Customer Reviews

Selected Ambient Works 85-92

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Allow me to introduce you to Richard D. James (alias Aphex Twin, AFX, and a slew of other inscrutable pseudonyms), a charming bon vivant from Cornwall who is known today for his delightfully blithe eccentricity and iconoclasm. Before he played at clubs using sandpaper on the turntables instead of records, however, and before that hilariously bizarre "Come to Daddy" video, he made Selected Ambient Works 85-92, and by doing so basically singlehandedly created contemporary electronica.

I have no easy explanation for why Selected Ambient Works is as good as it is. Here's what I've got it down to: this music is possessed of a remarkable spontaneity and unpretentiousness. The best talents always made their work seem like play, like it came effortlessly to them, without taking themselves seriously. The songs on this album are like that. They are marvelous in their simplicity. It's as if Aphex Twin sat himself down and peeled off great song after great song with complete abandon. It's the work of someone who simply loved making sounds - in fact, you can tell when you're at a sound AFX liked particularly, since he tends to linger on his favourites and extend their playing time. That's not a flaw. The sounds are so good that you'll want to linger on them as well.

On this album, Aphex managed to take many a cliche of electronic music and give them all a completely original, unworldly quality. Most of the songs are built around groovy, but more or less conventional dance beats; however, they are bathed in soft feedback and melodies of unearthly beauty. The end result - the waltz-like "Xtal," the exultant "Pulsewidth," the eerie "Hedphelym," the blissfully wincing "Ageispolis," the flight above- and underground of "Green Calx," and so on, and so on, and so on. Electronica is often accused of being emotionless, and more often than not rightly so, but Selected Ambient Works is anything but that. This is beautifully emotional music; it's the music your subconscious plays in your sleep. It's music that for all its simplicity has a richer vocabulary than language.

I find myself at a loss for words. I don't want to use this as an opportunity to practice my adjectives; I only want to get you to purchase this record. Aphex Twin's achievement was aped by many much-touted "electronic wizards," most of whom fancy themselves musical geniuses because they can slap together a beat and a bassline on their computer in their parents' basement, but of course bettered by none of them. James himself never did (though he came close in some later songs such as "On"). Then again, it might not even be possible.

This is an album that puts a smile on my face, right from the first few notes. Full of lovely synth textures and beats that are at once interesting and unobtrusive, it is great music for a rainy afternoon indoors, or for playing softly while you go to sleep.

I haven't found many albums of this particular electronica subcategory ("ambient techno" or whatever they're calling it these days) that retain my interest as much as this one does. It's much more interesting to me than "Music Has the Rights to Children" by Boards of Canada, for instance. I find the layering of ryhthms on this album to be of a better design, and I love humming along with the bass lines - they are often wonderful melodies in themselves.

One caveat: it's definitely not a challenging record. It's good and safe for folks who like their beats to be in 4/4 and their sandwiches built on Wonder white bread, but those Autechre fans looking for their next intellectual conquest will no doubt find it lacking.

There's no way on earth you could not submit to the charm of this album. Fans of Aphex's later work should find out where his mastery of perfection all began, and newcomers should give it a listen on the basis of this album's amorphous beauty and charisma. This album contains, in its purest form, the common link between all electronic forms of music. While Richard's more recent singles have been poured through a thick film of sarcasm, the songs of Selected Ambient Works 85-92 truly represent the subliminal moodiness that has followed him through I Care Because You Do and the Richard D James LP. As detailed and undulating as his new work is, sometimes I feel as though he has lost some of the pensive and brooding airiness that makes his work so unique.

Beautiful melodies that get caught in your mind form an addiction that is only appeased by another listen. Like the dude said, timeless is the best word to use to describe this album, for although the instruments used in this creation have been surpassed by ten years of updated models, the compositions are perfectly executed, thus exposing the raw beauty, devoid of distraction or clutter. The fact that this is still widely regarded as Richard D. James' finest album to date shows what perfection has been achieved here.

Songs that still need a listen years after buying this album: Tha, Pulsewidth, i, Ageispolis [which I am only just beginning to really get into], Heliosphan, Hedphelym and Actium. The first track is a really nice introduction, too. I reccommend listening to Heliosphan or We Are The Music Makers if you want to make a decision online. The other tracks require many, many listens to reveal their true beauty, plus RealAudio can kill some of the joy of those subliminal basslines.

