Where Richard James leads, others follow. It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of Aphex Twin on the electronic music landscape of today.
From humble beginnings DJ'ing at Cornish beach parties as a teenager, and then moving inside to local pubs with Tom Middleton he soon made strides, which saw his early work play-listed on cult London pirate station, Kiss FM. His first full-length album Selected Ambient Works 85-92, was, as the saying goes a benchmark for all ambient electronica that came after. Jump forward a couple of years, and the truly groundbreaking 'Window Licker'
and 'Come to Daddy' releases saw Aphex Twin subverting the MTV play lists with videos that were as genre defying as his music. Fast forward to now, and interest in Aphex Twin is greater than ever. His forays back into analogue machines and a more acidic sound, as well as his rumoured Tuss moniker mean that Richard James is as vital today as he ever was.