by Theo Kavadias
A flexible attitude to the use of distortion and effects alongside a cheerful approach to hacking existing music are strong prerequisites for the cut-up artist, and in Help Aphex Twin 4.0 V/Vm show that they do not lack on either front. Rather than target Top 40 artists to rework the magic, such as Kid 606 's The Action Packed Mentallist Brings You the Fucking Jams does, V/Vm's release reels in a target much closer to the IDM musical base -- Richard D. James . Help Aphex Twin 4.0 hits multiple James projects, including Aphex Twin and Polygon Window . Expect all the favorite James tunes detuned, repitched, distorted, meshed, and folded, including what was once "Windowlicker," "Come to Daddy," "Ventolin," and "Quoth." There are more than a few references to cash, banks, and money throughout the release. V/Vm's critique/reinvention of Aphex Twin hits the viscera as samples of "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof or ABBA 's "Money Money Money" collide with the wreckage of what was once Aphex Twin beats and tweaks. The selection of tracks on Help Aphex Twin 4.0 at times sounds only like Aphex Twin tracks tweaked and re-rendered on a laptop, without quite having turned into something else. "WINDuckyQuaCKer" bends and pitches the original "Windowlicker," but there doesn't appear to be much else going on. However there are more than a few points where V/Vm turn the known into noisy, sheared rebuilds worth more than a brief listen. "druNQs"' rapid breaks and rearranged slivers of sound prove V/Vm know the business. "Dirty Quoth" is a solid high-decibel reinvention of an old classic fused with the requisite "money talks" samples. It may not be the point of Help Aphex Twin 4.0 to be an altogether serious release, though it may be amusing for like-minded listeners. On the level of serious listening, Help Aphex Twin 4.0 will probably not inspire frequent return visits. This release is true to form, but look elsewhere in the V/Vm discography for the foundation.