Richard D. James, known as Aphex Twin, is an influential English electronic musician from Cornwall. He got his start in the early 1990s making trance and techno music before releasing his acclaimed ambient album Selected Ambient Works 85-92 in 1992. One track from this album, "Avril 14th," is a minimalist piano piece composed with computer-controlled impossible chords. Though not a commercial success, "Avril 14th" has endured and been sampled by Kanye West and featured in the film Her, showing Aphex Twin's continuing relevance beyond just electronic music.

1. Aphex Twin
“Avril 14th”
written by Richard D. James

2. Aphex Twin
Stage name of English electronic
musician Richard D. James
Born August 18, 1971
Raised in Cornwall, England
“..the most inventive and influential
figure in contemporary electronic
music”
-The Guardian

3. Early Career
Got his start working as a DJ at
various clubs in Cornwall making
trance and techno music
Released EP Analogue Bubblebath in
1991, which was picked up by Kiss
FM, an influential London radio station
Founded Rephlex Records in 1991 in
order to advocate more
experimentation in house and trance
music

4. Selected Ambient Works 85-92
First full-length album, released on
R&S Records in 1992
Received high praise and acclaim
from critics –
“..a watershed of ambient music.”
-John Bush, Allmusic
“Aphex Twin expanded way beyond
the ambient music of Brian Eno by
fusing lush soundscapes with
oceanic beats and bass lines.”
-Rolling Stone
“..among the most interesting music
ever created with a keyboard and a
computer.”
-Pitchfork Media

5. Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Has since released 4 more full-length
studio albums, as well as countless
EP’s and remixes

6. Avril 14th
“Avril 14th” is the 9th track on disk one
of Aphex Twin’s 2001 double album
Drukqs
Drukqs featured many computer-
controlled and prepared piano songs
influenced by Erik Satie and John
Cage
Avril 14th is a seemingly
simple, computer-controlled piano
piece
Can’t physically be played precisely
due to impossible chords

7. Avril 14th
The form of Avril 14th is a modified
Rondo form consisting of
Refrain
Verse
Pre-Refrain
Refrain
Bridge
Modified Refrain/Coda

8. Influences and Legacy
Despite being written 13 years
ago, and never receiving much
commercial acclaim, “Avril 14th” finds
itself still relevant and still featured in
significant pop culture events.

9. Influences and Legacy
Kanye West sampled the piano from
“Avril 14th” for his 2010 song “Blame
Game” featuring John Legend. “Blame
Game” helped Kanye’s 2010 My
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to
near universal critical acclaim.

10. Influences and Legacy
“Avril 14th” was also featured in the
trailer for Spike Jonze’s 2013
Academy Award winning feature Her.

11. “Avril 14th” and Me
I’m not a fan of techno
music, trance, or even much
electronic music.
I find it interesting that someone like
Richard James, whose music is often
fast and abrasive, can also compose a
soft, wandering, pretty piano piece like
“Avril 14th”.
Helped introduce me to some of his
more melodic electronically composed
songs.

12. The End.