Another thing. If you're into this album and you haven't already got a copy of Incunabula by Autechre, then you've got some saving to do. These early nineties songs will gradually change the way you look at any form of electronic music written today. Yes, there is a whole new world to discover, starting right here.

if you do not feel like you have drifted into another dimension by the 4th track, you probably should return this and purchase pop drivel. this is a great album. it's a stimulant of new sounds. aphex comes across as a pretentious person in his interviews, but this album is anything but. great work.

Though Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works: 85-92" is primarily an ambient piece, it actually has some great appeal. Songs like "Xtal", "Tha" and "Pulsewidth" are incredibly relaxing and soothing pieces (ambient classics!). The electronic noises are superb - you'll love most every song on this album. There are no voice samples here; everything is digital. Every song, except for "Green Calx" (which is kind've interesting) is, essentially, an ambient masterpiece (though "Ptolemy" is more energetic and less ambient). If you're looking for an incredibly relaxing album then "Selected Ambient Works: 85-92" is a very very good purchase (along with B12's "Electro-Soma", The Orb's "Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld" and Boards Of Canada's "Music Has The Right To Children"). Highly recommended!

Highlights include:
everything except for "Green Calx"

Richard D James began making music from an early age. At age 8 he took apart and reassembled a piano, and was forming electronic music from age 14. As his first LP, SAW brings together these melodic electronic experiments in one neat package essential to those curious about this genius.
' Xtal' launches the oddessy , with a hushed percussion floating over a muted snare-riff to a blunted bass, in a hypnotically soothing loop. A dreamy vocal sample ghosts in and out in lullaby , apparently taken from a Cocteau Twins recording sampled in a garage. Simply, the feel is lush.
'Tha' cuts in with a submerged synth hook-loop and remains subliminally minimal through its 9 minute course; A round-robin dreamstate with muffled conversation fading in & out of a seamless ambient soundscape.
'Heliosphan' is an endlessly uplifting classic, making the mind dance to its gently hypnotic melody and percussion loops...... the track is as fresh now as ten years ago.
At times James goes into acid overdrive; 'Green Calx' leaves the ambient arena and becomes what it always was,
early 90's floor filling techno, perhaps as such the least well-aged track here ; But he always returns with beautifully weaved, almost haunting slowburn melodies, 'Ageisolis' a fine example.
The title says it all. Its a selection of works, and if it doesn't hang together as a classic LP ought, thats in its nature. But the quality of the gems on offer in this mixed bag make that a petty irrelevance. If you have any other Aphex Twin albums, this is where it all started. I have to say, two or three tracks here would definitely make my personal Aphex top ten. Along with 'I care because you do' and 'The RDJ album', this is Aphex at his sublime best .

If you are a genuine lover of music, whether it be classical, dance, rock, or whatever - you will undoubtedly be impressed by the talent which has produced this excellent piece of work. Track four - 'Ageispolis' is one of my all time favourite tracks - it is just so unusual and enchanting. This particular track is ambient, but has a sound through it which makes the whole room vibrate while still being relaxing!!?? Very cleverly done. If you have other Aphex Twin albums, but find them a bit 'mad' or even scary, then don't worry because this one is different and is very calm and unobtrusive. I used to put my stereo on quiet and go to sleep with this playing some nights. It is one of the few albums I have considered getting a second copy of just incase this one gets damaged. One last note - if you read the other reviews, you will see that the artist has a strong international fan base and, although the music is a million miles from being 'mainstream', many, many people have been affected in a positive way by this thought inspiring musical genius and have realised that it is truly something special.

Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) is known for many things. He is known for making great ambient music, as he has showed his talent at making ambient music in several of his albums and singles. His first full-ambient album is a success, and shows his mastery of ambient music. I have to admit, it isnt his best album, but it is great. Strangely enough, many of the songs, such as "Actium," "Ptolemy," and "Pulsewidth" take on a dance sound that, despite what many people say, is rather rare in Richard D. James' music. But he still does a good job, as even the dance-sounding songs sound great.
1. Xtal- 10/10- A very beautiful piece. Blends ambient with the dance sounds that surprisingly is abundant in this album. Probably the best song on this album.
2. Tha- 9/10- Definatly more ambient sounding than some of the other tracks on this album. Broad and probably boaring to some people, it is still a great song. But hey, thats what ambient electronica is. Broad, sometimes boaring in some ways, but very rewarding in the end.
3. Pulsewidth- 9/10- If Aphex Twin released a dance-oriented album, this track would be on it. It's not overly dancy, as it has a blend of that slower ambient attitude.
4. Ageispolis- 10/10- Sounds like a mixture of Autechre's "Lowride" and Pulsewidth. Ambient mixed with a hip-hop beat. It's made by Richard D. James, so it's great.
5. I- 9/10- Slow and progressive. It's definatly an ambient song. Once again, may be boaring to some, but is very rewarding in the end.
6. Green Calx- 8/10- Probably the most active song in the album. Strange noises, catchy beats, ect.
7. Heliosphan- 10/10- One of my favorites. A true mix of ambient and dance techno. End result-a involving song that lets your mind float freely. Not something to dance to, but something to sit down and think to. A little more ambient than dance, and all the better for it.
8. We Are the Music Makers- 9/10- It begins with Gene Wilder saying "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." Then for seven minutes it travels on and on with good beats and an ambient attitude. A good song, not the best but not the worst.
9. Schottkey 7th Path- 8/10- Finally, another ambient song! Like the others, its long, broad, sometimes boaring, but rewarding in the end.
10. Ptolemy- 7.5/10- Takes the hip-hop beats of Ageispolis and adds some cheesy hip-hop sound effects, then cheesy techno effects. But it's better than it sounds.
11. Hedphelym- 8/10- Another ambient song, but with a twist. This song has a distorted, high piece noise in the front while having a bursting bass sound in the back. It's interesting, but not the high point of the CD.
12. Delphium- 8.5/10- Like Ptolemy, it has that hip-hop beat, but to a lesser extent. There's some ambient sounds added in there, as well as some techno sounds added in there. Overall its a good song, but once again not the stongest song.
13. Actium- 10/10- Actium is dance meets ambient (again). It makes for a great mix.

Overall I was surprised by the dance/hip-hop theme that Selected Ambient 85-92 brought me, but in the end it was a very rewarding experience. I would say Xtal is definatly the strongest song of the album, and is on the list of those beautiful masterpieces Aphex Twin has been able to come up with during the past few decades of his music making career.

Strongest song- Xtal
Weakest Song- Probably Ptolemy.

A friend once asked me, "If you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?" I got some clarification on the question: One CD (2 or more disc sets don't qualify, unless you just choose ONE disc from the set), and it has to be something released - you can't make your own.

This is the disc I'd choose.

Why? Music, to me, suits my mood or creates the mood I'm looking for. It can alter my state of mind or conform to it, but I can't have something that conflicts with me. This disc somehow conforms to or creates everything I want without ever conflicting. It is never to fast or slow, harsh or smooth, bright or dark. It makes for great background music, but you have to listen closely to hear everything it's telling you. It just doesn't get old.

Hey, this is one of RDJ's discs that actually has track names, too, so download a couple and see for yourself. Listen on headphones or some good speakers for a real experience.

Could Richard D. James ever predicted, way back in 1985, what people would be cherishing these years later? It's nearly 2008, but this album sounds like it could come from the year 2020 and still sound good. Ambient music may be one of the most calm music out there, with a lot of soul that fans always wonder why so many people give such a fuss about disney music. It's hard to believe music like this comes from electronics.

Okay, it may be a bit cliched, but for those of you who were introduced and know Aphex Twin by the Come To Daddy song (which was an accidental hit according to Richard, he didn't really like it), prepare to be surprised. Indeed, there's no hint of creepiness or fear in this album, it's light and fear free. It's still an ambient album at heart, but it's got one of a kind melodies and some cool rhythms. Aphex Twin was making his own kind of music sense the beggining. And thankfully, there's some great music on here!

There truly isn't a bad song on this album, although it's a bit long and demands you to be in the right mood to be able to sit through it. There's not much else to say to any electronic music fans out there. Get Selected Ambient Works, or at least check it out. You won't be dissapointed. If you don't like, at least you say you tried. You can't be an electronic fan and ignore music like this.

8.5/10

Update: This album is being remastered and rereleased, if you haven't seen it on amazon yet.