[motohagiography]

The thing about Aphex Twin is you have to try to reproduce it to appreciate what's involved I think. The sequence for Polynomial-C's main alternating loop is suprisingly subtle, and I haven't been able to get the rhythm quite right, and I think there's a deeper reason why it's not trivial. It's not just bleep-blooping on some modular gear. They're compositions.

I found this and posted it to HN a little while ago, and it goes more in depth about it. "Techno Counterpoint - Tracking in the Music of Aphex Twin" https://disis.music.vt.edu/eric/LyonPapers/AphexTwin/

[runjake]

It's honestly not that difficult, speaking from experience.

Here's a fellow who smartly documented his work on doing Polynomial-C on an SH-101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFkDH8t1Htg

One of my favorite songs.

A lot of Richard's stuff is surprisingly simple upon deconstruction. But it's his creativity in that simplicity that is key.

I remember the d'oh a few decades ago when I realized his snare rushes are just 1/64th notes.

[motohagiography]

I remember that video and couldn't find it, thank you. The sequence isn't just the 5 step 3-note motif shifting back and forth, it's the 5 steps, 5 again, 3, 5, 3. So 21 steps that are hard to hear it through the reverb. What makes it so good is the listeners ability to lose where we are in it so it never seems repetitive. Bach's work is simple on deconstruction too. :)