Aphex Twin on track

Sonicbond Publishing Limited

www.sonicbondpublishing.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

First Published in the United Kingdom 2023

First Published in the United States 2023

This digital edition 2023

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Copyright Beau Waddell 2023

ISBN 978-1-78952-267-9

The right of Beau Waddell to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from Sonicbond Publishing Limited

Typeset in ITC Garamond Std & ITC Avant Garde Gothic. Printed and bound in England

Graphic design and typesetting: Full Moon Media

Follow us on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonicbondP

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonicbondpublishing_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonicbondPublishing/

For my family

on track ... Aphex Twin

Contents

Introduction and Biography

The EPs, Part 1: 1991-1992

Analogue Bubblebath (1991)

Analogue Bubblebath 2 (1991)

Digeridoo (1992)

Xylem Tube (1992)

Album: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)

The EPs, Part 2: 1992-1993

Joyrex J4 and J5 (1992)

Joyrex J4 (1992)

Joyrex J5 (1992)

Analogue Bubblebath Vol. 3 (1992)

Album: Surfing on Sine Waves (1993)

The EPs, Part 3: 1993

Quoth (1993)

Joyrex J9i & Joyrex J9ii (1993)

Joyrex J9i (1993)

Joyrex J9ii (1993)

On (1993)

On Remixes (1993)

Bradley’s Robot (1993)

Album: Selected Ambient Works, Volume II (1994)

The EPs, Part 4: 1994

GAK (1994)

Analogue Bubblebath 4 (1994)

Album: Classics (1995)

Album: …I Care Because You Do (1995)

The EPs, Part 5: 1995

Ventolin (1995)

Ventolin (Remixes) (1995)

Donkey Rhubarb (1995)

Bradley’s Beat (1995)

Hangable Auto Bulb (1995)

Hangable Auto Bulb EP.2 (1995)

Album: Expert Knob Twiddlers (1996)

Album: Richard D. James Album (1996)

The EPs, Part 6: 1996-1999

Girl/Boy (1996)

Come to Daddy (1997)

Windowlicker (1999)

Album: Drukqs (2001)

The EPs, Part 7: 2001-2007

Drukqs 2 Track Promo (2001)

Smojphace (2003)

Analord (2004-2005)

Analord 10 (2004)

Analord 01 (2005)

Analord 02 (2005)

Analord 03 (2005)

Analord 04 (2005)

Analord 05 (2005)

Analord 06 (2005)

Analord 07 (2005)

Analord 08 (2005)

Analord 09 (2005)

Analord 11 (2005)

AFX / LFO (2005)

Confederation Trough (2007)

Album: Hangable Auto Bulb (Compilation) (2005)

Album: Rushup Edge (2007)

Album: Caustic Window (released 2014; recorded 1992-94)

Album: Syro (2014)

The EPs, Part 8: 2015-2019

Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 (2015)

MARCHROMT30A edit 2b 96 (2015)

Orphaned Deejay Selek 2006-08 (2015)

Cheetah (2016)

Houston, TX 12.17.16 (Day for Night) (2016)

London 03.06.17 (Field Day) (2017)

Korg Trax+Tunings for Falling Asleep (2017)

Orphans (2017)

Collapse (2018)

London 14.09.2019 (2019)

Peel Session 2 (2019)

Bibliography and sources

Introduction and Biography

The word ‘genius’ seems to get tossed about every which way when you’re talking about music, and more often than not – within the subjective criteria we set for ourselves – it seems justified. If we look at the dictionary definition, it says that to be a genius, a person needs to have ‘exceptional skill in a particular area of activity’. In that case, what do we call Richard D. James AKA Aphex Twin (AKA Polygon Window, Caustic Window, The Tuss... the list goes on)? It’s extremely rare to find an artist with so much of what seems to be effortless talent in so many different musical ‘area(s) of activity’. It’s even more rare to find one that can run the gamut from brushing against pop stardom to releasing projects that the wider world wouldn’t even realise were masterminded by him.

James’ musical adventures date back to 1985 when he was 14 (according to him at least: a deliberately vague and unreliable source at best) and – according to David Stubbs’ book Mars by 1980 – James’ sister’s constant playing of ‘bloody awful’ Jesus and Mary Chain records. James then created tracks under the pseudonym Phonic Boy on Dope: the first of many unique aliases. He took pride in dismantling synthesizers and building his own instruments through knowledge assimilated from his Cornwall College diploma in engineering. Once he felt he’d gained enough experience – either from purchasing as many techno and house records as he could, or from playing fledgling DJ sets where he secretly dropped-in many of his own early tracks – James became involved in the Cornwall ‘free party’ scene. These were raves that took place in hidden coves, dunes or even barns: whatever prevented the police from shutting them down.

