Blog • Dorothy R. Howard
October 8, 2018
I liked the fake Aphex Twin leak better than the real thing
It was September 18th, 2014 and I was on the r/Music subreddit. Down the feed, I saw a thread called "Aphex Twin - Syro has leaked," and jumped to action like a moth lurching to attention when a porch light flicks on. Murmurings on and offline indicated that Aphex Twin's new album Syro would be released the next day. I knew because - not only am I a huge Aphex Twin lover as it were - but I love fandom itself. Sometimes I spend time on forums where fans congregate before and when I know a release might drop. On this particular subreddit thread was a link to a Youtube video of the leak with the album cover artwork previously released. But things were not as they initially seemed. As good albums often are; this one sounded different from their older stuff, like they were branching out into a new acoustic space. But the next day, when Syro was 'officially' released, the story didn't line up. It was a different album, with a different sound. Fans were shocked and confused. Let's rewind.
The fan's thirsty quest for obscure content can feel like an elitist race to pointless trivia at times. But I find a particular joy in the time-based, collective excitement of it all. Album leaks can be emotional roller coasters. There are many uncertainties. You must be discerning of the truth-claims of leakers and of the safety of the leak itself (potential viruses, spam website redirects, pop-ups, trackers, etc.). This tumultuous game toys with the heartstrings of devoted fans who are eagerly awaiting the content. This uncertainty is also what feeds my involvement - the competition of searching for the leak is part of the game, too.
There are probably a million reasons that things get leaked, like someone who got fired taking revenge or the data security person missing a bug. There are also fake leaks too. Companies have been known to leak things before they are set to come out as a marketing strategy to create buzz. On top of all this, another unsettling aspect of leaks is that they don’t actually have to be real.
The invigorating series of events that unfolded after the r/Music subreddit Syro leak is a good example of why I keep hopping back on the leak train. On September 18th, fans descended on the leaked Syro full album Youtube video with reactions, praise, disapproval, and everything in between. Word got around on different channels and comment threads, and the album was posted to other sites like grooveshark.org. Was this another game of chess rigged by Richard David James (aka Aphex Twin)? He does has a reputation for pulling stunts for record releases. The next year, in 2015 James dumped some 20 hours worth of music on an anonymous soundcloud account: user18081971.
I offer my speculations about the status of the leak. Ultimately, all I have is the piecemeal evidence that I have attempted to sew together to make sense of it. What I do know is that the Syro leak first posted on Youtube and soon after linked to on r/Music was an LP called Songs of a young Alec and released by McIntosh Woodruff on July 17, 2013. It was not the same music as the official release. Woodruff's bandcamp.com profile indicates that they are related to Austin, Texas. Is Woodruff just another pseudonymous identity for Richard David James? That would mean that James had leaked a fake version of the album - tricky!
The only other space online where I have been able to locate McIntosh Woodruff is via a reference on Soundcloud to what appears to be his brother's band called Honest Miles. It's statement is that: "Honest Miles is a collaborative project based out of the central Texas area led by 7-string guitarist/singer Alec Woodruff and co-founded by his brother McIntosh Woodruff on drums." And yet, the tunnel stops here. In my searches, I have not been able to find a way through to figure out who McIntosh Woodruff is and what is up with this beautiful LP. My hunch is that Aphex Twin released Syro as a leak through McIntosh Woodruff's bandcamp the day before the release, then released the official Syro the next day - but I welcome any more information that might prove this theory wrong.
Although the details and history of the leak remain uncertain, I know I'm not alone in thinking that the Syro leak Songs of a young Alec is better than the real thing. This series of events continues to invigorate my love of online music culture and leak culture, Youtube comments, and the challenges to disentangling myths, rumors, and 'truths,' about the origins of some kinds of content.
