DJ Mag's new Solid Gold series revisits and examines the ongoing significance and influence of electronic albums throughout history. In this month's edition, to mark the release of his eagerly anticipated 'Collapse' EP, Ben Murphy explores the ongoing impact of Aphex Twin's ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’. A seminal record in the IDM, ambient and experimental canon, this one is a must-have in any self-respecting collector's crate...

‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’ was the creation of the fevered imagination and unique musical mind of Richard D James, an artist who’s gone under a huge number of monikers but who is most infamous as Aphex Twin. Released in 1992 on R&S ambient subsidiary Apollo Records, it’s an album that remains a constant muse for experimental and mainstream musicians alike. From this record sprang the IDM genre (and Aphex Twin’s preferred term “braindance”), and a freeform attitude to electronic music that’s become prevalent again in the last few years, as genre becomes increasingly meaningless and dance music yearns for the fluidity of the past. Inspiring everyone from Machinedrum to Radiohead, Björk to Kanye West and Daniel Avery to Paul White, Aphex Twin’s first album is a touchstone that, unlike many other records of its era, has barely dated at all.

Aphex Twin’s back-catalogue is vast, and encompasses delicate classical (‘Aisatsana’ or ‘Avril 14th’, as sampled by Kanye), brutally noisy drum & bass (‘Come To Daddy’), industrial hip-hop (‘Ventolin’), queasy techno breaks (‘180db [130]’, even mellow Mr Fingers-esque house (‘Laricheard’). His most famous moment is ‘Windowlicker’, a track that managed to cross over thanks to its typically weird Chris Cunningham directed video — and in spite of its uncompromising cyborg R&B sound. ‘Selected Ambient Works’ remains his seminal work, though: its synthesis of elements from hip-hop, hardcore, ‘true’ ambient, house and techno is a prescient window to the future that producers are still glimpsing through.

Richard D James was born in Limerick, Ireland, grew up in Lanner, Cornwall, was schooled in Redruth, and displayed a prodigious skill for music and computer coding from an early age. In the late ’80s, he was DJing at Cornish beach parties and at Crantock club The Bowgie as Phonic Boy On Dope. Laura Snapes, in her article on James’s Cornish identity for The Quietus, says that: “James threw his own music into his hip-hop, acid, garage, and jungle-heavy sets — early tracks like ‘Human Rotation’, ‘Analogue Bubblebath’, ‘Polygon Window’ and ‘Parking Lot’.

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2. Selected Ambient Works 85-92. 100% Secure Shopping. Studio equipment. Our full range of studio equipment from all the leading equipment and software brands. Guaranteed fast delivery and low prices. Visit Juno Studio. Aphex Twin's ambient recordings mature magnificently with age, sounding ever richer and more emotive as the rest of.

Following excursions into hardcore as Power Pill (the video game-sampling ‘Pacman’) and AFX (‘En Trance To Exit’, made with Tom Middleton), ‘Selected Ambient Works’ came out the same year as the ferocious breakbeat acid of the ‘Didgeridoo’ EP for R&S. However, ‘Selected Ambient Works’, was altogether different: a somnambulist dreamscape that melted heavenly shoe-gaze melodies into slow-burn beats and ice-clear techno, often with a suggestion of menace lurking at the peripheries.

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On its release, the album was recognised for its revolutionary sound, and it continues to enrapture. When it was reissued in 2002, Pitchfork journalist David M Pecoraro was moved to call it “the most interesting [record] ever created with a keyboard and a computer”, while Laurent Fintoni in Fact Magazine suggested in 2017 that: “It is one of those rare works that feels unbounded by time, as capable of surprising you today as it was then and perhaps in another 25 years — a quality that has made it one of the most beloved works of an artist who still refuses to conform to expectations.”

Though touted as an “ambient” record, it’s far from the beatless drift of Brian Eno’s ‘Music For Airports’ or the creepy aura of James’s own ‘Selected Ambient Works II’. Instead, it’s an ambient record for the post-rave era. As such, dance drums underpin the electronics throughout, and tracks such as ‘Ptolemy’ bear the residue of US house, its synth-funk bassline and crisp drum machine 4/4 kicks sounding like a cousin of Fallout’s ‘The Morning After’. ‘Where ‘Selected Ambient Works’ departs from type, is in its meandering melodic textures, which float diaphanous above while the motor functions continue below. ‘Pulsewidth’ has euphoric, almost prog house synth riffs, though there’s a blissful sense of detachment.