Soon he began a DJ residency at the Crantock Bowgie club, where – as detailed in the Analogue Bubblebath 1 and 2 entries – he was persuaded to release his demo tapes on Mark Darby’s Mighty Force record label. James also met future Rephlex partner Grant Wilson-Claridge at the club. These EPs helped bolster James’ underground following, contributing to his success at his next record label R&S, when the Digeridoo EP reached 55 in the UK singles chart. The same box of tapes that James and R&S owner Renaat Vondepapaliere sourced the Digeridoo tracks from, held the material that later became the groundbreaking Selected Ambient Works 85-92 album. It’s still considered a benchmark electronic music LP, generating the source code for IDM (or braindance: the term James prefers) and ambient techno in its 13 tracks.

Over the next two years, a virtual minefield of creativity burst open, with James simultaneously releasing projects under three or four different aliases – the debuts of Polygon Window, Caustic Window and Bradley Strider all happening in the same short period. This led to the release of the next full-length Aphex Twin album: Selected Ambient Works Volume II. Released on Warp Records – James’ label for all his mainline projects – it’s another foundation stone, this time for dark-ambient music.

This (frankly) unparalleled work ethic sustained into 1995 with the release of two deeply inspirational projects. First was the third Aphex Twin album ...I Care Because You Do, which fused Modern Classical experimentation and some of the hardest-hitting beats of James’ career (and started the trend of his artwork showing his face as grotesquely contorted). Secondly came the AFX Hangable Auto Bulb EPs, which tapped into the rise of drum-‘n’-bass in the mainstream. James used digital workstations to edit the percussion into mind-bending patterns, to form the basis of drill-‘n’-bass. James’ work to perfect this physics-defying subgenre was complete with the fourth Aphex Twin LP Richard D. James Album, which had another nightmarish, grinning James visage on the front. The record fine-tuned the beats, repeated the classical ventures of ...ICBYD and juxtaposed some of the sweetest melodies of James’ career against scathing drum programming.

The late-1990s were capped-off with (among a multitude of side projects) James’ commercial ascendancy, courtesy of what have become two of his most well-known EPs. ‘Pappy Mix’ – Come to Daddy’s mix of the title track – gave James his biggest hit since ‘Digeridoo’, partly due to the innovative and terrifying imagery in the Chris Cunningham-helmed video. ‘Windowlicker’ also came with a Cunningham promo – even more disturbing than the last – but the skewed pop sensibility wasn’t lost on the public, who got the single to number 16. But unhappy with this exposure, James pulled the single: preventing it from reaching the top 10.

Two years of relative dormancy resulted in 2001’s Drukqs – another sprawling work in the vein of SAW Volume II. Its ultra-fast acid-infused drill-‘n’-bass provided us with the apotheosis of James’ technical mastery. On the other hand, it’s electroacoustic and modern-classical experiments showed another side to James’ compositional style – proving he was no amateur in less-electronic genres. The rushed release of the LP – the result of James’ MP3 player containing hundreds of unreleased Aphex Twin tracks being left on a plane – gave way to a long hiatus for the Aphex Twin name. That doesn’t mean he was completely inactive. In fact, James found the time to release 11 EPs in his analogue synth-only Analord series, and also kept fans guessing with his mysterious (and at the time unconfirmed) assumption of the Tuss persona.

In 2014, giant publicity stunts teased with the first new Aphex album in 13 years in 2014 – Syro released later that year to a rapturous reception. Despite not being as forward-thinking as his prior LPs, it provided an opportunity to hear James honing all the skills he’d amassed in the years out of the spotlight. This revitalised interest sparked a four-year creative period, where he dabbled in more electroacoustic compositions with vintage synths, and his drum programming became increasingly complex. Amongst all this, he also uploaded hundreds of unreleased tracks to Soundcloud on an anonymous profile, which fans dubbed the Soundcloud Dump.

