Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash

Something about sports cars- There are really great ones that are worth all the money that they say they are (Corvettes, BMW M5, Opel, Audi TT, etc) then there are the ones that are really just sub-par (Miatas, Toyota, Honda's Del Sol, etc). What differentiates these apparently subversive categories? That the good cars are notorious for their quality, their ability to handle, and their ability to always be a good all-round product. The lessers? There's always a glitch, there's always a timing-belt issue, there's always something inherntly rattle-y about the car. The lesson learned? Quality is best, and you get what you pay for. But what about a whole quantity of quality, you ask, and how does that relate whatsoever to Aphex Twin? Well, it's like this: 26 Mixes for Cash is precisely what James' is doing- He's putting out something that has foolproof quality that he knows you'll buy, because his shit just doesn't really smell, know what I mean? Sure, Druqks was interesting, innovative and bizzare, but this record, or rather this double-disc set, is actually more innovative and bizzare because Aphex Twin has the innate ability to, unlike, say, Puff Daddy, make something good into something great. It's like tweaking headlights- Not much change, but enough to make you stop and stare. The only bad part about 26 Mixes is that it lags in spots- The rat-a-tat-tat-boom that makes Aphex Twin's albums really exciting to listen to is somewhat absent, especially in the dyseptic nap that is the "David Bowie and Philip Glass - Heroes Symphony (Aphex Twin Remix)." What a bugger- It would have been better to use, like, the Wallflowers version, eh?. Oh, and there's a NIN track on Disc One that is nothing beyond noise, but maybe I just haven't "gotten" it yet. Basically, the two discs are thus: Disc one is quiet, Disc Two is loud. The better bits of Disc One include "Seefeel - Time To Find Me (AFX Fast Mix)", and I've always loved the AFX stuff, and the "Saint Etienne - Your Head My Voice (Voix Revirement)." Both are tres bon tracks that showcase the inherent genius talent of the Twin. Disc Two is tight, flaunting a great interpretation of one of the Selected Ambient Works II songs, as well as some creepy children and a ill Nine Inch Nails remix ("Nine Inch Nails - At the Heart of It All (Created by Aphex Twin)." Basically, this is a record for those fans who comb the record store, ebay, and MP3 trades to get as much Aphex as they can- those few, those proud- and this is their reward. A neat compiliation of Aphex Twin tracks spanning the mind of one of the most creative artists making music right now, and yes, he only cares because you do. [www.warprecords.com]