[Hip Priest]

Originally Posted by marleypumpkin

I'm glad I could help add to yr ever growing Aphex Twin collection.

I listened to a few minutes of it earlier, & I'm really impressed by the fact that it was an improv show.

On paper, ATP 2003 was a battle between the electronica big daddy Aphex Twin and young Canadian pretender-to-the-throne Venetian Snares. In practice, there could only be one winner.

For anyone still wondering, it was Aphex Twin.

Quite simply, the man otherwise known as Richard D James is the musical equivalent of doing a pill: he'll make you dance for hours like a fucking retard, grin insanely and stay up until ridiculous times babbling shit. Fantastic.

All life before 2.30am on Saturday April 4th was instantly rendered pointless. By one man. A man who looks like an alien species, is renown for his awkwardness, but once every so often shows why he's number one.

This was one such occasion; 120 minutes of exocet DJ precision, mashing together the very greatest bits of techno, jungle and drum & bass; a couple of thousand mad-for-it stay-outs, many with E-filled veins, others merely psyched into a frenzy by literally non-stop body-arresting beats.

Amazing is the only word which could possibly be used to describe the atmosphere. No fights, no aggro, no bullshit. Just wall-to-wall rave action and Aphex Twin, messiah-like, manically shaking his fists elatedly at his dancing disciples.