Aphex Twin x Russell Holzman

A friend shared with me this great video of drummer Russell Holzman, aka starpowerdrummer, playing a tight bit of accompaniment to Aphex Twin’s now classic “Avril 14th.” The original turns 25 this year, having come out on the 2001 album Drukqs. For at least a decade, if not longer, musicians have been posting cover versions of the song on the titular date. This video, not quite a cover, arrives early, and raises the bar for those looking to join in in a few months’ time. This video appeared as a YouTube short, a somewhat annoying format, in that unnecessary effort is required to locate track description and release date. The recording is also on Holzman’s popular Instagram account, where he subsequently gave an older Aphex Twin track, “Flim,” off 1997’s Come to Daddy album, a similar treatment.