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Aphex Twin’s First Official Video in 17 Years Was Made By a 12-Year-Old

A couple weeks back, Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) announced a seven-song EP (Cheetah) with a fake, retro instrument ad. That’s emblematic of James’ fancy for doing things a little unusually. Today he released his first official music video in 17 years, and it should surprise no one that it arrived a little…unusually.

For his track “CIRKLON3 [Колхозная mix],” James commissioned a video from Ryan Wyer, a 12-year-old Dublin native that wasn’t even alive the last time Aphex Twin put out a video. The producer discovered Wyer through his YouTube channel, epic1:40d Gaming. Maybe James stumbled upon it because he liked its oddly punctuated name (see: every recent Aphex Twin track title). Or maybe he simply saw a similarly bizarre mind and wanted to collaborate. (It’s also a nice reminder that ageism is a thing and that kids can do unbelievable things.)

The eight-minute video was filmed in Dublin and features Wyer with his friends and family. For many of the shots, Wyer and Company are dancing and wearing both Aphex Twin tees and masks that borrow James’ terrifying face on the cover of his Richard D. James Album. The young auteur shoots on a beach, in a castle, and in front of what is presumably his house (aka his parents’ house), messing with grainy color schemes and the passing of time. It finally culminates in a slow-motion fist pump from Wyer and an eerie ‘To Be Continued” message.

There’s something slightly off-putting about watching 12-year-olds dance around in an official Aphex Twin video, but maybe that’s the point. And hey, Wyer’s resume is now officially better than mine, so I guess that’s something.

aphex twin cheetah

Cheetah arrives on July 8. Check out the full tracklist below, and let us know what you think of the video in the comments.

Cheetah EP

01. CHEETAHT2 [Ld spectrum]
02. CHEETAHT7b
03. CHEETA1b ms800
04. CHEETA2 ms800
05. CIRKLON3 [ Колхозная mix ]
06. CIRKLON 1
07. 2X202-ST5

IMAGE: Aphex Twin

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