Customer Reviews

Surfing on Sine Waves

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Damn, I miss this sound. This is a CD by Richard James, of course, from the period where he was also putting out records under the psuedonyms of 'Caustic Window','The Dice Man', and of course, 'Aphex Twin'. And unlike the first two nom-de-plumes above, this is more in an Aphex-y vein, with dark melodies and very tasteful but propulsive beats in use all over. This, and Aphex's "Selected Ambient Works I", for my money, are perhaps the two best places to start for anyone unfamiliar with RDJ's work. Every track is a standout, but "Quoth", of course, is the one that got RDJ a lot of his early large-scale attention on this side of the Atlantic. A release that really encapsulates a lot of what was so great about techno in that early-to-mid 90s period, RDJ drew away from this sound and into more raucous territory in the wake of "SAW II" and its poor reception by so many factions of the rave community that wanted him to keep doing dance stuff forever. As a result, he quit a lot of both his ambient _and_ melodic proclivities. Try this out and see where the legend of Richard James _really_ comes from!

This is unlike his later, more brutal work - it's closer in style to the first Orbital album, or some of the pieces on 'Selected Ambient Works Vol. 1'. It's smoother, more tuneful, more homogenous (it's very hard to think of a specific track after the album has finished), and less interesting than the proper 'Aphex Twin' material. It's a good place to start, though, as it has all the Aphex trademarks - sine-wave chimes, odd tunes, lots of reverb, and a fascinating balance between mechanistic coldness (his 'sound' makes no concessions to naturalness) and humanistic (the tunes are lovely) elements. It's a like an attractive sculture of a person, both beautiful and frigid at the same time.

This is a great release from RDJ, but not as organic as his works under "Aphex Twin". This work is more like a rave, rather than an Ambient work. These you can dance to (awkwardly, at least).

The first 4 tracks are electronica bliss. Around the middle, you might become bored with it. Don't turn it off! The final two tracks recover the album as a whole.

If you don't know by now, Richard D. James (aka 'Aphex Twin, Polygon Window), is a pioneer in electronic music. He is responsible for the landmarks "Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2", and "I Care Because you do". This album is one of the last times he used self-made instruments to make techno, before switching to his "drill and bass" sound. Therefore, this work is a must have, that is if you are a collector.

If you are just a music fan, I suggest you look into his "Aphex" stuff first, and work your way to this one. Like all his other stuff, you may not like it at first listen. Give it time. It's really not as hard to get used to as SAW2. If you already like SAW2, this should be a piece of cake!

It seems a few others here have picked up on the cryptic cynycism of this album

"If It Really Is Me" is practically self-explanitory. It makes me think of a miserable woman clutching all-too-tightly onto her reality.

And I also don't see listed here the untitled track #7 (not quixote) which gets top pick for the entire album. The echoing refrains, the lurid beats all conjuring dark and alien landscapes coming through on this track very brilliantly (and should not go missing on this album!)

Quino - Phec is another EERIE track.

A must buy for Aphex Twin fans and anyone who appreciates strange musical genius!

Polygon Window's album is to me the centerpiece of the Warp Artificial Intelligence series (with a very honorable mention to Autechre of course). "Quoth" remains one of Richard James' shining moments with its ruthless pounding beat and clattering percussion. The entire album goes to show that RDJ can make great electronic listening music without necessarily resorting to camp ("Windowlicker") or insane programming ("Come to Daddy").

I guess this is what I get for not reading the tracklists) carefully enough. The so-called 'expanded' version of this cd is missing 'portreath harbor' + 'redruth school,' both of which are found under the "normal" release. The 'expanded' version is on WARP + TVT, and the (truly) expanded version is just on WARP. Don't I just feel like a schmuck? But seriously folks, don't make the same mistake.
PS- the 3 stars is because of the -2 trax; I haven't honestly heard an ugly or beautiful second of this disc yet, so this isn't a 'true'review.I'm sure it's all in the category of "Good, but Possibly Dated Early Works of a Genius"

or something.

"Richard D James Album" releases for this 'punter'. It is almost worth 4 and 1/2 stars - as is the 'Selected Ambient Works 85-92' Aphex Twin album.