The sublime ‘Xtal’, which opens the album, is an Elysian sunrise vision set to a kick drum thud and breakbeats. Its fuzzy melodies and blurred female vocal place it in a zone similar to contemporaneous shoegaze artists Seefeel and My Bloody Valentine (albeit with the guitars stripped out), and this “shoegaze techno” vibe would recur in the work of artists such as Nathan Fake, James Holden and Ricardo Tobar years later.

Though “ambient house” was gaining currency as a form at the dawn of the ’90s, and Balearic beat records proliferated at the time, from The KLF’s ‘Chill Out’ to The Orb’s ‘Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld’ and The Grid’s ‘Floatation’, ‘Selected Ambient Works’ felt more electronic, more spacious — and less safe. Another way in which this album was different was its hints at menace, its darker undertones. If the feather-light synth bubbles of ‘Ageispolis’ caress the brain still fizzing with chemicals after a night out, ‘Hedphelym’ was a discordant disruption of comedown calm, full of atonal tones and evil drones set to a crunching distorted thud. In his 1992 review of the album for dance music magazine Jockey Slut, Jon Savage said: “The ebb and flow here, between fast and slow, between playful and awful, between moon and sun, holds some of the queasy, constant motion within which we live.” This form of ambient unease would later be developed upon by artists such as Boards Of Canada and Lord Of The Isles.

A merge of bliss and disquiet, and those distinctive unearthly melodies, would have a profound influence on a genre that would come to be known as IDM, or “intelligent dance music”. The term was disowned by many artists associated with it — Drew Daniel of American duo Matmos said: “If you consider the sociological origins of contemporary electronic dance music in black and gay clubs in Chicago and New York and then consider the overall ‘whiteness’ and ‘straightness’ of the average IDM artist and fan it all starts to look kind of sinister,” and Richard D James himself said: “It’s basically saying, ‘this is intelligent and everything else is stupid’. It’s really nasty to everyone else’s music.” Still, IDM as a genre tag, along with Aphex Twin’s preferred term, braindance, persist to describe music that combines electronic melodies, ambient components, and strands of other forms of dance such as breakbeat, jungle and techno in leftfield combinations. Where much IDM frets over microscopic detail and fussy edits, though, ‘Selected Ambient Works’ is remarkably clearheaded.

The dreaminess of ‘Selected Ambient Works’ could be said to stem from James’s method of composition. He claimed to be influenced by ‘lucid dreaming’, and of musical ideas coming to him in his sleep. Certainly, the random mixture of pop culture references that appear as samples, buried or not so buried throughout the record, from Robocop, The Thing and Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (“we are the music makers / and we are the dreamers of dreams”), plus post-punk band Public Image Limited, seem to suggest the strange associations and random connections of dream logic.

Modern day nostalgia dictates that the early 1990s was a halcyon age for electronic music. Techno still felt brand new, the acid house and rave movements in the UK had ushered in a new consciousness, and dance had yet to splinter into a multitude of partisan genres. For bedroom producers, possibilities felt endless, and nowhere else is this sense of liberation more evident than in Aphex Twin’s ‘Selected Ambient Works 85-92’. For some, the appeal of Aphex Twin is mystifying, especially for those only exposed to his more extreme material. Yet anyone with an appreciation for electronic music can surely find something to love in this remarkable — and highly influential — record.

Want more? Read the first feature in our Sold Gold series on Motorbass's revolutionary French touch record, 'Pansoul', here.

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Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85 92 Raritan System

Selected Ambient Works 85–92 is the debut studio album by Aphex Twin, the pseudonym of English electronic musician Richard D. James. It was released as a very limited import in November 1992^[7] by Apollo Records, a subsidiary of Belgian label R&S Records, and later widely in February 1993.^[8] The album features tracks recorded onto cassette reputedly dating as far back as 1985, when James was fourteen years old.^[1] An analogue remaster was released in 2006, and a digital remaster in 2008.

