11-20
11. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE (QUEX-RD MIX)
Artist: Saint Etienne/Aphex Twin
From: Hobart Paving / Who Do You Think You Are
Label: Heavenly
Released: 1993
Like the aforementioned Autechre remix of the group, Aphex’s treatment of Saint Etienne hinges around a disassociated vocal loop – a more maximal slice of the original vocal, which is combined with ominous synth swells and a punchy rhythm that sounds like it was carved in a stonemason’s workshop. A classic remix that takes us far from the fey, retro glamour of the original.
12. AGEISPOLIS
Artist: Aphex Twin
From: Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Label: Apollo
Released: 1992
What better way to introduce the music of Aphex Twin proper than with the universally beloved, genre defining genius of Selected Ambient Works 85-92? The album has been the subject of endless reminiscences, tributes and analyses, and I have little to add, other than to say that it had a profound impact on my life. I’d heard electronic music before of course; synth-pop, acid house, rave, and artists like Vangelis and Eno. I had even made some inroads into dance music via groups like Orbital, Future Sound of London and The Orb, but SAW 85-92 was a record that imprinted itself on my consciousness unlike any other. It came at a time when music was far less accessible than it is now, when you would read the music press and have to imagine what the songs sounded like, when you would conspire with your mates to each buy a different record and then copy them all to tape, maximising your limited purchasing power. It was a time when a single record could still change your life.
I recently found my original cassette copy of the album, still in the abstract green cover I’d cut out from some art magazine. The tape itself, all gnarled and creased, nearly transparent from wear in places. Glancing at the handwritten tracklist I was reminded of the extra tunes I’d added at the end of side 2 of the C90 to fill up the last 15 minutes or so of empty space; repeats of Xtal, Heliosphan, I, and Ageispolis – and these tracks remain my favourites from the LP today. Critic Geeta Dayal writes of the latter that it possesses a “grand, cinematic sweep” whilst Philip Sherbourne claims it provided a “psychedelic blueprint for Boards of Canada”, but for me Ageispolis (and indeed Selected Ambient Works 85-92 ) is the sound of nocturnal bike rides down deserted suburban roads, contented strolls amongst gorse and heather and post-party walks home at dawn. The sound of reckless misadventure and hilarious folly, of a thousand ambulatory adolescent escapades, all preserved in the golden light of memory. As nostalgic soundtracks go, I think I could’ve done a lot worse.
13. DELPHIUM
Artist: Aphex Twin
From: Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Label: Apollo
Released: 1992
The third of the Greek foursome at the end of SAW alongside Ptolemy, Hedphelym and Actium. Listening back to this tune now, I am reminded again of how my experience of this album was influenced by the limitations of the primitive technology of the early 90’s. It’s not convenient to skip tracks on vinyl or tape, so the sequencing of a record had a much greater impact then than it does now – each track being coloured by the previous tune and influencing the next in turn. In that sense Delphium wasn’t just an enigmatic electro-acid amble, it was a run-up to the sweet, sinuous machine funk of Actium, and blessed relief from the queasy bad-trip vibes of Hedphelym. Like the boost you get from a glimpse of the finish line as you reach the last leg of the race, cheered on by the shaking of tambourines and the jingling of 808 cowbells.
14. 1 CHINK 101
Artist: Aphex Twin
From: user48736353001 Soundcloud Dump
Label: None
Released: 2015
One of the most luminous artefacts from James’ infamous 2015 dump of unreleased material, 1 Chink 101 could easily have been an Aphex single – it has the same joyful energy of Analogue Bubblebath with something of the driving energy and playful vibe of Donkey Rhubarb. The track is basically one big build-up, whimsical cascades of chiming melody that roll along in a bouncy shuffle, underpinned by a heavy one-note bass line – until we get about four fifths in and are hit by just four bars of 4/4 bass drum, a brief surge of energy that dissipates into a slow fade of fuzzy hi hats and a gorgeous fluted counter melody. 1 Chink eventually found its way to semi-official status with its inclusion on WARP’s digital reissue of the Surfing on Sine Waves album under the name clissold 101[dat28 otari] 48k *.
15. SLOTH
Artist: AFX
From: Analogue Bubblebath Vol. 4
Label: Rephlex
Released: 1994
“Richard’s first new recording for some time and is sure to appeal to all for its varying styles.” says the Rephlex press sheet for this 12”, and that’s at least partially true. We get the screaming hardcore industrialism of Gibbon and the Elephant Song, the whimsical bounce of Cuckoo and the quiet, composed restraint of Sloth, which feels a bit like the lonely nocturnal lament of some factory machine that was left on after the workers went home for the night. We will be treated to more analogue bubblebaths later in the mix.
