
i’ve always felt surprised that Aphex Twin‘s music can be transferred from its original electronic form into instrumental configurations. The proof that it can has been demonstrated several times, ever since Philip Glass’ masterful orchestration of Icct Hedral way back in 1995, and in previous Advent Calendars i’ve discussed arrangements of Nannou and Blue Calx. However, before i first heard it i’ll admit to having been sceptical about Cock/Ver10, one of the most wonderfully gritty and acerbic examples of pure electronica from his 2001 album Drukqs. All credit, then, to Stefan Freund, for making what is an impressively successful translation of the track for a maniacally drum-kit driven ensemble.
As with so many Aphex tracks, it flits in the most carefree manner between lyrical moments and full-on rhythmic blatter, which Freund has nicely retained. But it’s no mere arrangement of the original, it’s clear that this is also an attempt to capture the edgy air of menace running through the track, which we hear all too clearly in passages where the players sound audibly unruly, as if chaos were poised to break out. But then, as if a switch were flipped, they quantise back into rhythmic clarity or melodic calm – in the process highlighting how Cock/Ver10 is all about such volte-faces, wanting to sing and stomp in the most spasmodically spontaneous back and forth.
It would have been nice if this specific performance had had the balls to stay true to the original shouted refrain, retained in Freund’s arrangement –
COME ON YOU CUNT LET’S HAVE SOME APHEX ACID
– instead of chickening out and shying away from it’s most gleefully aggressive word. Considering this phrase is so famous, and therefore so anthemically integral to Cock/Ver10, it sounds pathetically neutered in such an otherwise schizoid soundworld to skip over it for the sake of, of all things – and in an Aphex track, of all places! – politeness.
There are vague episodes along the way, and they’re nicely realised here. The one following the shout is excellent in the way it deconstructs the texture, falling back such that the pulse continues subtly as an undertone within a few moments of poised repose, while the final one, which ends the track, embellishes the original with little traces of melody as it dies away, eventually ending the same way, frozen on the same notes. But it’s the frantic, raucous energy that typifies Cock/Ver10 most, and it’s that that comes across loudest and clearest in this instrumental version, with the brass in particular tantamount to blowing raspberries in the last burst of mayhem.
This performance of Cock/Ver10 was given in April 2016 by the Southbank Sinfonia conducted by Gerry Cornelius.