Pitchfork

Now 11 records into what was expected to be a 10-platter set, even the most fervent Richard D. James worshippers might be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed, bored, or apathetic by the Analord series. While the results have proved intermittently brilliant, only occasionally dull, and generally better than 2001 faith-shaker Drukqs, no one seems to agree what's what. There may be a hidden master plan yet, but the master sure seems to be coasting.

With the release of his latest triad, James has reached a (temporary?) stopping point. Analord 10 actually came first last December, but it's been re-issued as a logo-bearing picture disc, and what does order matter when the man's latest sounds like his earliest? Each of the Analord releases adopts the AFX moniker, analogue synth sounds and even inscrutable titles he used in his early '90s Analogue Bubblebath acid-house recordings. (Except the original 10th, i.e. first, which was released as Aphex Twin. Got it?)

Analord 10 remains the best of the new EPs so far. It's not hard to see why listeners who'd already dished out 40 quid for this record might have gone on to order the collection's later, less-inspiring discs. A-side "Fenix Funk 5" alternately buzzes and reclines, incorporating garbled, vocoder-like noises, and gently descending chimes along with energetic drum machines. The dense, dark seven-plus minutes of bell-tolling B-side "Xmd5a", still more melodic than most acid but playing hard to get, make it probably the series' best track. OK, some consensus, then.

Meanwhile, Analord 11 is colder, sadder, and less satisfying. Its two tracks, like those on the eighth and ninth outings, are named after viruses and spyware. A-side "W32.Mydoom.Au@mm" whines and moans over steady handclaps and padded cymbals like an electronic plea for help-- whether with musical ideas or personal life, it's far from clear. On the flip, "Backdoor.Ranky.S" layers drooping synths over a steady boom-pah rhythm, squelching lazily and unnecessarily toward the upper registers as the tune fizzles out. Analord 9-- comprising four tracks rather than the nine fakes originally leaked to file-sharing networks-- ups the BPMs, with skittering hi-hats galore. Bouncy "Backdoor.Netshow" is the highlight, panning left and right as a scratchy sawtooth eventually joins, then drowns in effects.

As many of you know, James is far from the only electronic artist going back to the Phuture-- a full-fledged acid revival has been going on for a while now, exemplified by the likes of Luke Vibert, Atom Heart, and a series of inevitable mostly welcome compilations-- but his following expects him to do more than just partake in the latest craze. According to pernicious rumor, dozens more Analord tracks are in the vault.What else has James got up his sleeve? What does it all mean? WWRDJD? No epiphanies here, but the canny bastard keeps us hanging on.