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10.0
69510
10.0 |
Drowned In Sound
Pretty much flawless
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9.5
69635
9.5 |
Paste Magazine
We’re going to be talking about this album for years to come
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9.2
69555
9.2 |
Earbuddy
Revealing his genius at transcending genres in creating his own signature sound, and his refusal to settle for one successful format
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9.1
69592
9.1 |
A.V. Club
Even if Syro isn’t a radical departure, it’s still a swaggering return, a reminder of just how many varieties of warped sound remain at James’ command—and just how few of his acolytes can touch that versatility
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9.1
69609
9.1 |
Pretty Much Amazing
Syro demonstrates something never before seen on an Aphex Twin record: temperance. Richard D. James has successfully crafted one of the most stunning records of his career, and he did so by exercising a deft amount of self-control
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9.0
70213
9.0 |
No Ripcord
Will undoubtedly come to be remembered as another masterpiece from possibly the greatest electronic composer to walk the earth
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9.0
69864
9.0 |
FasterLouder
Syro is actually a great record in and of itself, and it really does stand up to criticism alongside the other records in the Aphex oeuvre. Surely that is more than we could ever have expected
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9.0
69551
9.0 |
The 405
The beauty of Syro is that every second is impeccable
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9.0
69585
9.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
As much as anything in Aphex Twin’s back catalogue, Syro is an incredibly cohesive, immersive listen
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9.0
69646
9.0 |
Exclaim
There is craftsmanship here, but its genius lies in letting the raw quality of his sound speak first rather than arranging it into something new
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9.0
69566
9.0 |
Uncut
A greatest hits, in a way, without the hits. Print edition only
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9.0
69511
9.0 |
NME
Charms and beguiles
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8.7
69535
8.7 |
Pitchfork
The care and virtuosity with which these tracks were assembled is immediately obvious, but nothing feels difficult; the record’s easy flow despite it all is one of its primary virtues, and there’s something new to uncover with every listen
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8.5
69656
8.5 |
Beardfood
Imagine maximizing every quality about a song. That's what Syro does
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8.3
69542
8.3 |
Consequence Of Sound
SYRO peaks as Aphex Twin’s most accessible album since his ambient works
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8.0
69543
8.0 |
The Arts Desk
Delivers in spades for those who crave a funky, ambitious, sonic head-rollicking
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8.0
69548
8.0 |
All Music
These tracks actually enhance, rather than hinder, one of James' most inviting and enjoyable releases
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8.0
69576
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
Thick with Seventies jazz-funk nods, it answers Daft Punk's Random Access Memories with future-shock electronics supplanting nostalgic dazzle
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8.0
69582
8.0 |
PopMatters
It is by turns raw, intricate, and intimate
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8.0
69512
8.0 |
Time Out
It can feel as though he’s inventing his own scales, notation and dynamic range
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8.0
69513
8.0 |
The Guardian
Utterly engrossing
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8.0
69514
8.0 |
The Independent
Manages to convey a strong sense of unity and direction despite the effervescent, constantly shifting surface
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8.0
69515
8.0 |
The FT
Assembled with superb craftsmanship
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8.0
69516
8.0 |
The Observer
Still bracingly strange in places and never complacent
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8.0
69533
8.0 |
musicOMH
Anyone hoping for radical revolution will not find it here, but a more complicated quiet evolution does seem to be underway
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8.0
69759
8.0 |
God Is In The TV
Album closer evokes Drukqs‘ ‘Avril 14' with its Satie meets Eno soundscape. It’s a sign that one of the few things we can expect from him is the unexpected
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8.0
69760
8.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
Syro stands as a quiet achievement, an un-fussy, humbling, and excellent release
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8.0
69779
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
Imagine a mirror which distorts not just the reflection, but reality itself, and you have a fair idea of the stunning legacy to which Syro triumphantly belongs
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8.0
69782
8.0 |
State
Each track is packed with enough character and variety
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8.0
69499
8.0 |
Evening Standard
In truth this is a surprisingly retro return from a king of future music
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8.0
69509
8.0 |
Clash
Stands up to the amazing hype and comes away not too shabby at all
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8.0
69898
8.0 |
Q
As mesmerising as ever. Print edition only
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8.0
69605
8.0 |
Digital Spy
If Syro is Aphex Twin's long-awaited return to simply doing what Aphex Twin does, then what Aphex Twin does is still infinitely smarter, surprising and more diverse than most
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8.0
69608
8.0 |
DIY
‘Syro’ still delves into the nagging, tense electronica of ‘Drukqs’ - beats still gnaw at the conscience and refuse to settle - only this time the producer’s using, y’know, actual robots to play drums
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8.0
70352
8.0 |
The List
Syro doesn’t have a ‘Windowlicker’, but it still works beautifully because of its cocoon-like feeling of security and assurance, like a welcome mat into the mind of an enigmatic and bewitching musical talent
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8.0
70645
8.0 |
Tiny Mix Tapes
Syro is proof that he is still very much the king of his own tangled domain
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6.0
70446
6.0 |
Under The Radar
This record never puts Aphex Twin's legacy into question, yet it may ponder his continuing relevance
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6.0
69832
6.0 |
Mojo
What's missing is that impish, dangerous side, the famous contorted grin and all that it suggests. Print edition only
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