16. FOID
Artist: Cylob
From: Cylobian Sunset
Label: Rephlex
Released: 1996
‘96 was a bumper year for Rephlex, with debuts from Squarepusher, Bochum Welt, DMX Krew and Mike & Rich and this deeply underrated album from Cylob aka Chris Jeffs. Whilst Jeffs is most well known for his belligerent pisstaking with tunes like Rewind, Cylobian Sunset hits an altogether different note with its lush synths and rough meccano beats, sitting somewhere between Aphex and Bochum Welt in style. Foid is one of its most delicate tunes, a simple piano loop with minimal percussion that slowly unfurls itself into a daze of melancholic hymnal beauty.
17. QUINO-PHEC
Artist: Polygon Window
From: Surfing On Sine Waves
Label: WARP
Released: 1992
There is one attribute that unifies nearly all of the tracks here – their use of reverb, not simply as an acoustic effect, but as a musical feature in and of itself. We hear it in the dubby spaciousness of Seefeel and Pole, the complex sculpted topologies of Autechre, and, of course, in Aphex Twin’s smears of tape compressed Quadraverb. Later IDM innovators would lean into an ultra clean production style, but the use of space in these earlier recordings is a defining aspect of their sound, one that imparts a tonal warmth, a natural, human feeling to the music. Quino-Phec is a perfect example, with its eerie, doleful flute and quiet, slow tumble of rhythm, all saturated with layers of warm reverb that create a sense of distance and mystery, of exterior enclosure – like being in a large outdoor space on a foggy night, or some barefoot dream walk across an infinite moonlit lawn.
I once regarded this tune as a nice little ambient oddity, somewhat out of place at the end of side 4 of Polygon Window, but it’s since become one of my favourite Aphex tracks, an anthem of sorts. It captures something of the mood of Selected Ambient Works II but is less refined, more innocent somehow. Indeed, the great Lanner Chronicle suggests that this was probably the last track created for the album and may have overlapped with the commencement of work on James’ forthcoming ambient masterwork.
18. MIR
Artist: Biosphere
From: Patashnik
Label: Apollo
Released: 1994
Biosphere’s Geir Jenssen was a major figure in the ambient techno boom of the early-mid 90’s and his second LP, Patashnik was emblematic of the successes of the sound. This album was everywhere in 94, with the sinister chug of Novelty Waves hitting the big time the following year with its appearance on a weirdly alienating Levis ad. The pinnacle of a period during which we were bombarded with classic after classic and it really felt like this music was taking over, infiltrating mainstream culture with a heady mix of ecstatic, blissful and unsettling vibes. A minimal amalgamation of sonar bloops, reversed strings, and orbital transmissions, Mir is one of the more chilled yet disquieting tracks on a record replete with similar moments of fraught ambience.
19. BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN
Artist: Silence
From: Silence III
Label: Fax +49-69/450464
Released: 1998
An engrossing foray into the sublime, Pete Namlook’s third LP under the Silence alias eschews his usual ambient techno stylings for a mix of tribal percussion and deep symphonics, and Bottom of the Ocean, is deep, from its minimal watery intro to those huge orchestral tidal swells. A sumptuous serving of classy ambience, and one that’s just crying out for an enterprising DJ to throw a beat over the top of it. RIP Pete.
20. PIOBMX19
Artist: Autechre
From: Garbage
Label: WARP
Released: 1995
A quartet of tunes taken from unused material from the Amber sessions, Garbage is arguably the stronger collection and a good candidate for their finest extended player. The shortest tune on the record, Piobmx is a slow burner that builds up in steady waves of static and delay, a masterclass in rhythmic tonality and ambiguous, austere melody – with the gorgeous unreleased mix qualifying as one of their most poignant and touching ambient productions. We shall be hearing plenty more Garbage later in the mix.
21-30
21. CHAPEL Street MARKET 9AM
Artist: The Sabres Of Paradise
From: Haunted Dancehall
Label: WARP
Released: 1994
The first of several tunes showcasing the talents of Andrew Weatherall. This time round he’s alongside Gary Burns and Jagz Koone (both future members of the Aloof) in their Sabres of Paradise guise. Weatherall was already renowned for his blistering run of major label dance remixes when the trio’s first album for WARP, 1993’s Sabresonic was released, and Haunted Dancehall saw a continuation of their eclectic experimentations, with a greater focus on lush electronics and downtempo fusion. Exactly the kind of tune you’d want on your headphones when walking home through Islington after an all-night rave. The light touch drums, epic swirling arpeggios and twinkling synths of Chapel Street Market 9am is a demonstration of a more delicate, and dare I say it, romantic side to the group. RIP Andrew.
22. A Blessing
Artist: The Arkitekt
From: Deep Ark Field Recordings
Label: None
Released: None
Rain, wind and thunder over the city. Recorded with Tascam DR-40 and Rode NTG3 Condenser mic, 2016.