As far as standout tracks go:

1) 'Polygon Window' - is a great first track, pretty laid back for RDJ
2) 'Audax Powder' - has a great jaunty vibe and is equal to the best tracks on the Aphex Twin albums mentioned above
3) 'Quoth' - was a forerunner of the driven 'punchy, syncopated beats' style perfected by Autechre and seen elsewhere in the RDJ ouevre. Great track!
5) 'Supremacy II' - another Ae precursor, this track sizzles!
6) 'UT1-dot' - another jaunty romp, with a 'spacy' development
7) untitled - insistent and 'in your face', constantly seeming to build to an unconsummated climax, brilliantly dissolving into nothingness. One of my favourite RDJ tracks and like another reviewer said, by far the best on this album
8) 'Quixote' - more spacy, spooky and chilled out, a great foil to Track 7
10) 'Redruth School' - bright, bouncy and buoyant - beautiful!

For me, this album has an 'innocence' missing in much of the later RDJ ouevre. I find a lot of his music a bit too clever, bordering on pretentious at times. There is often is a lack of an emotional core for me, which is a pity, 'cos he has a prodigious talent! 'Sine Waves' is a highpoint in Richard D James' career, along with the 'Selected Ambient...' album mentioned above.

This is an excellent album and is well worth its modest cost!

The music seems very haunted. Aphex's more ambient textures mixed into the heavy hitting techno terrain make this a strange listen. It doesn't really sound dated......just a bit outside of time really. Very dislocated - almost like the guy surfing out on seashore on his own at the back of the cover ( you'll notice him - he's practically circled around ).

All in all, I can't think of anyone else who would make this sort of album. It is ( without wanting to make a pun ) totally out on it's own.

This is a definitive acid-house album. If I am mistaken, if this is not true acid-house, then understand that this album only defines MY understanding of the genre. Basically, if this isn't acid-house, then I don't know what is. This record sounds so influential, so classic, like it was recorded at the dawn of existence yet still remains relevant to this day because it is the documented sounds of a prehistoric epoch. It sounds dated, but that's the magic of it. It sounds timeless, really. So whether it was aping someone else or someone else subsequently aped it, I don't know. All I know is that it has certainly left a mark on me.
But enough nostalgia.
The music contained herein is classic Richard D. James alien ambient acid techno, which makes sense since this is essentially his first full-length release. In that respect, it sounds uncannily similar to the first installment of Analogue Bubblebath, specifically "Isopropophlex". The entire album is drenched in reverb to the effect that it sounds like a transmission beamed directly from a Zeta Reticuli rave. It's HARD, very percussive, with paranoid melodies, but it definitely has the same mood as early Aphex. Most songs are just straightforward ravers with that unmistakable Aphex melancholy. Their concept may be simple and somewhat homogenized by now, but the magnificent execution distinguishes these tracks from anything else out there.
Some songs, like "Quoth", are downright clanging clatter. However, Surfing On Sine Waves manages to remain compelling throughout by sturdily walking the tight rope above the pitfall of experimentalist noodling. It won't sound too poppy to hardcore veterans of Madchester, yet it won't frighten the uninitiated. I myself have grown up in the insularity of the boondocks, and I still find this release enthralling. ...but maybe that's why I'm so ecstatic about it; I have yet to really be exposed to the more arcane genres like techstep or illbient.
Whatever.
Whether it's a milestone or a pebble, it is an entirely solid album, and sometimes just achieving that is innovation enough.
If you still need a reason to purchase this, I'll give you a reason: "Quino-Phec ", the coda, is ambient in a way that S.A.W. vol. II wanted to be. And considering the magnificent splendor of S.A.W. vol. II, that's saying ALOT.

The man whom I consider quite possibly the greatest electronic artist around developed many alter egos to pursue various styles amongst his amazing arsenal of personalized sonics. Polygon Window was one such project Richard James (better known as Aphex Twin) took on to help further his sound from the rough, metallic onslaughts of earlier AFX work to what would become his breakthrough in a few years with I Care Because You Do. Surfing on Sine Waves is a nice bridge, echoing some of his earlier ambient flourishes as well. By no means spectacular like some of his later work, the album still has not dated as much as I would have thought, and in between the more formulaic methodology remains a distinctive sound and textural depth that alone belong to Mr. James.