The advent of ’93 sees James entering a particularly fruitful patch of creativity, which he’d ride with a slew of albums and EPs for pretty much the rest of the decade.
Surfing on Sine Waves was the only album released under the Polygon Window alias and his first on Warp Records, as part of the legendary ‘Artificial Intelligence’ series.
This collection is definitely of a piece with SAW85-92, with heavy use of drum machines and analogue synths to create complex, moody techno, with an emphasis on vibe rather than pure energy. The album feels deeply evocative of the rugged coastal landscapes of James’ native Cornwall, a land whose history was forged in myth and legend, and more recently in the industry of the tin mines. It’s this juxtaposition of otherworldliness and cold machine-like power that gives SOSW that uncanny vibe.
Going hard on the industrial side is the legendary Quoth, probably Aphex’s most banging techno track and an all time personal favourite. Composed from a sound of a Northern line tube train thundering through a tunnel, it’s an absolute banger and a delight every time I play it. Layers of call and response percussion build until the rhythm becomes melody; three copies of this in the bag would be enough for a skilled DJ to play a full techno set.
If it Really is Me is a pearler, led by a simple piano refrain which builds into a beautiful haunting melody, and is probably Aphex’s most mature melodic work to date.
But it’s the title track which offers the purest distillation of the spirit of this record, and RDJ’s musical ethos in general. The speedy drum pattern, deceptively detailed, then the eerie synth keys which give way to a tripped out acid bass line reverberating across the mix like some sorcerer’s spell cast from the walls of Castle Tintagel. Exceptional.
Rating: high 4 out of 5
Top tracks: Polygon Window, Quoth, If it Really is Me
George's Music Blog 