Analord is a series of eleven 12" vinyl records by the electronic music artist Richard D. James, most of which are released under the alias AFX. The series, released in 2005, marked James's return to primarily analogue equipment following his computer-oriented programming work in the late 1990s. After their release, James "distilled" the 3½-hour, 42-track series into the 10-track compilation album Chosen Lords (2006), effectively his first full-length release since the 2001 album Drukqs.[6]

Analord
EP series by
ReleasedDecember 2004–July 2005
Recorded2003–2005
GenreAcid techno[1]
Length
11 EPs
  • Analord 01: 21:57
  • Analord 02: 23:11
  • Analord 03: 18:44
  • Analord 04: 18:25
  • Analord 05: 10:44
  • Analord 06: 22:58
  • Analord 07: 20:24
  • Analord 08: 20:04
  • Analord 09: 16:34
  • Analord 10: 12:53
  • Analord 11: 19:26
Total: 3:24:04
LabelRephlex
ANALORD01 – ANALORD11
ProducerRichard D. James
Richard D. James chronology
26 Mixes for Cash
(2003)
Analord
(2004)
Chosen Lords
(2006)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
PitchforkAnalord 1: (5.6/10)[2]
PitchforkAnalord 2: (6.0/10)[2]
PitchforkAnalord 3: (7.5/10)[3]
PitchforkAnalord 4: (7.0/10)[3]
PitchforkAnalord 5: (5.8/10)[3]
PitchforkAnalord 6: (6.3/10)[4]
PitchforkAnalord 7: (6.2/10)[4]
PitchforkAnalord 8: (6.7/10)[4]
PitchforkAnalord 9: (6.8/10)[5]
PitchforkAnalord 10: (7.6/10)[5]
PitchforkAnalord 11: (6.6/10)[5]
PitchforkSeries Average: (6.5/10)[2][3][4][5]

On 24 December 2009 the Rephlex Records website began posting unreleased/bonus tracks for the Analord series in MP3 and WAV digital formats. In all, 21 bonus tracks were added to the series, totalling 62 tracks for a runtime of four hours and 36 minutes.[7]

History

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The first installment, Analord 10, went on sale through the Rephlex Records website on 15 December 2004, and was packaged in a faux-leather binder with sleeves for housing the rest of the series. It was later re-released as a picture disc. Both pressings of Analord 10 were marketed under James' primary alias Aphex Twin, although other Analord recordings were released under the AFX pseudonym.[8][9]

A condensed, album-length version of the series, Chosen Lords, was released in 2006.

Musical equipment used

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James has programmed a variety of analogue equipment throughout his career. Instruments on Analord include drum machines such as the Roland TR-606, TR-808, and TR-909; sequencers such as the Roland MC-4; and various synthesizers and polysynths, including the Roland SH-101 and Roland TB-303, a Synton Fenix Modular.

Allusions

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Track listing

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Analord 1

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Released 24 January 2005.

Analord 1
No.TitleLength
1."Steppingfilter 101"4:45
2."Canticle Drawl"1:45
3."MC-4 Acid"3:47
4."Bubble 'n' Squeek 2" (Untitled until December 2009 reissue)1:31
5."Where's Your Girlfriend?"5:06
6."Grumpy Acid"3:21
7."Analord 158b"1:40
Analord 1 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
8."Canticle Drawl" (Alternate Version)0:36
9."Where's Your Girlfriend" (Another Version)3:36

Analord 2

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Released 24 January 2005.

Analord 2
No.TitleLength
1."Phonatacid"9:47
2."Laricheard"2:15
3."Pissed Up in SE1"5:14
4."Bwoon Dub"5:56
Analord 2 bonus track
No.TitleLength
5."Carnival Acid"3:32

Analord 3

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Released 21 February 2005.

Analord 3
No.TitleLength
1."Boxing Day"6:36
2."Midievil Rave 1"2:44
3."Klopjob"5:24
4."Midievil Rave 2"4:00
Analord 3 bonus track
No.TitleLength
5."Stabbij"4:21

Analord 4

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Released 21 February 2005.

