Join me on a deep dive into the weird and wonderful world of Aphex Twin as I listen through Richard D James’ full discography, or thereabouts, in something close to chronological order.
There are many artists I could’ve chosen for this project, but Aphex seems like the logical choice, given the special place his music holds in my heart. Most of his catalogue is very familiar terrain for me, but given how extensive his discography is, littered with extended EPs and rarities, there are bound to be some surprises.
Right from the off, Richard James recognised the value in self-mythology and a huge amount of folklore has built up, much of it stemming from jokes and bullshit he’s happily fed interviewers over the years, and the rest generated by avid fans. Add to this the plethora of aliases he’s used, occasionally to signify a stylistic difference, but often just to confuse people and throw them off the scent. Then you’ve got the myriad unreleased tracks, Soundcloud dumps, fakes, forgeries and ultra-limited white labels, and you need a qualified historian to properly document his discography.
Entertaining as all that is, I’m here for the music first and foremost so will focus mainly on the tunage, documenting this unique artist’s journey, from humble beginnings as Kingston Polytechnic dropout, to agent provocateur, to Grammy Winner. So turn On, tune in and relax in your Analogue Bubblebath, Hang up your Auto Bulb, take some Drukqs, Select your favourite Ambient Works and Come to Daddy.
The Aphex Twin – Analogue Bubblebath Volume 1
Richard D James’ debut release as Aphex Twin contains the eponymous first cut which defines the essence of his sound in the early 90s – that ineffably melancholy sense of melody paired with relentless propulsive rhythm. Continue reading.
Aphex Twin – Analogue Bubblebath Volume 2
Analogue Bubblebath 2 is where we first encounter Digeridoo, one of Aphex Twin’s most notorious early tracks. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin’s first outing on the legendary R&S label, and despite the lo-fi production there’s no denying Digeridoo is an absolute monster. Continue Reading.
Xylem Tube contains one of Aphex Twin’s most well-loved tracks and probably the most artfully crafted of his discography to date; the kind of tune that could bring hush to a crowded room, or convert diehard rock fans to electronic music. Continue Reading.
The first Joyrex EP was an anonymous looking slab of wax, attributed to ‘Caustic Window’; the first Richard D James release to appear on the label he set up with Grant Wilson-Claridge, Rephlex Records. Continue Reading.
Hot on the heels of the first Caustic Window EP, Joyrex J5 offers more of the same manic acid techno and blissed out rave lushness. Continue Reading.
Joyrex J9 is probably the weakest of the Caustic Window trio, lacking does a Cordialatron or On the Romance Tip. Not that there isn’t some industrial-strength acid rave gold here. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85 – 92
Now we arrive at Richard D James’ full-length debut – a classic of electronic music, whose influence is still felt to this day. Continue Reading.
Polygon Window – Surfing on Sine Waves
The advent of ’93 sees Richard D 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. Continue Reading.
The first release under the AFX moniker, Analogue Bubblebath 3 has the run time of an album, which would make it James’ only LP on his own Rephlex Records. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin – On EP & On Remixes EP
The On EP sees Aphex Twin go beyond the confines of something resembling dance music and into a realm that exists on his own terms. Continue Reading.
The five tracks on Analogue Bubblebath 4 are all untitled but have been given ‘fan titles’ based on the prominent sound effect featured in each one. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Vol 2
Supposedly inspired by sounds Richard James heard while lucid dreaming, Selected Ambient Works 2 is both dreamlike and nightmarish, at times serene, lush and pleasant to listen to, at others, creepy, menacing and unsettling. Continue Reading.
The elusive fifth instalment in the Analogue Bubblebath series, which never saw the light of day with an official release. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin – Melodies from Mars
Probably the most famous ‘unofficial’ Aphex Twin collection, Melodies from Mars has never seen an official release, despite the mp3s being in circulation for years. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin – I Care Because You Do
The third album on Warp Records as Aphex Twin sees James carve out even more territory in electronica’s dark hinterland, with a record that sounds little like anyone or anything else. Continue Reading.
The second time an Aphex Twin track would be accompanied by an eye-catching video. This one being closer to the subversive and mischievous visual style he’d become known for, featuring giant day-glo teddy bears adorned with Richard D James masks, dancing and thrusting aggressively. Continue Reading.
Characterised by metallic clangs and bumps, melodies wrought from unexpected origins and a hefty dose of mischief and silliness. Continue Reading.
Bradley Strider – Bradley’s Beat & Bradley’s Robot EPs
The only two releases Richard D James put out under the Bradley Strider alias, on his own Rephlex Records, these two time capsules are both full of wobbly, speedy techno, with Aphex’s distinctive eerie melodies Continue Reading.
Four tracks that were reportedly demos Richard D James had sent to Warp Records before he was signed. Continue Reading.
Not a piece of kit you’ll find at Wickes, but an anagram of Analogue Bubble Bath, and essential listening on a par with the RDJ Album. Continue Reading.
Essentially a teaser for the upcoming Richard D James Album, which on its US release included some of these tracks. Continue Reading.
Aphex Twin – Richard D James Album
In a feat of creativity, James builds a self-contained sound-world that fizzes with contemporary influences yet exists purely on its own terms. Continue Reading.
Despite the extreme variation in the tracks, there’s a consistent oddness running through everything, a sense of urban decay embodied in the greyscale colour palette of the Chris Cunningham-directed video. Continue Reading.
Emerging from the Cornish rave scene 9 years previously, to scoring a top 40 ‘hit’ with his face emblazoned across pop culture, was an arc that probably surprised Richard D James as much as anyone else. Continue Reading.
The two remixes in question on what is essentially a double A side are of two acid house bangers, Flow Coma by 808 State and Box Energy by DJ Pierre. Continue Reading.
A true labyrinth of an album, Drukqs stands as something of an endpoint to Aphex’s unparalleled run of releases through the 90s, and was his contract-breaker with Warp Records before retreating from the limelight, not releasing another full-length for over a decade. Continue Reading.
Comprising a ragga breakcore remix of The Bug & Daddy Freddy’s Run the Place Red and two beat-less noise tracks, The Smojphace EP was not exactly what I was looking for. Continue Reading.
A teaser of the old-school acid sounds of the Analord series, the Analord 10 EP contains one of Aphex Twin’s best tracks. Continue Reading.
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