Another facet of Aphex Twin's genius revealed. Ever since Richard D. James' triumphant return from his extended hiatus, he has showcased the many sides of his genius through several releases. Orphaned Deejay Salek went full on acid, Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments was completely experimental, and Syro went big to bring it all together. Now with Cheetah, the prolific UK producer slows the tempo to focus on rich synth textures and beat-centric electronics. From the title we can assume RDJ is probably using a Cheetah synthesizer (probably an MS800), an obscure British-made unit that utilizes wavetable synthesis. Not going to get into all the geeky details, but this is the kind of stuff that proves Aphex Twin is a master of his craft. Listen to the mutating sounds on the chugging "CheetahT2 (Ld Spectrum)" and "Cheetah7tb," then zone on the mini-ambient pieces "Cheeta1b ms800" and "Cheeta2 ms800." Also check the "Cirklon" tracks on the B-side that bring some welcome AFX-style drum programming into the mix. Recommended.

• music label: Warp 2016

reviewed by Milk Man 07/2016