Various Artists

Musicians who run their own record labels often fall prey to the trap of shamelessly promoting themselves instead of the artists they have signed; the Neptunes' recent Clones, for example, was ostensibly released to promote their protégés yet ended up dripping head-to-toe with appearances by Pharrell Williams. But England's maniacal electronic music producer Aphex Twin (a.k.a. Richard D. James) has sprinted in the other direction with his own label Rephlex, even though his musical input might really help sell its products to a wider audience.

Courtesy of Rephlex

Rephlexions

Related Content

• N.E.R.D's New Song "Hypnotize U" Produced by Daft Punk at Exclusive Listening Party Tonight
  October 7, 2010
• Five Key Moments in the Chronology of Hipster Hop
  May 10, 2011
• X Factor's Five Biggest Surprises and Serious Questions From Last Night's Episode
  October 14, 2011
• Is Cris Cab the Cure for Sucky Soul Pop by White Guys With Acoustic Guitars?
  May 27, 2011
• Ten Electronic Dance Music Legends We Wish Had Come to Miami in March
  April 1, 2011

More About

• Aphex Twin
• Pharrell Williams
• The Neptunes
• Richard James
• Electronic Music

And so Rephlexions, highlighting rare and overlooked songs from the label's catalog over the past twelve years, has only the briefest of contributions from Aphex Twin, right at the end: a remix of his "Mangle 11," which was previously available only as a promotional item. His songs tend to push the limits, with grating sounds that are often unpleasant. Several of Rephlex's acts, though, use a gentler, more listenable touch: the minute ambient detail of Leila's "A," Pierre Bastien's electro-trumpet fusion on "Avid Diva," Bochum Welt's liquid sound layers on "Radiopropulsive." This is something rare: a varied, original compilation curated by an intriguing star who hasn't handpicked carbon copies of himself.