23. LIZARD POINT FOGHORN (WITH RAIN)
Artist: Chase Lynn
From: Field Recordings
Label: None
Released: None
It turns out that the foghorn at the Lighthouse on Lizard Point in Landewednack in Cornwall is in B – the same key as Autechre’s Bronchusevenmx.
24. BRONCHUSEVENMX24
Artist: Autechre
From: Garbage
Label: WARP
Released: 1995
Autechre nailed the austere elegiac vibe with this masterpiece from the Garbage EP and its delicate bubbling percussion, brooding swells of melody, and tiny slices of vocal which impart just the scantest aura of humanity to this radiant, gossamer cathedral of reverb and emotion. The kind of music you might expect to hear at an AI’s funeral.
25. CLAIRVOYANCE
Artist: Neina
From: Clicks_+_Cuts
Label: Mille Plateaux
Released: 2000
Mille Plateaux represented another shade of the IDM palette; deeply serious avant electronic music with strong roots in the more esoteric side of techno. As well as being the record that launched glitch as a genre, Clicks_+_Cuts was a high point for the label at the time, featuring a diverse mix of tunes and artists, including the gorgeous lo-fi hazy glitch-fuzz of Neina’s Clairvoyance which I always thought sounded better played at 45.
26. ARE Y ARE WE
Artist: Autechre
From: We R Are Why/Are Y Are We?
Label: WARP
Released: 1996
A mail order only mid 90’s release made entirely on a Yamaha RY30 drum machine and propelled by a lattice of razor hi-hats and a beguiling dark/light melodic structure. Perhaps the duo’s last record that could be described as dancefloor friendly – after this came Envane and the sludgy, occulted distortion of Chiastic Slide.
27. UNTITLED AB 3.1#4
Artist: AFX
From: Analogue Bubblebath 3.1
Label: Rephlex
Released: 1997
Analogue Bubblebath 3 was originally released as a 30 minute long mini-album in ‘92, along with an expanded 55 minute CD version which featured this track under the name (CAT 00897-AA1). The original releases have a mostly dark and industrial vibe to them but the ‘97 12” reissue also features this track on vinyl, and it’s the star of the show. Opening with a pathos drenched synth pad and a lilting, hesitant piano line, it occurred to me many years later that this was James’ version of piano hardcore, with yearning instead of euphoria and drum machines instead of breakbeats. The natural companion to its more celebrated big brother, Analogue Bubblebath 1, in fact, Ben Middleton suggests that this was a ‘remix’ of same.
28. ANALOGUE BUBBLEBATH
Artist: AFX
From: Analogue Bubblebath
Label: Mighty Force Records
Released: 1991
The record that launched Aphex Twin. Some great detective work from the brilliant Lanner Chronicle has established that this track was probably produced sometime in late ’89 and we can hear all of the elements of James’ trademark sound even at this early stage, that paradigmatic contrast of aching emotion and machine noise – and it might never have happened without the intervention of Tom Middleton and Mighty Force’s Mark Darby who were dogged in their pursuit of James and eventual harangued him into a release after an opportunistic ambush:
“We had booked him into play a rave at the Academy in Plymouth. I think the rave was called Alpha. He had done some acid and after he had played, he was sitting backstage completely off his tits. I said, “Richard, we really, really need to put this record out. Please. Just agree to do it please.” Tom was there as well saying, “Richard you really have to do it.” 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.”
– Mark Darby, Record Collector Magazine (2018) (via Lanner Chronicle)
The rest is history, as they say.
29. AUDAX POWDER
Artist: Polygon Window
From: Surfing On Sine Waves
Label: WARP
Released: 1992
Less harsh and industrial than much of James’ early work, Surfing On Sine Waves is still pretty filthy, with that same tinge of sinister alienation that characterises his harder tunes of the period, qualities apparent in the slightly queasy, nightmarish vibe of UT1-Dot or Supremacy II – a sound not far from some of the more technoid strains of early 90’s hardcore. Audax Powder touches on this mood with its sci-fi synths and orchestral rave stabs, but it’s the frenetic density of the beats that amaze here, like he was on a mission to use every hit in the drum machine – a cacophony marshalled by a fizzy open hi hat that keeps time for the whole riotous parade.
30. SWAN VESTA
Artist: μ-Ziq
From: Tango N’ Vectif
Label: Rephlex
Released: 1993
The influence of Richard James is apparent in the clattering romance of Swan Vesta and of course, it’s no secret that Paradinas was inspired by early Aphex – his Rephlex demo featured a reconstructed mashup of Digeridoo and Isopropophlex called Digeriprophlex. That influence is palpable on Swan Vesta, a track from his wonderful debut on Rephlex, but even at this early stage there was something that set Paradinas’ music apart. A quixotic approach to sound choices, a flair for eclectic drum programming and a penchant for lush melody. Paradinas would go on to become a pivotal figure in British electronic music through his label Planet μ, and we shall meet him again more than once during the course of this mix.
