Customer Reviews

On

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I will try to keep the review for this single very short. The first track is very beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful songs Richard D. James has ever produced. The second and third tracks, however are ultra distorted and highly repetitive. I can appreciate the artistic force behind them, but they are almost to the point of not being listenable. Then after the first the tracks comes a remix of the first track that retains the beauty and artistic perfection of On and expands on it in a style other than James'. This album is worth your money if only for the first and last tracks. And you will probably love those two tracks whether you love the rest of James' work or not. Who knows, many people do seem to enjoy the middle industrial screechings of this album. The title track and the remix would get 10 stars if I could give them that high on here, and the middle two tracks pull it down to 4. Trust me, the title track alone is worth a full paycheck.

This was one of Richard D. James' first efforts of putting his mastery of music on an album, and is also one of his finest efforts. With only four tracks, it covers all of his experimental endeavors of the early to mid 90s. That's not saying he wasnt every experimental, as he is known as the most experimental artist of his genre, which goes to show how vast this small single is for its size. Each song is a masterpiece, no matter how distorted or violent the songs are. If you've got $8 or $10 to spare, spend it on this one. If you are an electronica-fan who's got an open mind, it will be a great experience.
1. On- 10/10- A very beautiful work of art. Very much like Xepha but not quite as complicated or broad. A great ambient piece.
2. 73-Yips- 8/10- One of the harshest electronica pieces ever made. Just as violent and harsh (or even more violent and harsh) than Ventolin (from I Care Because You Do), which is known as the harshest electronica song ever made. Despite it's harshness, it's a great song (if you can take it). But I like it. It takes a while to get used to, though.
3. D-Scape- 10/10- Is a little harsh, but is definatly nothing like 73-Yips. D-Scape brings Richard D. James' harsh sounds with his gentle ambient sounds.
4. Xepha- 11/10- One of the most beautiful artworks Richard D. James has ever made. This one song alone is worth the price of the whole CD.

Aphex Twin's work is highly experimental and often incredibly unaccessible, yet somehow he maintains his popularity. Maybe it's because he's so bloody talented.
"On" is one of the most accessible and likeable tracks he's ever produced. People who hate club music like On. People who abhor music without guitars like On. Deaf people like On. I've never met anyone who DOESN'T like On.
I feel that Reload's remix is exactly what a remix should be - namely, not the same song with a different beat. Truth is, the two mixes have little in common, but you'll like them both anyway.
Finally, from previous reviewers I sense a feeling that the middle two tracks are unworthy of being on the album. I can see where this resentment comes from with the painfully abrasive industrial grind of 73-yips, but I think Xepha is brilliant. Anyways, experimental dance is often hit or miss. Get this disc. It's worth whatever paultry sum you pay for it.

I enjoy this single, but it's never struck me as anything that spectacular. The Ventolin maxi-single is not only much longer, but much better. The tracks here are nice, but fairly repetitive ... I got bored with them fairly quick.

Wow! I can't believe I let this go for so long. I got this, nearly ten years after it was published. "On" is a timeless, smooth and fuzzy track that I would count as Aphex Twin's most universally likeable track. The follow-up, "73-Yips" has elements that made up the track "Come As You Mean To Go On" from the album I Care Because You Do... However, this is more break-beat, more aurally annoying and lacks the reverbed harmony to compensate. OK, so if that cleans your palette, continue with "Xepha", which has a simple beat and some harmonic downscale slides. More in league with "On", but simpler yet darker. If you liked Underworld's Pearl's Girl EPs, you will probably like this. The concluding track, the "On (Reload Mix)" is a brilliant re-working of the title track. It captures the melodic essence of the former, but infuses it with a cheery, world-music kind of vibe.

If you debated getting this EP, like I did, then get it now. It's a worthy addition to any Aphex Twin collection!

Aphex Twin's "On" EP is a masterpiece. The ethereal title track consists of ambient soundscapes & echoing oriental arpeggios propelled by a lurching beat saturated in fat squelching distortion. "73 Yips" is an abrasive rapport of metallic clamor & even fatter squelching distortion, and it sounds just like a choir of heavy-machinery rehearsing in your garage. "D-Scape" is a quiet yet unsettling version of "On"; the beat doesn't squelch, but the soothing oriental arpeggios sound paranoid and the ambient soundscapes shroud the track in an ominous fog. "Xepha" conjures images of a scenic descent into Hades; the lush melodies are warped into the voices of the damned bemoaning their anguish, and Mephistopheles can be heard in the background, taunting & devouring the latest arrivals. Truly magnificent music, though not for the faint of heart. These four songs resonate within me in a way that the entire works of other artists do not. "On" is one of my favorite slabs of music, and, though electronica is generally considered to be a bit lowbrow, I rank it in the loftiest echelon of classical music. So why then am I only rating this release as "Average"? Because this is the US Sire/Warner Bros release. As far as I'm concerned, this does not count as the real "On" EP. Why? Because Sire inexplicably jettisoned "D-Scape", then plugged the gap with the Reload remix of "On". That, to me, is travesty & larceny. Yes, "On (Reload mix)" is possibly even better than the original, but it belongs on the "On Remixes" album!! Why deny me "D-Scape"? Why not just keep "D-Scape" AND include "On (Reload)"? It's a bloody EP! There's room!
That may seem like such a trivial matter to fume about, but it's really only indicative of a much bigger issue: record companies don't seem to have any regard for the people who are buying the albums they're releasing, as if they're just consumer zombies. Releases that confound the customer's quest to have a hard copy of their favorite artists' songs, releases like this one, are just nasty money-grubbing ploys. So don't buy into it! Get the UK Warp Records release of "On"; it's worth every penny not paid to IRAA fatcats.

Aphex Twin has always been one of my favorite artists. And this CD has added 4 more songs to my growing twin collection. "On" is the best by far, but "73 Yips" can be fun too.

A good buy.

This Album Is Magnicifent, With Rythmic Synths With Hard Drums In the Track On, and Screetching Synths In the Track 73-yips, this Is Definitly Worth its money

in the realm of mazi-singles. This is a diverse work even though two of the four tracks are remixes of the same song. You could never tell it. Like Mason and Dixon, the book and the personages, this covers uncharted territory.

"On" is a beautiful, standout work by RDJ. It mixes harsh beats with aetherial piano lines nd dreamy rain effects. A very good song, even for RDJ. However, I wasn't as thrilled by the other songs on the single. "73 yips" is a standard RDJ noise-screecher, and I haven't counted the "yips" so I don't know if the title makes sense. "d scape" is typical RDJ atmospheric ambience with a throbbing beat that kicks in over the sparse tune after 2 minutes. Finally, "xepha" seems like a cross between the earlier "73 yips" and an alien pig pen. really! Overall, the single is worth it for "On," even if you aren't an RDJ fanatic.