Producing so much varied material over such a relatively-short period of time (at least in proportion to the overall discography size) is awe-inspiring, no matter the quality. And while there are times when the compositions seem lacklustre or uninspired, it’s made up for by the beauty and nostalgia so much of his other output evokes. The list of musicians inspired by James speaks for itself – whether it’s Skrillex or Thom Yorke, Daft Punk or Steve Reich, James’ music has touched something in them to provoke the creative process: perhaps the biggest compliment someone’s art can attain.

In this book, I have done my best to track down and cover every Aphex Twin LP, EP and single, including all relevant bonus tracks that can be found on reissues or the Aphex Twin website. But there are some disclaimers:

A: If a project is made up of more than 50% remixes, it won’t be covered. Hence, the absence of the 26 Mixes for Cash remix compilation.

B: Any projects that have remained officially unreleased will not be discussed. For example, the Analogue Bubblebath 5 EP. The only exception is the Caustic Window LP, as that was given a widespread, official digital release.

C: Some projects are left out purely for their lack of real impact on James’ career, or for the murk surrounding their release officiality. For example, the 3 Gerald Remix single.

In 2017, James uploaded most of his back catalogue to his new website, adding many bonus tracks sourced from the period of each project. There will be many instances where these tracks will appear – always discussed at the end of a particular project. Some come with notes from James himself, which I will highlight at the relevant point. They will always appear in the order they’re listed on the Aphex Twin website.

With all of that out of the way, I sincerely hope you enjoy the book. Hopefully, you’ll find out something new about James’ music, and be persuaded to delve deeper into the discography of this peerless artist.

All of this music is by Richard D. James, except where marked.

The EPs, Part 1: 1991-1992

Analogue Bubblebath (1991)

Alias: The Aphex Twin

Personnel:

Richard D. James: Producer, all instruments

Co-producer: Schizophrenia (‘Entrance To Exit’)

Release date: September 1991

Chart placings: Did not chart

Running time: 19:53

Record label: Mighty Force

Despite allegedly making music since the age of 14 in 1985, it wasn’t until 1991 that James finally formally released his work. He was initially reluctant to release anything, being more content with producing cassettes for friends or playing in Newquay’s Bowgie club for a handful of individuals. It was only the intervention of Mark Darby – creator of the Mighty Force record label – that persuaded James to distribute his cassettes to a larger audience, after performing at a Plymouth Academy rave. Darby told Record Collector in 2018: ‘I think it was because he was really tripped out and he just wanted us to fuck off, so he said, ‘Yes’. I think if he had not done that trip that night, there may have never been any Aphex Twin’.

The record in question was a C90 tape that eventually became James’ first official release Analogue Bubblebath. This began not only a series of sequel EPs but became the source for many future Aphex Twin tracks.

‘Analogue Bubblebath’ (4:40)

This agreeable slice of bubbly chill-out techno contrasts heavily with the rest of the EP. A simple electronic drum loop (a world away from the percussive technicality that became one of James’ hallmarks later in his career) is surrounded by an ever-present synth drone, to which some Orbital-esque staccato chords are added. After a brief breakdown, the piece coalesces and sees itself out with a disjunct synth melody and a false ending. Altogether, it’s a pleasant-enough premiere to the world of Aphex Twin, doesn’t feel fully formed enough to warrant its sometime status as a classic.

‘Isoprophlex’ (‘Isopropophlex’ on the original issue) (5:19)

The first example of the many mind-numbing, repetitive acid-techno pieces James released in the first two years. As with the others, this is a fairly uneventful track, only distinguished by its dreamy truncated sampling: allegedly of Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music. It was replicated in an extended version on the vinyl Digeridoo EP.

‘Entrance to Exit’ (Co-produced by Schizophrenia) (4:22)

This collaboration sustains the previous track’s industrial undertones, the grimy bass accented by samples of metal being hit – perhaps a nod to Kraftwerk’s groundbreaking ‘Metal On Metal’, which utilised metallic sounds as a percussive base. Sadly, this piece isn’t nearly as innovative as that example, leaving a lot to be desired in its incessant wailing and pounding – only recommended over ‘Isoprophlex’ due to its greater audio intensity.

‘AFX 2’ (5:26)

Another distorted drumbeat ushers in the EP closer, paired with atonal, electronic bursts that prefigure ‘Ventolin’ from 1995’s …I Care Because You Do. This is then jettisoned for a groovier middle that introduces spooky keyboard motifs and a trance bass line that’s still overshadowed by the overdriven drums, causing the few different ideas to be