Selected Ambient Works 85–92 received widespread acclaim and is considered a landmark of electronica, ambient techno, and intelligent dance music. It was followed in 1994 by the more traditionally ambient Selected Ambient Works Volume II. In 2012, it was named the greatest album of the 1990s by Fact.^[9] It entered at 30 on the UK Dance Albums Chart after the release of Aphex's 2014 album Syro.^[10]

Background[edit]

James began experimenting with musical instruments, such as his family's piano, at an early age.^[11] He claimed to have won 50 pounds in a competition to make a program that produced sound on a Sinclair ZX81 (a machine with no sound hardware) at age 11. He subsequently created music using a ZX Spectrum and a sampler,^[12] and also began reassembling and modifying his own synthesizers.^[11] According to musician Benjamin Middleton, James began producing music at age 12.^[13] James said he composed ambient music the following year.^[14] In an interview with Q magazine in 2014, James stated that the ambient track 'i' emerged from those early recordings. As a teenager James gained a cult following being a disc jockey at the Shire Horse Inn in St Ives, with Tom Middleton at the Bowgie Inn in Crantock and along the beaches around Cornwall, learning new musical techniques.^[15][16] He studied at Cornwall College from 1988 to 1990 for a National Diploma in engineering. About his studies, he said 'music and electronics went hand in hand'.^[16]

James' first release as Aphex Twin, was the 1991 12-inch EPAnalogue Bubblebath on Mighty Force Records before later issues used the pseudonym AFX. In 1991, James and Grant Wilson-Claridge founded Rephlex Records to promote 'innovation in the dynamics of acid — a much-loved and misunderstood genre of house music forgotten by some and indeed new to others, especially in Britain'.^[17] He wrote 'Digeridoo' to clear up his audience after a rave.^[16] From 1991 to 1993 James released two Analogue Bubblebath EPs as AFX and an EP, Bradley's Beat, as Bradley Strider. Although he moved to London to take an electronics course at Kingston Polytechnic, he admitted to David Toop that his electronics studies were being evacuated as he pursued a career in the techno genre.^[12][18] While performing at clubs and with a small underground following, James went on to release SAW 85–92, which was mostly recorded before he started DJing and consisted of instrumental songs that were mostly beat-oriented.^[4]

Composition[edit]

Selected Ambient Works was reputedly recorded between 1985 and 1992 (beginning when James was fourteen)^[1] using homemade equipment constructed from standard synthesisers,^[6] as well as drum machines.^[19] The recording's sound quality has been described as poor due to it being recorded onto a cassette damaged by a cat.^[20]

AllMusic noted that the album draws from the club rhythms of techno and acid house, but adds melodic elements 'of great subtlety, beauty, and atmospheric texture.'^[6]Rolling Stone described the album as 'fusing lush soundscapes with oceanic beats and bass lines.'^[1]Record Collector stated that the album 'demonstrated a mysterious, calmer side' of James's music in contrast to his abrasive earlier releases, calling attention to the presence of 'unearthly, gorgeous melodies' on most of the album's tracks.^[21]Pitchfork stated that 'despite the simplicity of his equipment and approach, the songs here are both interesting and varied, ranging from the dancefloor-friendly beats of 'Pulsewidth' to the industrial clanks and whirs of 'Green Calx.'^[19]Slant noted the use of 'diffusive synth chords' throughout the album, and called attention to James's 'pop sensibility' on tracks such as 'Pulsewidth' and 'Ptolemy.'^[3] Many reviewers suggested that James was influenced by the ambient works of Brian Eno,^[22] though James claims not to have heard Eno before he began recording.^[23]

Various tracks utilise samples: 'We Are the Music Makers' features Gene Wilder's recitation of 'We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams' from Arthur O'Shaughnessy's poem Ode, from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. 'Green Calx' contains samples from the 1987 film RoboCop and from the 1978 track 'Fodderstompf' by Public Image Ltd, as well as distortion of the opening titles of John Carpenter's 1982 film The Thing.^[15]

Reception and legacy[edit]

Selected Ambient Works 85–92 was released on 12 February 1992 by Apollo, a subdivision of Belgian record label R&S Records.^[6][29] James departed from R&S Records after the release of SAW 85–92 to focus on Rephlex Records.^[30]

Aphex Twin Ambient Works

Selected Ambient Works has been critically acclaimed.^[22] John Bush of AllMusic described the album as 'one of the indisputable classics of electronica, and a defining document for ambient music in particular.^[6]Rolling Stone's Pat Blashill called it a 'gorgeous, ethereal album' in which James 'proved that techno could be more than druggy dance music.'^[1] Critic Simon Reynolds wrote that the album 'infuses everyday life with a perpetual first flush of spring.'^[31] When it was reissued by PIAS America in 2002, David M. Pecoraro of Pitchfork noted 'the creeping basslines, the constantly mutating drum patterns, the synth tones which moved with all the grace and fluidity of a professional dancer,' describing the album as 'among the most interesting music ever created with a keyboard and a computer' despite its 'primitive origins'.^[19] Eric Weisbard and Craig Marks, authors of the Spin Alternative Record Guide, gave it a 9 rating and called James a 'noise-for-noise's sake'.^[28]

Widely regarded by critics as one of the pioneering works in early IDM and modern electronic music, retrospective reviews mention its influence on electronic artists.^[22] In 2003, the album was placed number 92 in 'NME's 100 Best Albums' poll (link). Nine years later, it was named the greatest album of the 1990s by Fact magazine.^[9] The album was also featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. AllMusic called it 'a masterpiece of ambient techno, the genre's second work of brilliance after the Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld'.^[4] In 2017, Pitchfork named it the best IDM album of all time.^[5]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks composed and arranged by Richard D. James.

