A Song That Changed My Life: Cardinals on Aphex Twin’s “Avril 14thThe Band Members: Euan Manning; lead vocals, guitar, Finn Manning; accordion, vocals, Oskar Gudinovic; guitar, Aaron Hurley; bass, Darragh Manning; drums.

The Storyteller: Finn Manning

The Song: Delicate and unnerving, Aphex Twin’s “Avril 14th” hesitantly registers in the mind, allowing its beautiful four-chord piano arpeggiation to take hold. Its muted, ever-so-slightly held notes linger just long enough, signaling a melancholic and unsettling, as well as a sad and stunning sensation all at once.

The mesmerizing two-minute composition highlights how Aphex Twin (Richard D. James), one of the forefathers of drill ‘n’ bass and Intelligent Dance Music (IDM), operates —brilliantly balancing creepy, borderline disturbing sonic aesthetics with moments of minimalist beauty. Because of this subconscious duality, it inadvertently slid into the mainstream, from cinematic soundtracks to iconic hip-hop samples. Today, it pops up as a shortcut in classical crossover and ambient playlists, instantly cutting through digital clutter.

The Background: Hailing from the charming harbor town of Kinsale — the official starting point of the Wild Atlantic Way, a breathtaking 1,600-mile highway winding along Ireland’s rugged Western coastline filled with dramatic sea cliffs and lonely lighthouses — Cardinals eventually followed a beacon of light calling them to settle in the historic, St. Finbarr-guarded city of Cork. Answering to their internal fate, they let the weathered, siren songs of the winding city streets guide them toward crafting music that subtly leans into an abrasive, yet melancholic, alt-folk-rock landscape; a style that fully channels the poetic realism baked into the backbones of the classical Irish musicians and authors.

In due time, the Leeside five-piece garnered the attention of Fontaines DC Frontman Grian Chatten. After releasing their self-titled EP filled with post punk energy and a strange, somber vitality, they entered the studio for a second time — a session which culminated in the creation of Masquerade — a strikingly stark, structural dyad of songs bleeding out equal measures of “alcohol and ecstasy.”  This visceral duality found its physical home in the vinyl itself: a brighter, more romantic everyday clarity spun into Side A, balanced against the moody, dark-art styled descent of Side B.

The release is a modern sonic manifestation of the Claddagh ring. The left hand gripping the sharp, angular post-punk sounds, the right cradling the fraught poetic fragility; at the center lies the heart, absorbing it all, creatively balancing the contradiction into a distinct unified sound. It is an artistic tightrope that Finn Manning subtly credits to “Avril 14th” and the ghost in the machine guiding his creative process with the band.

The Story: Like so many listeners navigating the modern musical landscape, Finn Manning’s introduction to Aphex Twin’s “Avril 14th ” arose through rosy childhood retrospection.  Specifically, he was captivated by the parallel musical narratives in Kanye West’s “Blame Game” from 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy — a striking intersection where a contemporary classical piano instrumental was sampled as an anchor for a maximalist rap production. Even at a young age, this phantom melody seemed to possess a melancholic, poignant air that felt entirely detached from the rest of the song.

Driven early on by an exceptionally acute ear for musical nuances, Manning became obsessed with the beautiful piano arpeggiation beneath the bravado, prompting him to dig through the digital and physical crates. What he uncovered beneath the rap framework was the source material: the delicate, unadorned skeleton keys of Aphex Twin’s “Avril 14th” and its subdued essence.

This realization served as the creative genesis for Manning’s approach to songwriting within Cardinals. His finely tuned mind recognized that a lyricless composition could tell an entire story on its own, leaving listeners to fill it with any mood desired. It is precisely this emotional shapeshifting that drew Manning in. He recalls being struck by the tactile physicality of the sound, the tangible human element felt within the recording itself.

“The chord progression on 'Avril 14th ' really interested me in how music was able to tell a story by itself,” Manning notes. “The production of the recording is so intriguing in its base. The clicking of the keys has this typewriter effect that almost reminds me of a noir detective film.”

Through that same physicality, the different melodies in the song seemed to evoke different feelings. “I was particularly struck by the textures I was hearing.” Manning continues, “There’s a click and crackle where you can hear the physical keyboard itself working. I was mesmerized by how the left hand bass notes flowed and complemented the right hand at all points.”

Beyond the structural cleverness and unassuming delivery of the song, the track became a lifelong musical gateway. Manning leaned into classical piano, which eventually guided him toward artists who use atmosphere as the foundation of songwriting. “I went on to listen to a lot of classical music…and it led me to Brian Eno, and his album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks.”

Today, that old, fuzzy feeling when hearing “Avril 14th acts as a time capsule. Played on a modified Disklavier, the track’s mechanical imperfections heighten its beauty.  When Manning listens to it now, the music effortlessly flattens time and space together, transporting him back to how he heard it for the very first time — “lonely, optimistic, affecting.”

“The song has no lyrics, but the piece itself is incredibly emotive,” Manning reflects. “Still, today I can listen to it, and it can have a different feeling every time. I get different shades of melancholy, pride, hope, and nostalgia depending on what I am feeling.”

Photo Credit: Steve Gullick

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