Aphex Twin

As mysterious as Aphex Twin is — from his rare public appearances to his countless aliases — there's no denying the striking consistency of his productions. In fact, he managed to make nothing but engrossing, incredibly influential electronic music throughout the '90s and early '00s, from the wave-riding ambient techno of "Alberto Balsalm" and "Flim," to the twisted experimental pop of singles like "Come to Daddy" (its dentist-drill melody and "I want your soul!" sample sound like a crash course in industrial music) and "Windowlicker" (fun fact: Chris Cunningham's video — a hilarious but disturbing parody of bling-bling culture — is considered one of the most brilliant long-form clips ever).

To fully understand Aphex Twin's importance, though, you might want to explore the side projects and alternate mixes that spice up our Next Steps.

We know what you're thinking: How influential could an electronic producer be, especially one who seems to barely leave his bedroom? Well, for starters, Aphex Twin is one of the only IDM-era icons to receive respect in the rarefied realm of classical music, as heard in Alarm Will Sound's elegant interpretation of "Avril 14th." As for his place within the actual beat-conductor world, it can be heard in Richard D. James' split-personality approach, from the acid-spewing techno of Polygon Window and manic breakbeats of AFX to such Aphex Twin detours as the brainy, borderline hip-hop beats of "Acrid Avid Jam Shred" and the warm analog melodies of "Finger Bib."

While he'll always be remembered as one of the flagship artists within an invitation-only scene (the sample-crunching Intelligent Dance Music club, aka IDM) and leading electronic music label (Warp Records), Richard D. James has remained on his own plane since he was a curious kid customizing synths and splicing samples in Cornwall, England. As a result, everyone from Philip Glass to Nine Inch Nails to the Cure has begged him for an Aphex Twin remix — something he's occasionally agreed to, when he's not rewriting what people expect in an Aphex Twin or AFX/Polygon Window production, from the clanging, downright abrasive industrial chords of "Ventolin" and "Quoth" to the soothing lulls of "Hy a Scullyas Lyf a Dhagrow" and "Next Heap With."