Cheetah [EP]

Crucially, with his beats less busy, it has left James more room to focus on spine-tinglingly rich tunings and timbres. And that’s where Cheetah really stands out: To sink into it, preferably on good headphones or better speakers, is to be immersed in woozy, viscous frequencies far more vivid than you’ll find almost anywhere else.

There’s not a single weak track, so the bottom line is that if there’s been a better EP released this year, I haven’t heard it.

The record hews especially close to a strain of plush acid, albeit with Aphex Twin's inimitable charm. But a short change of pace arrives from the dissonant "CHEETA1b ms800" and "CHEETA2 ms800," which seem to be brief tests of rich, textured patches from the Cheetah. These tracks complete a record that finds inspiration and style from obstacles and restrictions.

The producer once again succeeds with delivering music that’s intricate and forward-thinking while still landing within listeners’ grasp.

Those nostalgic for the Aphex sounds of old may find them here, but served up rotten and misshapen, as an agreeably queasy warning that nostalgia can only get you so far. [Aug 2016, p.46]

It's quite an enjoyable listen. It's all possibly about as boxed and pared down as Richard D James has sounded.

Cheetah is warm, rudimentary (lotsa 808s), and demurely catchy--making it the poppiest record of this career phase by default.

Aphex Twin has made a good move here by giving a similar feel throughout the EP, but instead of having a few so-so tracks alienated by a standout one, the entire release ends up being fine but unremarkable, especially when pitted against the behemoths of his back catalogue.

The EP is fine, by all means, but it's definitely not the Aphex release to reach for if you're expecting to be challenged or blown away by something utterly unique or exciting.