Personnel[edit]

Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 85 92 Vinyl

As credited on the album's liner notes:^[32]

• Tsutomu Noda – liner notes
• Richard D. James – writer, producer, electronics,^[16] sampler^[16]

Youtube Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works 2

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefBlashill, Pat (12 December 2002). 'Selected Ambient Works 85–92 : Aphex Twin'. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
2. ^Bush, John. 'Drukqs – Aphex Twin'. AllMusic. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
3. ^ ^abcCinquemani, Sal (2 November 2002). 'Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92'. Slant Magazine. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
4. ^ ^abcBush, John. 'Aphex Twin | Biography & History | AllMusic'. AllMusic. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
5. ^ ^ab'The 50 Best IDM Albums of All Time'. Pitchfork. 24 January 2017. p. 5. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
6. ^ ^abcdefgTognazzini, Anthony. 'Selected Ambient Works 85–92 – Aphex Twin'. AllMusic. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
7. ^'Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Apollo Records Bandcamp'. Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
8. ^'It was released in late November 1992. (...) Most (reviews) were in Jan and Feb 1993 when it received a domestic release'. Planet Mu. 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
9. ^ ^ab'The 100 Best Albums of the 1990s – FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music'. Factmag.com. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
10. ^ ^ab'Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
11. ^ ^abReynolds, Simon (21 June 2010). 'A Classic Aphex Twin Interview. Simon Reynolds Talks To Richard D. James'. The Quietus. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
12. ^ ^abO'Connell, John (October 2001). 'Untitled'. The Face. Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
13. ^Middleton, Benjamin (October 1992). '~~ rephlex ~~ aphex ~~ drn ~~'. alt.rave.
14. ^Anderson, Don (1999). 'Aphex Twin: Mad Musician or Investment Banker?'. Space Age Bachelor. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
15. ^ ^abJordan (9 December 2011). 'My Year in Lists: Week Forty-Nine'. Review To Be Named. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
16. ^ ^abcdeRobinson, Dave (April 1993). 'The Aphex Effect'. Future Music.
17. ^Wilson-Claridge, Grant (30 November 1992). '~~~ The definitive RePHLeX ~~~'. alt.rave. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
18. ^Toop, David (March 1994). 'Lost in space'. The Face. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
19. ^ ^abcdPecoraro, David M. (20 February 2002). 'Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92'. Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
20. ^Bush, John. 'Selected Ambient Works 85–92 – Aphex Twin'. AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
21. ^ ^abNeeds, Kris (June 2008). 'Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85–92'. Record Collector (350). Retrieved 14 July 2014.
22. ^ ^abcGeorge-Warren, Holly and Patricia Romanowski, ed. (2005). 'Aphex Twin'. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. New York City: Fireside. p. 24. ISBN978-0-7432-9201-6.
23. ^'They thought I was the only one'. Junglizt. 1996. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
24. ^Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN0-85712-595-8.
25. ^'Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92'. Mojo (175): 121. June 2008.
26. ^'Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92'. Q (263): 156. June 2008.
27. ^Frere-Jones, Sasha (2004). 'Aphex Twin'. In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 21–23. ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
28. ^ ^abWeisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). 'Aphex Twin'. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 15–16. ISBN0-679-75574-8.
29. ^'Aphex Twin Charts & Awards Billboard Albums'. Allmusic. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
30. ^Weidenbaum, Marc (13 February 2014). 'Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II'. 33⅓ series. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group: 1. ISBN978-1-62356-763-7.
31. ^Reynolds, Simon (2012). Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture. Soft Skull Press. pp. 156–7.
32. ^Selected Ambient Works 85–92 (booklet). Aphex Twin. R&S Records. 1992.CS1 maint: others (link)

Notes[edit]

• Weisbard, Eric; Craig Marks (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN0-679-75574-8.

Selected Ambient Works 85 92

External links[edit]

Aphex Twin Selected Ambient Works Youtube