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A few pints (and vodka and oranges) with Aphex Twin… [January 1997]


Not only is Richard D James one of electronic music’s true pioneers, he’s also a bloody nice bloke to hit the pub with, as Select Magazine found in 1997, when they invited him to The Albion boozer in Stoke for a few casual shandies.

Swilling a couple of pints of Guinness and several vodka and oranges alongside Rephlex labelmate Cylob, the article finds the esteemed Mr James in fine form, musing over where to take his recently-acquired tank.

“It’s a f*cking top laugh in our house,” he says. “I could move, but I’m too fussy about where I’d move to. I want somewhere to drive my tank into. My tank’s for utilitarian purposes. It’s got a gun and six flare-launchers on it. […] I met Jimmy Cauty [of the KLF] at Disobey with his tank. I was totally dissing it, because it didn’t have any guns on it, but I was just jealous because it had a 10-K sound system stuck in the back.”

Renowned for his love of lucid dreaming, James also recalls visiting the home of a local headcase… in his dreams.

“I’ve been in his house in my dream, actually. It’s like a Silence of the Lambs sort of thing, but less organised. He’s probably got a pit where he’s making a dog out of loads of bits of dogs.

“His dogs are his wife and kids, he has full-on conversations with them, beats them up when they bark, and shouts ‘You little fking c*ts, you bastards’, and puts out this ammonia stuff, and then he gets all sorry and starts apologising. […] A well hardcore bloke, we have to admit.”

Never change, Richard. 🙂 You can read the full article below [click to open in new window]


Read more: “I felt violated, like my soul was violated…” Five of Aphex Twin’s stranger musical moments

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