is the result of medication James has been imbibing during his three-year hiatus, then this is indeed better living through chemistry. Regardless, his music is still as beautiful and frothy as ever. --Ken Micallef

The high-speed electronic songs sound like a Chipmunk version of Frank Zappa's synclavier music. Sampled beats and synthesized notes burst out of the speakers in complex layers. Everything is played over spastic rhythms. It's breathtaking but also exhausting. These songs move so fast, you can't help but be impressed that they don't collapse into a wall of noise. But you can't dance to it.

The chamber music songs are elegant, patient pieces played on a variety of keyboards. The melodies are spare and the songs are short. Instead of layering the music, the keyboard music is played alone. These pieces are the best part of the album.

The final third is made up of people talking, a phone call from Richard's parents on his birthday, some ambient drones, and sound effects. The album works best when all of these songs are mixed together --- and if you listen to the album in order (instead of using the RANDOM function on your CD player) it comes pre-mixed. Ambient music alternates with high-speed electronica, then you hear a nice little piano piece . . . and then its back to the rapid-fire beats. You're always off-balance from one track to the next.

It works, but there's not much depth to this album. It feels like Richard James messing around, not committing himself to anything particularly spectacular. Again, like Zappa, this feels like an album of spare parts that's been put together just to get something new out on the shelves. That doesn't make it bad when you've got a genius at work. Even his scraps are pretty amazing. But this album is far less brilliant that it could be. (P.S. I think the title means "drug use.")


zvbxrpl   January 2, 2002
 22 out of 30 found this review helpful

kickbhif
scursh pulx
cumha padraig postr
a blackurrant drink
a e f eh x
smental
an smair spirchal than the hairy beast
have fun with drikqs ukqs all folks


The pinnacle of Ambient music   October 23, 2003
 19 out of 21 found this review helpful

To me, this is definitely the best Aphex Twin album. James alternates his signature programmed meltdowns with calm pieces for piano/tape loops, synthesizer, and prepared piano (it sounds like he's listened to John Cage's "Three Dances for Prepared Piano" [1944] a lot). As usual, on many of the tracks the drum machine becomes the lead melodic instrument, processed halfway to incoherence with delay and chorus and probably every effect he could muster. But the structures are less abstract, tighter, and fuller. He creates a perfect balance between lull and storm, like fractal music made at the edge of chaos. This is what Eno should be doing.


Great job RDJ   January 6, 2006
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

What a great album. I have gotten into RDJ's music a lot for the last three or four months. I am relatively new to this style of music, although he is known for many sounds and styles. I first purchased "Richard D. James" album and "I care because you do", and I immediately fell in love with his music, although the tracks on those albums weren't as dark as some of his other stuff.
Drukqs. As many people have stated already, and as obvious as it sounds, has something to do with drugs. I don't care either way, I'd prefer that there was no connection between drugs and any of his music. It is a great album none the less. I'll just give a quick description of each track. Sorry for the lack of Electronica/techno terminology.

jynweythek-10/10 A superb sounding piece. I presume it consists of prepared piano playing, which is the first of a few prepared piano pieces. Like nothing I've ever heard before.

vord hosbn-10/10 Another great track to start you off with this album. Sounds a little like something from Richard D. James album. Excellent mix, emotionally stirring.

kladfvgbung micshk-10/10 I believe another one of his prepared piano pieces. Dark and awesome. Something to show us that he can create something as equally dark with a piano as he can using software and computers.

omgyjya-switch-10/10 First starts out with "whipping sounds(?)". Then sneaks in with the snippet of vocals and vocal-like electronic sounds. This is the track that compelled me into purchasing this CD. Throughout the track are excellent sounds, this description like all my others may be vague, but just listen to the samples of each track on Amazon.

strotha tynhe-7/10 A nice piano piece. Dark at times, but just a little too inconsistent, I'm not saying that I want it to go faster, the pace is fine. It's just that I would have liked a little more consistency in the structure of it.

gwely mernans-9/10 Dark and very emotionally disturbing, which is why I love his music so much. I would have just liked a little bit more of that sound in this track. Other than that, it's beautiful and almost makes me want to cry.

bbydyonchord-10/10 Another one of those tracks that makes you think of "Richard D. James album" and "I care because you do". A beautiful mixture of synth and percussion, just listen to the sample.

cock/ver 10-10/10 Flawless. Some jungle is mixed into this little gem. And if you listen to the whole album, you'll notice that this is track is one of two tracks that gives this album its "Parental Advisory" label.

avril 14th-10/10 Absolutely beautiful, one of my favorite piano pieces from this album. I've cried once listening to it(it's that beautiful). An awesome contrast to his work.

Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount- 10/10 Really fast, but full of distinguishable sounds, none of them get in the way of the others. The second part to this track provokes emotion. The synthesized vocals(I think?) plus all the other elements together just gives you this vision of what Mt Saint Michel and Saint Michaels Mount would look like, human intuitiveness at it's best.

Gwarek2- 7/10 The beginning is pretty weird, a bunch of people making noises. Kinda sounds like they are suffering or are in "hell". I'm partial to that part. But then the rest of it sort of lingers on.

orban eq trx4-9/10 A strong hip-hop sounding track. I just want it to keep going and going, but the fact is, is that it's too short or not long enough.

aussols- ? I can't really say too much about this one, it's 12 sec's long and is just some people talking in an indistinguishable language. Funny.

hy a scullyas lyf a dhagrow-9/10 Another prepared paino piece. It's not as good as the first one but is still a great piece. It's also nice to have it towards the end of the first CD.

kesson dalef-10/10 One of my other favorite piano pieces from this album. It's so beautiful and another one of his contrasts in this album. Not too long though.

54 Cymrv beats-10/10 Fast and fantastic. Some dark synth laid over some beats in the beginning and sampled vocals. Intricate layering of sounds. A little bit of jungle laid in. The kinda stuff that a lot of people only look for in an AFX album(shame on you). Listen to the sample.

btoum-rovmada-7/10 I don't quite know what this was played on, but it's nostalgic(subjectively). It's a nice piece.

lornaderek-? Another one of those funny sampled pieces from RDJ's family life. His family sings him a happy birthday song. Funny.

2kthr-6/10 I think the music was played on a harmonium in this track. It's pretty short and doesn't really turn my head like the other instrumental pieces.

meltphace 6-10/10 Yet another track that reminds you of "RDJ album" and "I care because you do". Listen to the sample and dance.

bit 4-? Just a quick piece of synth. 25 sec's worth. Strange sounding.

prep gwarlek 36-8/10 I think it's another prepared piano piece. It's pleasant, but a little too short. I would have loved to listen to this track for a good four to five minutes. Listen to the sample.

father-6/10 A piano piece. It seems like he is incoherently playing the piano. It's also quite short.

taking control-10/10 Another one of those faster tracks. I love it. It incorporates some sampled computer vocals. Another blessing from RDJ. Listen to the sample and dance weird.

petiatil cx htdui-8/10 A nice piano piece. A little more range on the keys would have been nice. But overall another relaxing track.

ruglen holon-9/10 Prepared piano piece. It's very well composed and relaxing, just a little too short though.

afx237v.7-10/10 Yes. It's the infamous track used in Chris Cunningham's short film Rubber Johnny, part of it anyway. Another crazily structured mix. A little dark and creepy, though mixes with a little jungle here and there. Awesome work RDJ. Listen to the sample and dance.

ziggomatic 17-10/10 An awesome mix with overtones of darkness. The perfect track to put near the end of the album. A very enjoyable lengthy track.

beskhuepnm-9/10 Another prepared piano piece. Sounds nice and relaxing in the beginning then about halfway it starts turning the mood of the song in a different direction while still maintaining the higher keys of the piano, great contrast in the track.

nanou2-8/10 It's the last track of the album, and it seems as if it might have lost a little bit of its energy on this track. It's alright for it being the last song, but...

Quick descriptions nothing too elaborate but that's what I thought of the album. RDJ(AFX ect...) has earned a place with Ween and The Talking Heads as one of my god's of music. Anyone want some Beatles, Doors or Led Zeppelin CD's, I'd be happy to give them to you for free. AH HA HA HA...all that time wasted.


quite possibly the best electronic album to date   October 26, 2001
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

When chronicaling Richard D. James's illustrious and warped career there is an obvious evolution from simple beats and Melodies (I Care Because You Do...) to insanely complex programming masterworks (Richard D. James Album and windowlicker)Drukqs shows the best of both sides. The tender beauty of his Selected Ambient Works, and I Care Because You Do... shine through the insanely complex drum beats that equal even Tom Jenkinson's Go Plastic. Not to mention the new piano side to Aphex Twin. Which are his most beautiful songs to date.

However, i can see how some people could really hate this album. Its dark and twisted with juxtaposed bittersweet piano songs between industrial drill 'n bass songs. Rolling Stone is obviously a bunch of thumb twiddling morons to give this i star while Jeniffer Lopez (i refuse to call her J. Lo)gets four stars. which is a ranking usually reserved for those artists who give their soul to the music and aren't in it just to reveal their bodies in some akward mid song dance sequence in every single on of her god damned videos!

but back to the topic at hand, Drukqs shows Aphex Twin's many sides. Some may call this album pretentious, i call you jaded. Drukqs is what other electronic artists should aspire to create.