Selected Ambient Works 85-92 [Import, Original recording remastered]

Aphex Twin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 22, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: R&S Records
• ASIN: B0013K8IFU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,512 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Originally released in 1992 and now digitally remastered and available once again for the first time in 10 years is APHEX TWIN's seminal 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92'. Exploring the experimental possibilities inherent in acid and ambience, the two major influences on home-listening techno during the late '80s and early 90's, Richard D. James' recordings as Aphex Twin brought him more critical praise than any other electronic artist during the 1990s. Since making these early recordings originally released by R&S Records in 1993 (some allegedly and mind blowingly at the age of 14!), Richard James AKA Aphex Twin, has become synonymous with the finest in modern electronic music. Selected Ambient Works 85-92 reveals no influences and sounds unlike anything that preceded it, due in large part to the effects James managed to wrangle from his supply of home-manufactured contraptions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rediscover this highly influential album, May 17, 2009

By 

Steward Willons (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Audio CD)

"Selected Ambient Works 85-92" is one of those rare albums where a composer provides clear evidence that he or she is in that special class of artistic genius where true originality is possible. I'm not suggesting that this is Aphex Twin's best album, as best work was yet to come; nor am I suggesting that this is one of the greatest electronic albums of all time. Perhaps it is, but the key is its influence. "SAW" is practically synonymous with that early Warp Records sound (although SAW wasn't actually released on Warp). The album is one of the sacred texts of the Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) movement and on this disc, you can hear the ideas that helped make electronic music what it is today.

"SAW" dates back to a time when Aphex Twin was using a lot of analogue gear and the tracks have a nice warmth to them. Many of the sounds on this album will already be familiar to most listeners since they entered the canon of electronic sounds long ago. The cool thing is, this album is where so much began.

In 2008, the year of the re-release, SAW sounds dated, but not in a bad way. The song construction is timeless, but style of the album is firmly rooted in the early 90s acid house and inchoate IDM scene. The remastered version keeps the sounds true to the original, but everything sounds a bit more forward and present. As mastering levels increased over the years, some of this early music began to sound a little anemic when played at the same volume. The remastered tracks now sound full and rich, and the overall sound matches what we expect from contemporary recordings. If you have the original, as I did, I'm not sure if the price of upgrading your recording is necessarily worth it. You'll have to make that call for yourself, but it is a fun way to rediscover a beloved classic.

If you're an electronic music enthusiast and you don't have SAW already, now is the time to buy it. If you're just starting to check out Aphex Twin, SAW would certainly be an option, although I might recommend "The Richard D. James Album" or "I Care Because You Do" first, since they reflect his mature sound and his main body of work overall. Ultimately, SAW is an album we should all have in our collections

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed the course of electronic music, April 20, 2010

By 

donny random - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Audio CD)

There are albums that change the trajectory of genre of music, "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" is one of those albums. Nothing preceding this release featured this flavor of minimal electronic music. Without "Selected Ambient Works" there would be no "Boards of Canada", "Future Sounds of London", "µ-Ziq", "Autechre", "Squarepusher" etc.

This is the Aphex Twin masterpiece, the album that no electronic enthusiast should be without.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Believe the Hype..., January 9, 2010

By 

Mr. Trombone (Hmmm, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Audio CD)

Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works: 85-92" is very odd. It's extremely catchy with a lot of depth. It's dated but somehow sounding completely fresh. It's haunting yet sounds futuristic. And of course, it's a lot of fun while sounding deadly serious. The very first time you hear "Xtal" you'll think it sounds so familiar to you, like you've heard it before....somewhere. Nearly every song on it is like that. The high quality songwriting is present in every song. The masterpiece (and coolest) song is laid smack down in the middle. "We are the Music Makers" starts off with some deep,skittering bass and thin drums. Ten seconds later you here a sample pulled from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate factory and a rhythmic dream awaits you. If every song was a different fruit, then "We are the Music Makers" is the Snozberry. This remastered edition is incredible. I don't know what older ones sounded like, but this is very good sound quality. Get It!!!