Analord 4
No.TitleLength
1."Crying in Your Face"4:23
2."Home Made Polysynth"4:07
3."Halibut Acid"6:07
4."Breath March"3:46
Analord 4 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
5."Flutternozzle"6:28
6."In the Maze Park"1:31
7."Halibut Acid" (Original Mix)4:35

Analord 5

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Released 14 March 2005.

Analord 5
No.TitleLength
1."Reunion 2"5:10
2."Cilonen"5:34
Analord 5 bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
3."Gong Acid"3:05
4."Reunion 2" (Alternative Version)6:23

Analord 6

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Released 11 April 2005.

Analord 6
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Batine Acid" 5:26
2."Snivel Chew" 4:02
3."I'm Self Employed" 4:26
4."2 Analogue Talks" (Split into two tracks on December 2009 reissue)
  • "Analogue Talk (Claknib)"
  • "Analogue Talk (Chorus 3)"
 1:45
  • 0:57
  • 0:52
  • 5."Analoggins"Captain Voafose and Smojphace7:17
    Analord 6 bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    6."Bodmin 1"4:36
    7."Bodmin 2"4:17
    8."Bodmin 3"5:26

    Analord 7

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    Released 25 April 2005.

    Analord 7
    No.TitleLength
    1."Lisbon Acid"8:29
    2."Pitcard"6:18
    3."AFX Acid 04"5:37
    Analord 7 bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    4."Wabby Acid"3:33
    aphextwin.warp.net bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    5."lisbon acid unedited original live version"8:32

    Analord 8

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    Released 9 May 2005.

    Analord 8
    No.TitleLength
    1."PWSteal.Ldpinch.D"3:44
    2."Backdoor.Berbew.Q"4:57
    3."W32.Deadcode.A"6:18
    4."Backdoor.Spybooter.A"5:06
    Analord 8 bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    5."Backdoor.Berbew.Q" (Tollwedgechord Mix)4:59

    Analord 9

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    Released 13 June 2005.

    Analord 9
    No.TitleLength
    1."PWSteal.Bancos.Q"4:50
    2."Trojan.KILLAV.E"3:03
    3."W32.Aphex@mm"3:52
    4."Backdoor.Netshadow"4:49
    Analord 9 bonus track
    No.TitleLength
    5."Liptons B Acid"5:47

    Analord 10

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    Released 15 December 2004 and credited to Aphex Twin rather than AFX. Re-released as a picture disc on 11 July 2005.

    Analord 10
    No.TitleLength
    1."Fenix Funk 5"4:58
    2."Xmd 5a"7:55

    Analord 11

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    Released 13 June 2005.

    Analord 11
    No.TitleLength
    1."W32.Mydoom.AU@mm"8:47
    2."VBS.Redlof.B"4:39
    3."Backdoor.Ranky.S
    • Backdoor.Ranky.S 5
    • Backdoor.Ranky.S 4
    " (split into two tracks on the 2009 reissue)
    6:00
    • 4:08
    • 2:29
    Analord 11 bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    4."Not Disturbing Mammoth 1" (Mono)2:05
    5."Not Disturbing Mammoth 2" (Mono)2:00
    6."Love 7"4:45
    7."3 Notes Con"4:54
    8."VBS.Redlof.B" (Bass Version)3:28

    * Released on 24 December 2009; only available through download.

    References

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    1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r825965
    2. ^ a b c "AFX: Analord 1 / Analord 2 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    3. ^ a b c d "AFX: Analord 3 / 4 / 5 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    4. ^ a b c d "AFX: Analord 6 / 7 / 8 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    5. ^ a b c d "AFX: Analord 9 / 10 / 11 Album Review – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
    6. ^ Fallon, Patric (8 October 2014). "Aphex Twin Albums From Best to Worst". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
    7. ^ Analord, www.discogs.com, Retrieved 2015-07-11
    8. ^ Aphex Twin Interview, www.clashmusic.com, Retrieved 2015-07-11
    9. ^ A beginner's guide to the many sounds of Aphex Twin, www.avclub.com, Retrieved 2015-07-11
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